Introductions and Group Guidelines

Come on in and introduce yourself. Please make your self at home, and give us a small window of who you are and why you signed up for the class. We are now reading the book of Ezra. Don't be fearful that you may say the wrong thing, because we are all learning together.

--It may be helpful to state your name, age, and (briefly) general background on the "Introduction Thread" in the Group, so that other members of our study group can understand where you're coming from.

--If a particular passage in the current chapter catches your eye, and you have something you would like to share, SHARE IT. Every uplifting viewpoint is welcome in this study, regardless of how well you type or how eloquently you write. Don't be intimidated by the scholars and professional theologians among us--they're human beings, too, which means you are equal to them. Ignore every rule of grammar and spelling if you must, but SHARE what is in your heart and soul. Share the words that have encouraged you, convicted you, troubled you, confused you, made you nervous, lifted you up or brought you low. That's the good stuff, there.

--When you do post, go ahead and include the actual text of the passage you're speaking about, so we can see exactly what you're looking at. (If biblical, all translations welcome. CCEL has an excellent scripture engine from which you can cut and paste.) As we move through each chapter, I won't be able to discuss every fine point of every paragraph, and I may overlook something valuable that you catch. What you know or have come to understand about a passage may be the exact thing another person needs to know or understand. Methods of showing quotes can be found in the FAQ here located in the Official Bulletin Board.

--This is an INTER-denominational study group, which means posters--while free to write anything at all regarding the current reading--are encouraged to express their own thoughts and ideas about the text. All posts are required to be civil and respectful of other posters and beliefs. (See the Group Welcome Message for the Group Leader's guidelines on poster interactions.) The forum posting policy is in the Official Bulletin Board here.

--If you ever feel uncomfortable or personally confronted by what another poster has written, please contact me personally via email and WAIT ONE FULL DAY before responding to the affront. I know quite well that this can be extremely difficult, when an insult or error is already sitting on the thread where everyone can see it, but for the sake of peace-keeping, do your best to abide by this particular guideline.

--If you have any questions about the Group Study, technical questions or problems that you want to keep private, please email me.

--While I don't expect our Group Study to go south on us, derogatory posts that demean any particular institution, tradition, or poster will be subject to immediate removal or editing, without warning, by our illustrious moderators. The poster of the comment will be asked, gently, to refrain in the future from similar posts, and if it continues to be a problem, he or she will be quietly removed from the thread, his or her posts will be subject to editing, and I will be very sad.

--If you decide that this group just isn't for you and you want to quit, at the top left margin look for "My Subscription". Click on the link and on the next page there should be a link "Unsubscribe from this group", click on that link. This will remove your group access and delete you from that group's email list. We will miss you in the group but hope to see you in another group that you enjoy more.

Lee Ostrander (beemanlee) beemanlee@yahoo.com
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