What have you read so far in your Year
of the Bible reading that has surprised you? Have you read a passage and
found new understanding and meaning? Have you read a story and realized that
there was much you’d misunderstood before?
Why are there two rather different Creation stories? Why have we developed
so much mythology around the visit of the Magi? How long was Noah, his family,
and all those animals on the Ark? Which is the best word to use in the Lord’s
Prayer: “sin”, “debt”, or “trespass”?
I am thrilled that we have such a large group participating in the Year of the Bible. The Bible can appear
daunting: all those thin pages, the tiny print, the stories that so often seem
confusing, troubling, or just out-of-date. And then there are all those translations
– is the only acceptable Bible one filled with Elizabethan English words such
as, “thou”, “thee”, “thine”?
And then there’s all that violence in the early pages of the Old
Testament, all those prophets intoning their warnings to repent, all Jesus’ often
confusing parables, all Paul’s lists, and that wild, Technicolor ending!
Reading through the Bible is like taking a hike through the woods. Some
trails are flat, sunny, and easy. Other trails are winding, rocky, steep, and
difficult. Some trails take us through deep, dark forests, while others lead us
seemingly into the clouds.
But as you hike through the woods, you begin to get comfortable with your
surroundings. You learn how to take the difficult trails slowly and steadily.
You learn not take the easy trails for granted. You develop an appreciation for
your surroundings: the trees, the wildlife, the rocks, the sky, the silence,
the wonder.
Reading through the entire Bible will, we all hope, help you to grow more
comfortable as you walk through the pages of any of the Bible’s books. Reading
through the entire Bible will, we all hope, inspire and encourage you to take
more regular sojourns through the pages of Scripture, with your mind and heart
open to the Spirit’s teaching.
Lent, which begins this year on February 10th, is a
particularly appropriate time to walk through the pages of Scripture, beginning
with those stirring words we hear on Ash Wednesday through the prophet Joel, “Yet
even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your
heart, … rend your hearts and not your clothing.”
But even if you are not participating in the Year of the Bible, there are wonderful books by eminent writers
that can help you to hear God’s word to you, writers such as Henri Nouwen,
Barbara Brown Taylor, Frederick Buechner, Fleming Rutledge, and Anne Lamott. We’ve
got many of their books in our library – stop by and browse.
Read. Listen. Learn. Let God’s Holy Spirit guide and help you. Open your
eyes, your mind, your ears, and your heart to the Word of the Lord - and enjoy the walk!
Grace & peace,
Pastor Skip
