The problem with the way we read the Bible is most easily seen in how the church “does” Children’s Ministry. Our children learn about Abraham, Noah, Moses, Ruth, Esther, David, Mary, Jesus and the apostles. But too often we fail to teach our children that all of these people were part of God’s overall redemptive plan for creation. It really is a matter of losing sight of the forest for all the trees. If we are reading scripture as a fascinating collection of individual stories instead of ONE STORY of God we may find that our lives and our churches do not align with what God is doing in the world. This, by the way, is a big problem! Reggie McNeal in his new book, “Missional Renaissance” puts it this way:
“In a church-centric world, the bible is viewed as God’s self-revealing gift to his people, chronicling for them his work on their behalf and how they are to conduct their lives together as his people. In this context, bible study typically functions as a devotional aid and an instructive lesson applied to church people who find what they need for godly living. The Bible certainly does all of this, but there is much more for the missional follower of Jesus. For the missional church, the Bible serves as a narrative to help the people of God understand his mission in the world and their role in it. It serves as an authoritative guide for living as God’s people while being on mission with him to woo the world.”
How we read Scripture changes everything! It changes the way we live. It gives us a reason to get up in the morning and to be excited about life. When we realize that the bible is one story of God redeeming people from every tribe and nation and that he is calling us to join him it has the power to stir us out of our American way of life (comfort, complacency, and a false sense of security). The bible is a revolutionary book and the revolution is calling…
- What happens when the church loses sight of the story (meta-narrative) of the bible?
- What happens when an individual or family loses sight of the story of the bible?
- What does the watching world think when the church loses sight of the story of the bible?
- What might need to change about the way we live if we fully embraced the mission of God?