The Bible

Today's young people are the most savvy in technology that have been raised to date. If we want to put a Bible in their hands, this is one of the ways to get them reading:

"In the Beginning was the Word; now the Word is on an app"

Although there are times when nothing will do but for me to have a traditional Bible in my hands, the one on my Kindle is terribly handy in certain situations!

The Bible's influence...

More than half of Americans think the Bible has too little influence on a culture they see in moral decline, yet only one in five Americans read the Bible on a regular basis, according to a new survey.
 
More than three-quarters of Americans (77 percent) think the nation's morality is headed downhill, according to a new survey from American Bible Society.

The survey showed the Bible is still firmly rooted in American soil: 88 percent of respondents said they own a Bible, 80 percent think the Bible is sacred, 61 percent wish they read the Bible more, and the average household has 4.4 Bibles.

If the Bible is so commonplace in America, wouldn't its moral teachings counteract the downward trend? Almost a third of respondents said moral decline was a result of people not reading the Bible, while 29 percent cited the "negative influence of America" and one in four cited corporate corruption.

So says a report called "American's love the Bible But don't read it much"
Here's the link to the Survey....

Once again, we know what we want, we know what we need, but we just don't do it...

Bible and Science

We are surrounded by people who are constantly trying to reconcile the Bible and science. You will hear (or may ask) questions especially about the beginning of the world, the great flood, the plagues in Egypt and on and on. Where does the Bible tell us about dinosaurs? To the best of my knowledge, the word dinosaur isn't in there (unless they are the behemoths listed in the OT).  Did they exist? Obviously so, their bones are everywhere but on what day were they created? Were they created at a later time? Why did God allow them to die out? My question to you is...what does it matter?

The writers of the Old Testament weren't really concerned about the "how" of creation. Their concern was mainly with the "who" and "why"..."who" set everything in motion and "why" do we exist? These were (and are) the important questions. The technical explanations didn't matter to them nearly as much as describing the relationship between the Creator and the created.

Scientists will never know the answers to all of life's questions and what they believe to be true today could very well change next week. Their study is like a puzzle without all the pieces; the picture is constantly changing.  I am often fascinated by what science has to offer and what they can tell us about this wonderful creation we live on...earth. I can learn, understand and grow in the knowledge of the natural world because I am sure that the Truth learned from studying God's word is just that, Truth. It may not spell out the answers to a biology quiz but it gives me all I need to know to be in relationship with you and my Creator.

A Bible

According to the BBC, a Bible belonging to Elvis will be going on the auction block next month and is expected to bring well over $31,000.00. He received the Bible as a Christmas gift from an Aunt and Uncle and it is said to have "notes" made by the "King" himself!

As one commenter noted, "this may well be the "King's" King James Version!

Face of Christ

An artist's rendering of the face of Christ using different scenes from his life. I had the option of (2)...one face with just the drawing and another showing the texts from which the story was taken...

Enjoy! 

66 Books

In honor of the 400th anniversary of the first printing of the King James Version of the Bible, the Bush Theater in London is now producing "Sixty-Six Books" . Their promotion states:

This October, the Bush Theatre will open the doors to its new home with Sixty-Six Books, an epic performance cycle featuring over 200 artists from across the globe.

From all faiths and none, from over a dozen countries and across five continents, sixty-six remarkable playwrights, poets, songwriters and novelists speak to each book of the King James Bible, filling the new Bush Theatre with contemporary responses to some of the greatest stories ever told.

The production begins with  "Godblog Twitter Feed" . The author, Jeanetter Winterson" believes God's wisdom will "crackle" for modern audiences as Twitter posts of 140 words or less..."First eviction! Adam and Eve out! Jews homeless till 1948. God-followers down the ages can now land-grab with a clear conscience." or "RIP Sara, kvetchy wife of Abraham. She was the Joan Collins of the Old Testament"  But she's just covering Genesis.

Each of the works, which run from a few minutes to 20, is described as a response to a book in the Bible, with no dramaturgical limits placed on the contributors.

Another author chose to respond to II Thessalonians.  This 16-page play called, “Falling Away,” is a conversation between a man and a woman who are in love, yet the woman is in a relationship with someone else whom she cannot imagine leaving despite her unhappiness.

The Most Rev. Rowan Williams (Archbishop of Canterbury) has contributed a quietly funny, moving piece on death and grief in response to the Bible's shortest verse--"Jesus wept" (from the Book of John).

All in all it sounds like an interesting opportunity to see others perspective on what the Bible teaches in a very unique way. All the while celebrating the Word of God in print.

Beware the highlighters!

Do you write in your Bible or perhaps highlight verses that speak to you? Maybe you use different color inks that help you recognize different categories. I don't now, but I used to...

Many years ago, I attended a Bible Study at the home of a very dear friend. It was my first "grown up" Bible Study and I was thrilled to be included...these women were so wise in my eyes (and they are!) that I couldn't relax and be a part of the study. I was afraid if I spoke out, I would miss something they had to offer. So I sat there...ears open, pen at the ready, highlighter just within reach and made notes and marked my Bible furiously! (One of the ladies had given me the Bible I used).

And then they began to ask me questions, they asked my opinions, they wanted to know if God had spoken to me about the lesson...and what direction did I feel led? And then one day (gasp!) they asked me to lead the next weeks study. What? Me? Lead the next weeks study? Slowly, they helped me grow in my relationship with them and with Our Father...they showed my by their words and actions how to grow in wisdom.

What does this have to do with marking up my Bible? One day, as I read in my Bible, I came across a highlighted verse...and although all are filled with truth, I couldn't for the life of me remember why I had marked it. What meant so much that I would put ink in the book so I wouldn't forget it?
Today, I don't want to lock myself in to one interpretation...I want to leave it open so I can see it differently the next time...I want to leave myself open to new insights and possibilities that I couldn't see through the ink.

The St. John's Bible

The Saint John's Bible is a work of art and a work of theology. A team of artists coordinated by Donald Jackson in Wales and a team of scholars in Central Minnesota have brought together the ancient techniques of calligraphy and illumination with an ecumenical Christian approach to the Bible rooted in Benedictine spirituality. The result is a living document and a monumental achievement.

It was a task of biblical proportions — drawing every letter and illustration in a Bible painstakingly by hand. Now, 13 years after its inception, the brightly colored and massive St. John's Bible is complete.

Modern touches dominate the St. John's Bible, believed to be the only handwritten and illuminated Bible commissioned by a Benedictine monastery in the more than 500 years since the invention of the printing press. Klassen sweeps his hand across a page from Ezekiel, which shows "The Valley of Dry Bones" at the bottom as a gray pile of skulls of victims of the Khmer Rouge, a crashed car, and victim eyeglasses from the Holocaust. But at the top of the page are shimmering rainbow colors representing God's covenant with his people. More here...

It goes along....

"the stakes for mankind have grown too high for any of us to engage our faith as if our understanding of God represents the only way God's presence may be known in the world." R. Kirby Godsey

This quote is from his new book "Is God a Christian?". I thought it interesting that I ran across this interview this morning considering the piece I wrote yesterday about the Bible. Add that to the book study I've been attending at church on "Love Wins" and it was too coincidental (and since I don't believe in coincidences) not to been mentioned.

I haven't read the book so I cannot give a review...suffice to say, I probably will read it...soon! The interview is certainly worth a few minutes of your time...

How do you read it?

Do you believe the Bible to be the inerrant, infallible, unchanging Word of God? Do you take every Word literally? Do you believe that each verse stands on it's own? Or should we read the whole Bible and see it as a complete story? How do you explain the contradictions?

Exodus 15:3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
Romans 15:33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
John 14:28 You have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If you loved me, you would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Ecclesiastes 1:18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow.
1 Corinthians 1:19: "For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."

There is nothing wrong with reading the Bible as the literal Word of God. But in doing so, we must take it as a complete work...to do otherwise does not allow God His full expression. The diversity we see in His Word is a critical component in the mystery that we will never fully understand.

If He is the God we believe Him to be, claim that He is, we are committing a grave disservice when we maintain that we are the ones who understand Him. For the Word of God tells us that He is the God of all peoples...regardless of what we think.

Bible

by Rich Oster...The Story of Everything, in less than 5 minutes...Bravo Rich!

Our book study...

For the next several Wednesday nights, we won't be doing a "Bible" study at church...we're doing a book study. The chosen book is "Love Wins" by Rob Bell...


As part of our first discussion we spoke about the Bible and those who are considered to be the authors...Before you get upset, "God Inspired"...I get it...but who actually took pen in hand? While we will never have their names, and really the names are not necessary in the long run, it's long been debated that there were (4) types of author and well, I found it interesting that just after we had that discussion, I ran across this article.

Our book study is not to try and prove or disprove the Bible, it's not to question the Bible...our book study is to question how we read, understand and live the Words written there...and I, for one, can't wait for next week!

Ark...

According to the New York Times,

Mr. Huibers, 60, the successful owner of a big construction company, has spent the last few years building an ark, identical in size to the one Noah is said in the book of Genesis to have built: 300 cubits in length, or 450 feet; 30 cubits high, or about three stories; and 50 cubits, or 75 feet, wide. The cubit of the Bible, Mr. Huibers said, was the distance between finger tips and elbow, or in his case roughly 18 inches.

When asked what was the catalyst behind building it...
But it was not about money. “It is to tell people that there is a Bible,” Mr. Huibers, a spry man with a quick sense of humor said. “And that, when you open it, there is a God.”

Check the rest of the article on the link shown above...

Codex Sinaiticus

What you are seeing in the picture above is a 4th Century Bible written by hand in Greek on animal skins. It contains the oldest complete copy of the New Testament. Check it out here...

Interesting to say the least! Be sure and read "Why it is important".

The Bible

I know I've been linking to other places and quoting several others lately...but when I run across a story or article that interests me, I want to pass it along. So today, another one! Adam Hamilton at "Seeing Gray" presents a good piece on the Bible...
http://adamhamilton.cor.org/2008/12/12/president-bush-evolution-and-the-bible/

You'll want to read the whole article but his description is this:
"The Bible is an amazing, challenging, beautiful, confusing, inspiring, upsetting and deeply true book that is not best described by simplistic statements"...as the kids would say, "True, that!"