In anticipation of the total solar eclipse Aug. 21 — called by some “The Great American Eclipse” due to its rarity — Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, has produced a Bible study: “The Great American Eclipse and Our Creaturely Sense of Wonder.”

The free Bible study, written by the Rev. Dr. Charles P. Arand, invites congregations, small groups and individuals to explore our “sense of wonder” in God’s creation through Scripture. It is designed as a one-day study, but may be extended into two or three sessions.

All of North America will be able to see an eclipse of the sun Aug. 21. The path of totality — where the moon will completely cover the sun — will cross the United States from West to East, from Oregon to South Carolina.

Some 70 miles wide, the path of totality will pass through 14 states. The last total eclipse in the contiguous United States was in 1979.

“Events like the Great American Eclipse may capture our attention because they seem so rare, so out of the ordinary, indeed, extraordinary,” writes Arand, who is the Eugene E. and Nell S. Fincke Graduate Professor of Theology, dean of Theological Research and Publication, and director of the seminary’s Center for the Care of Creation. “And there is nothing wrong with being fascinated by events like total solar eclipses.

“But we also shouldn’t forget that our world is filled with wonders all around us.”

View and download Bible study

Posted August 15, 2017