Friends
Not to overuse the word, but I have been INSPIRED by the responses that I have received from our current sermon series. Truly, I know how difficult it is to begin to reclaim something that has been used as a weapon, rather than a tool for liberation, and the Holy Bible, our sacred text, is no exception.
Hopefully, over these past few weeks, you have heard something, or felt something that is inspiring you. Whether that be in a life group or on a Sunday, I sincerely hope that you are inspired as well.
The Bible is full of stories that help us understand who God is and how God has been revealed. This revelation inspired them to tell the story, share the story and ultimately to write the story down. It is many stories that contains sacred truths and revelations that enable us to have relationship with God and, through Jesus, and by the power of the Holy Spirit call us into deeper relationship with God, self, and others.
This Sunday we are “Making Peace with Hard Text”, of which the Bible contains many! Rachel Held Evans in her book, “Inspired” asks this question, “Is God the good guy or the bad guy” when thinking about Noah and the flood or Joshua’s quest, of war stories and the ways women were treated as property.
If we believe that God is a God of love, how do we read these stories and come to terms with some of the judgement that we find within its pages? This is an important question and challenges us to think more clearly about as we reclaim this sacred text.
I do hope that you will join me again this Sunday as we once again come to be inspired and challenged, loved, and encouraged to find our hope in the stories of old as well as the stories of lives that we witness around us - these new words of the Bible that is alive in us.
Blessings,
