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Join us at St Paul’s Cathedral this Sunday, 5 February 2012, for a talk and question and answer session by our author Sara Savage on ‘ Joseph; Insights for the spiritual journey ‘.

Sara will be discussing her book of the same title, which seeks to marry psychological insight with the character of Joseph in the Old Testament, seeing his experience as a model for dealing with …

Journeying with Joseph

One study group’s reflections

Before the publication of her new book, Joseph: Insights for the spiritual journey, Sara Savage tested the waters by inviting members of All Saints Church, Hartford, Huntingdon, to form a Study Group. The aim of the group was to try out the Study Guide questions and activities, and to give Sara feedback on the experience of reading Joseph.

The participants in the Study Group came from many walks of life, with different experiences of faith. It included the Vicar and a retired minister, the local lay-minister, the churchwarden and church leaders, together with some professionals working in the local community.  The majority were, however, ordinary, faithful and devout people of God, and we all could relate deeply to the material.

The character of Joseph is unfolded throughout the Study Group, and this provides psychological insights into his spiritual journey. We then used this to reflect on own encounter with the Divine. It was like a two-way mirror. As one member of the Study Group remarked: ‘Getting into Joseph’s mind through our own experience of life, not only enlarged one’s understanding of Joseph, but made us look more closely at our own thoughts and reactions.’

We began each session by discussing the relevant chapter in the Joseph saga. For our first session this was facilitated by Sara herself in her inimitable style.  Later on, a new group leader was appointed – the study material is easy to lead.

In the first part of each session, we all took part in an ‘open forum’ about Joseph himself. And a drama it was! The great value of this is that all participants are able to enter in, to become enthusiastic and delve into the theme of the session.  We found that surprising new insights were discovered that may otherwise have remained dormant. It was for us a spiritual journey.

In the second part of each session, we sub-divided into smaller groups of threes to discuss questions that related Joseph’s experience to our own. The topics ranged from handling life’s problems, identity, broken relationships, depression, stress, unforgiveness and grief.  Often people are anxious to discuss set questions. But don’t be anxious – just as in the ‘open forum’ – our minds were buzzing over these questions. There is no right or wrong answer. This is about a journey of discovery, about understanding our own life experiences, as well as understanding Joseph’s.  Whatever is shared is relevant and respected. One member of the Study Group wrote: ‘The sessions were a profound learning and often moving experience, encouraging growth in reflection and discovery.  I personally reached deeper into my faith and discovered more of God and more about myself.  I began in one place and ended in another.’

Another member said: ‘Being part of the Study Group was informative, fun, thought- provoking, and, at times, challenging.  I looked forward to the weekly meetings, where the group could share insights and experiences, as we delved deeply into the ancient narrative of Joseph and related parts of it to our lives’.

Joseph is so beautifully written and full of spiritual insight, knowledge and inspiration. It delves into antiquity, and it is alive and relevant to life’s journey today.  Sara has the ability to combine the religious experience with psychological insight woven into a delightful book – it reads like a novel.

The narrative is so beautifully descriptive that many parts of it will remain in my memory for along time.  An example is to be found in the opening chapter, ‘The Tent’, which describes Joseph’s birth into this world.  ‘His mother’s Face hovers above him; he knows her scent, her rustling sound, her firm hands.  This Face roots him to the centre of things…  This face-to-face communication between mother and baby ‘gives us a glimpse of the numerous and holy’ writes Sara.

The idea of the Face (from in the writings of psychologist and theologian James Loder) is a reccurring theme in Joseph, a central theme to the narrative. Joseph in childhood gained the sense of having a loving Face – that was like a mirror to him, giving him a sense of self. Then he lost that Face through the traumatic events of his life that finally lead up to the climax of the book. In the Study Group, we found saying the words of the Aaronic blessing took on new meaning:

“May the Lord bless you and keep you.

May he make his face to shine upon you, may he lift up the light of his countenance upon, and give you peace.’ ’’ (Num. 6:24-6.)

There are so many themes that Bible students could develop from Joseph. Sara uses enchanting metaphors such as ‘calming the elephant’ – to discuss how to deal with the kind of stress that Joseph experienced – entering the complexity of Egypt’s hierarchical social order. Apt was the comment made by one in the Study Group:‘Joseph reads like a fast flowing river, poetic and colourful – it takes the reader into another world. One is wanting more as each chapter unfolds.’

Personally, I commend every Bible student to read Sara Savage’s Joseph:insights for the spiritual journey, and to any preacher using ‘Joseph’ as the subject for a sermon, I would say – this book is a must.

From all of us in the Study Group in 2011, we commend both the book and the Study Guide to all kinds of people. We believe you will enjoy this book and Study Guide as much as we have, and that you will find it a blessing on your spiritual journey.

Read Chapter 1 of Joseph

Revd Stanley Whiffen leads the study group at All Saints’ Church, Hartford, Huntingdon. In 2010, he celebrated 50 years in the ordained ministry of the United Reformed Church.

Su Blanch

Su Blanch is an expert in  HR, training and development. She is experienced in facilitating learning through a range of techniques including coaching, action learning, classroom-based training and enabling self-managed learning.

Su has extensive experience of coaching clergy at all levels around moving jobs and is the co-author of  How to make Great Appointments in the Church.

Su is a coach at 3DCoaching and her most important and fulfilling job is being a parent.