Delving into scripture is a life-long journey. It's the one book that never gets old. There's always something new to say, see, and explore even if you're just reading old, familiar passages. Hopefully these tips will aid you on your journey of discovery.
The most important thing to remember about the Bible is that it is the Living Word of God. Most people grasp the "Word of God" part but the "Living" part is underrated and under-appreciated. When we say the Bible is the Living Word we mean it's not cold, dead, static on a page like an encyclopedia or dictionary. God comes to us through these texts. We're bound into deep relationship with them. Their meaning grows and deepens--even changes sometimes--as our lives grow and deepen. The Bible will not be the same for you at 16 as it is at 66. It will speak to you and impact your life in particular ways at each stage. It's helpful to approach the Bible as a friend as much as a plain old book. You visit your friends because they're familiar, sure, but also because they're warm and alive and will reflect with you on your days and your life while sharing some of their own story in return. That's what the Bible does too. You're always welcome, always invited into conversation.
Framing scripture reading as a conversation helps us avoid the perilous threat of making God's Word into a simple rulebook or instruction manual. The Bible contains rules and instructions, certainly, but that's not the point. Once you've read a manual for putting together a bicycle or completed an algebra textbook you have a pretty good idea how it goes. You already know what it says, you understand the steps, and you probably don't need to refer to it again. The Bible isn't like that! If you say those same things about scripture--I already know how it goes, I understand it, I don't need to refer to it again--you've just royally insulted God and cut yourself off from him speaking to you. Imagine saying those things about a friend or a spouse. "You can hush now. I've already heard what you have to say and I get it." What presumption! Even if you had a close relationship before that you wouldn't for long after! We must at all costs avoid painting God's Word as a simple, static set of rules or instructions, the better to avoid this mistake.
Reading the Bible well involves many of the same practices that having a good conversation does. Ideally when you converse with someone you want to be open, interested in them, engaged in the process, willing to listen, and ready to draw them out with meaningful questions. A conversation is something you enjoy, ponder, linger over. You'd never have a conversation with a friend for the sole purpose of getting to the end and getting to the point so you could drop that friend and do something else. Yet how many of us approach our conversation with the Bible that way? "Just give me the meaning so I can go on and be done with this!" I'm afraid you're not going to get much out of the relationship that way!
Instead we need to hear what the Bible has to say, engage it, and ask meaningful questions about it. Some of those basic questions include:
- To whom was the author of this passage speaking?
- What was the world like for him and his audience?
- What message was he trying to convey?
- What are the parallels between the author's world and ours? What things are different?
- How does that message stretch across time to make a connection with our world as well?
If it looks like I'm implying that this exploration is better done in good company, I am. You can certainly ascertain plenty about God from simply sitting down and reading the Bible yourself. The real eye-openers usually come when you're gathered with other people though, either through Bible Study or worship. As much as we know the Bible is alive and in conversation with us, it's hard for us to envision talking with a book. Talking with each other first eases us into that conversational mode. Once we're open to it the Bible slips into the discussion almost like another person. You hear its words being spoken from the lips of your friends and neighbors and it comes alive.
Those friends and neighbors offer you perspective that you either haven't had or have forgotten. It's fascinating to hear that 16-year-old discuss God and scripture. It reminds you of ways of thinking that you've lost touch with. It's fascinating to hear people of different backgrounds and experiences share their views. Those are stories you never would have been able to access yourself. Each of them is a new approach to the God who stands at the center of us all and the words he means us to hear today.
This is why we have Bible Study and this is why it's important to participate. No matter how brilliant you are, you can only engage in so much conversation with scripture on your own. You can only hear the words your ears are geared to hear. The Bible is so much bigger than any pair of ears though! I can say with confidence that 95% of the big scriptural epiphanies in my life have either come in conversing with friends about the Bible, in thinking of what to say to congregation members about the Bible (holding the conversation in my head prior), or from Bible Study conversations themselves. Without other people I'm at least 95% farther behind in my understand of God and scripture.
We hold Bible Studies on Sunday morning, Wednesday afternoon, and the first Saturday evening of every month. Plus we have small group meetings centered around faith topics every Thursday night and conversation based on faithful grieving every other Monday. There's plenty of room for you to join the discussion, so come on in!
--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)
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