2. Our Day in Job Session #1: Approaching the book of Job Session #2: The Prologue: launching into Job Session #3: Examining a theme: poverty in Job Session #4: God’s speeches and conclusions

3. NIKOLAI: You made that up, didn’t you? I am talking to you like a normal person, and here you are giving me all this… Is that a fairy tale?’ PRIEST: No, it’s from the Bible.

4. Session #1 Approaching the Book of Job Key background issues The importance and relevance of the book

5. Approaching the Book of Job Wonderful Challenging

6. Approaching the Book of Job Important Relevant Job ‘speaks to and for all humanity’ (Pope)

7. Job in the Ancient Near East ‘Retribution’ Similarities and Differences Job speaks a true and distinctive word of hope: an encounter with Yahweh

8. Session #2 The Prologue (chs. 1-2): Launching into Job A close reading of the Prologue The artistry of the book The centrality of Job for life and mission The pastoral potential and pitfalls of Job

9. The Prologue: Launching into Job Scene one – on earth (1:1-5): Who is Job? Scene two – in heaven (1:6-12): The question is raised Scene three – on earth (1:13-22): Tragedy strikes and Job responds Scene four – in heaven (2:1-6): The question raised again Scene five – on earth (2:7-13): More tragedy, a further response, and the views of others

10. The Prologue: Launching into Job Question: How does Job help us to process pain and what does this mean for life, mission and ministry? … at home… at work… in church communities…?

11. Session #3 Exploring a theme: Poverty in Job Three passages Five challenges

12. Poverty in Job Three passages focusing on the treatment of the poor Job 24:1-17 Job 29:11-17 Job 31:13-23

13. Poverty in Job Five challenges concerning poverty put on the agenda by the book of Job: Challenging God Challenging the friends Challenging the wicked Challenging the self Challenging the world

14. Session #4 God’s speeches and conclusions Speech one (38:1-40:2) Job’s response (40:3-5) Speech two (40:6-41:34) Job’s response (42:1-6) Conclusions (the Epilogue – 42:7-17)

15. God’s speeches and conclusions Where does the conclusion of the book leave us? How does the book of Job equip us for life and mission?