Who knew Mrs. Oswald Chambers works as a textbook?
In fall 2019, a Lexington, Kentucky women’s Bible study used the biography to help study My Utmost for His Highest.
I asked the facilitator, the recently retired missionary and church historian Dr. Eric Frugé, to describe the experience.
When one of his colleagues recommended him to the leaders of the Monday morning women’s Bible study, the ladies agreed.
He was the first man in 30 years to receive the invitation. They even asked him to choose the subject.
Why My Utmost for His Highest for a Bible study?
Frugé prayed and decided to use the weekly meeting as a time to examine My Utmost for His Highest He’d personally used the devotional for more than 40 years.
“God has used OC [Oswald Chambers] to force me to my knees over the years, to acknowledge and repent of my persistent right to myself, and to call me back to simple faith in Christ.
“The messaging in My Utmost for His Highest is uniquely articulated in many ways. I felt that God would speak profoundly to the ladies in this Bible study through the book, especially if they were not already familiar with it.”
Frugé had read David McCasland’s excellent biography, Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God, many years ago and had just finished my biography, Mrs. Oswald Chambers, when asked to lead the study.
“I was very honored and humbled and I confess more than a little intimidated. These women are spiritual giants in our church!”
Only two or so of the twenty women were familiar with My Utmost for His Highest. Frugé thought the study would be a good one to introduce people to the devotional.
Themes and curriculum
After more prayer, he worked on a curriculum using themes from My Utmost for His Highest to bring out “the most compelling aspects of OC’s message; themes that surface repeatedly through Utmost.”
“I had never grouped OC’s Utmost devotionals by theme before. It was a fresh approach that gave me a fuller understanding of those themes, and consequently a deeper walk with Christ.”
He chose seven themes, one per week after the initial study. They included:
- Surrender of the Will and the Cost of Discipleship
- Intercession and Others-centered Ministry
- Faithfulness in the Ordinary
- Adversity and Crisis
- The Road to Spiritual Authenticity
- Come unto Me
- God’s Guidance in our Lives
Frugé chose themes he felt were most important from the devotional. He liked the idea of students “brooding,” [OC’s favorite terms for meditating] over the themes, if only for eight weeks. “It could have a lasting influence on their lives.”
(For more on themes found in My Utmost for His Highest, see Dr. Ken Boa’s talk on the subject, here).
Frugé wanted the women to see how Biddy’s life paralleled their own in significant ways. Biddy’s confidence in God propelled her to have a “Kingdom ministry and impact far beyond her own expectations.”
“The session about not being an “amateur providence,” triggered the most questions and responses. The theme “Come unto me,” and its relationship to Biddy’s later years saw the most engaging conversation.”
He noted the Bible study members often shared from personal experience and were very responsive to the themes and discussion.
The textbook and additional handouts
One of the women in the study divided Mrs. Oswald Chambers into chronological readings to match each of the eight lessons.
“We were amazed at how the themes corresponded to the chapters we read each week in Mrs. Oswald Chambers.
“Hazard? Coincidence? I think OC would disagree, but I confess it was not the best method of course design,” he laughed.
In a packet of handouts for the study, Frugé included
- Lesson plans for all eight sessions.
- A timeline of OC’s life.
- A description of England during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
- Information on “Oswald Chambers’ Religious Context.”
- A copy of OC’s favorite hymn, “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go.”
Frugé also provided short descriptions of contemporary folks who influenced OC, including D. L. Moody and C. H. Spurgeon,
As for using Mrs. Oswald Chambers as a textbook,
“I was curious to learn how women would respond to Biddy’s story, to hear their discernment on how she applied the principles in Utmost to her life. I would be the learner, not the teacher in that regard.”
How did the study work?
After the usual fellowship, announcements, hymn, and prayer, Frugé brought a unique approach to each session.
They always discussed the readings from the devotional and the textbook, often examining the readings in light of the Chambers’ lives at the time.
With a Ph.D. in church history, Frugé incorporated Bible passages relating to the themes, for example, the Mount of Transfiguration, or Jesus asleep in the boat during the storm.
He also included several novel ideas.
“I brought a section of HO railroad track once to illustrate the nature of paradox in the Bible (as in the Incarnation, the Trinity, and C.H. Spurgeon’s illustration of Election and Free Will) to explain the relationship of the actions of men and the sovereignty of God in our circumstances – a major theme of OC’s.”
They sang OC’s favorite hymn one week and had a guest speaker over the Internet one day: me.
Results from the study?
Frugé and the other leaders asked the participants to evaluate the study afterward, along with the textbook.
Here are a few comments:
“I feel like I met Biddy and know her. This makes the devotional even more powerful. The two books together were perfect.”
“This caused me to re-evaluate my own spiritual thoughts. Biddy is what I aspire to be but I woefully fall short.”
“I loved integrating the history in with the devotional and Biddy’s and OC’s story.”
“Michelle’s book . . . helps one understand why certain components of My Utmost might have been written. The life of Biddy was definitely worth studying.”
As for Frugé himself,
“Seeing how both Oswald and Biddy utterly defended upon God has helped me understand in a fuller way the faithfulness of God. They weren’t just talking about theories, but “actualities” (to use an OC term). The study has deepened, and in a sense, simplified my walk with Christ.”
Speaking as the textbook author, I’m so honored by these answers.
I write to glorify God and my goal is the books I write will help people to see and appreciate our God in a new and better way.
Thank you for sharing your answers, Dr. Frugé and thank you to all the participants of the Calvary Baptist Church, Lexington, KY, Bible study.
If you would like more information or would like to receive a copy of Dr. Frugé’s study, please contact Michelle Ule here.
Tweetables
Using Mrs. Oswald Chambers as a Bible study textbook. Click to Tweet
How themes from My Utmost for His Highest and Biddy’s biography inform a Bible study. Click to Tweet
Using biography to understand My Utmost for His Highest. Click to Tweet
Mine is no surrendered life,
and I’m fighting to the end,
but considering Oswald Chambers’ wife,
I may learn one day to bend
to the Will that carries me,
sustains and animates,
and offers humble victory;
that’s not the worst of fates!
I don’t know if I can release
my rooted strength in pride;
will self-direction ever cease,
and God become my guide?
In following Ms. Biddy’s lead
might I find the grace and peace I need?
Thank you Michelle. This is so timely. I have been leading a discipleship effort here in Maine for some time. As someone who also has spent 40+ years with Oswald and Biddy, my groups have been peppered with the perspectives and wisdom they left us. The attendees have also been gifted paperback copies. We’ve been considering how to take these folks to the next level and of course, “My Utmost” is on the short list. Again, very timely. Thanks and God bless you. Chris Finn.