The People of a Book

It had been a full, good week. Jim and I had been at a (wonderful) preaching conference Sunday until late, late, Thursday night, and then woke up early and eagerly Friday morning to be with our daughter and son-in-law as their second child was born.

By Saturday morning, as I prepared to come to church for a portion of the special weekend adult education presentation, I was thinking, “Boy, this Ched Myers will have to be really good to even make a dent in my consciousness.”

I guess he was good – my consciousness got “dented.”

What he did was in some ways simple – and in some ways the very same thing we’d experienced artfully done at the preaching conference. He opened up the Bible and reminded us of one of the stories within our Great Story of faith. He drew us in until we were the people living in a wilderness -- between Egypt’s “security” with oppression, and God-given freedom with responsibility. He helped us remember our daily choices to be a “Sabbath people,” who cherish God’s invitation to self-restraint, sharing, and the peace of being – not just producing.

We are people of a Book – the Bible, whose very human stories allow us to step into the Story of God’s presence, and redeeming, and love. As we “step in,” the way we see ourselves and the world is forever changed.

We’ll be placing Bibles in the hands of 3rd graders on October 24 – “Adventure Bibles” that present the story of God’s love for us in simplified language, geared especially toward 8-12 year olds. The study helps, life application questions, and pictures will help the children to journey in God’s story with their own steps. It’s a moment of joy and anticipation as we pass along the Scriptures to our young people – there is a life-long adventure ahead.