Fig Trees and Furnaces: Biblical Stories, Scripts and Reflections - Esther to Maccabees

There are some beautiful stories in the Bible and there are some hideous stories as well. What do we do with them? Do we tell them in Sunday school? Do we omit them from the lectionary? Do we try to explain them?

Stories are important. Stories are powerful.

Teach us, God, to read the Bible
with wisdom and integrity.
Tell us, in the light and in the darkness,
the stories we need to hear.

Fig Trees and Furnaces, based on the biblical books from Esther to Maccabees, is a collection of stories, scripts and reflections written by Iona Community members, associates, friends and others. It is a companion volume to Olives and Obligations, which is based on the books from Genesis to Nehemiah.

Fig Trees and Furnaces contents include:

Esther

• 1 Monologue
• 2 Readings
• 1 Poem

Job

• 2 Readers Theatres
• 8 Readings
• 1 Poem

Psalms

• 22 Poems (paraphrased parts of Psalms)
• 2 Readers Theatres
• 8 Responsive Readings
• 4 Readings

Proverbs

• 1 Readers Theatre
• 3 Poems

Ecclesiastes

• 3 Poems

Song of Solomon

• 2 Poems

Isaiah

• 2 Readers Theatres
• 9 Poems
• 1 Reading

Jeremiah

• 4 Poems
• 1 Readers Theatre

Lamentations

• 2 Poems

Ezekiel

• 1 Reading
• 1 Readers Theatre

Daniel

• 2 Poems
• 2 Readings

Hosea

• 1 Monologue
• 2 Poems
• 1 Reading

Joel

• 2 Readings
• 1 Readers Theatre
• 1 Poem

Amos

• 1 Readers Theatre
• 1 Poem

Obadiah

• 1 Poem

Jonah

• 1 Reading
• 1 Readers Theatre
• 2 Poems

Micah

• 3 Poems

Nahum

• 1 Poem

Habakkuk

• 1 Reader

Zephaniah

• 1 Reading
• 1 Poem

Haggai

• 1 Poem
• 1 Reading

Zechariah

• 1 Poem
• 1 Readers Theatre

Malachi

• 2 Poems

Tobit

• 1 Reading
• 2 Poems

Judith

• 1 Readers Theatre

The Wisdom of Solomon

• 2 Poems

Ecclesiasticus

• 2 Poems

Susanna

• 1 Reading

Bel and the Dragon

• 2 Readings
• 1 Readers Theatre

2 Maccabees

• 1 Poem