End-of-year Review of the Water Ministry

I found this a really helpful and encouraging meeting!  Here are the questions I asked and some of our answers:

...and some ideas for next year (more dots means the team thought it should be a priority!)

 I'm studying a Diploma in Christian Leadership and my first Assignment was to be written in the form of a blog post - so here it is!

The Bible…still important for you (and me)?

My short answer to this question is yes.

But let’s look at the words and ideas in the question a bit more closely.

“The Bible…”

I guess if we are asking about the Bible, we need to be clear on what we mean.  What is it? A historic text? A message from God?  A sacred symbol?  Is it reliable? Is it even finished?  Authors^[1] suggest God (and we) are still writing his story. People talk about “the word of God”, varying in meaning between Jesus himself, his words, the written Bible, and revelation received directly from God today.

Do we consider the Bible as one whole, or as lots of separate parts (2 testaments, 66 books, or 31,102 verses)?  Is it valid to say the Bible as a whole is important for you?  Or that some verses are individually important?

Is it all true, and accurate? When I was at university in the 2000s, there was lots of emotionally charged debate over whether the Bible is “inerrant”, and what this meant. Now it seems to be more widely accepted that “inerrant” is perhaps not the best word to use, rather that God was “intimately and creatively” involved in its writing[2].

These are all good questions! But I would say the whole Bible, as published today, is important as the collection of writings brought together by God, about him and his people.

“…still…”

Was the Bible important…

… when written, but not now in today’s world?

… for Jews and early Christians, but not now we have the Holy Spirit?

…  in me becoming a Christian, but not now that I know God?

The Bible itself says:

Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever."

Matt 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.“

2 Tim 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”

Even when this world is replaced by God’s eternal Kingdom, his words will still be important.  They keep their value even when everything else has fundamentally changed.  Culture, this world, our way of life – these things are temporary, and lose their importance (although this is hard for us to accept). 

Jesus, being in very nature God, and filled with the Spirit, still valued the Scriptures highly, reading from them and teaching.  We can’t let our assurance of God within us devalue his words to us in the Bible.

Timothy shows that as well as God’s word leading me to be saved, it also helps me in the process of growing, living, and teaching.

God’s word stands, important as ever.

”…important…”

What do we mean when we say something (or someone) is important?  That it has great power or influence? Is it something I can use for my purpose, or something that has an effect on me?

Important: “necessary or of great value” / “having great effect or influence”[3]

These are interesting definitions because they talk not just about value but about consequences. Something that is important is also to have a practical effect on our lives.  The Bible does this.

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

This reminds me of my first encounters with a machete in villages in northern Peru.  It was used for clearing a path, opening a papaya, cutting toenails – everything.  It was “necessary”, and did have “great effect”.  And the Bible is even sharper!

“…for…”

There’s a difference between something being objectively important “for” me (like oxygen, exercise, government policies) and being subjectively important “to” me (like family, a view of the sea, freedom to choose what to wear).  I might not even be aware of some of the things that are important “for” me, though they are necessary and deeply affect my life – but their importance doesn’t depend on my point of view. 

The Bible, whether or not it is important “to” us, is definitely important “for” us.

Psalm 119 is full of examples where the author recognises God’s word’s great importance “for” him, but he also shows that is important “to” him.  Perhaps if we recognise our need for the Bible and its fundamental importance in our life, we start to value and love it as David did.

“…you…”

Who are you?  I’ve seen the importance of the Bible in the last few months for the following people I know:

·         Friends looking to heal their relationship

·         People setting up and leading churches

·         Quechua-speaking Christians who are receiving the full Bible in their dialect for the first time

·         Someone struggling to forgive others who hurt her, and move on

·         Teenagers thinking about relationships and decision-making

I asked Oliver (age 9), the title question and he said: “Yes, because if you don’t read the Bible you won’t understand who Jesus is”.

Whoever you are, God’s word in the Bible is vitally important for your life.

“…(and me)…”

I know that the Bible is very important for me.  I can trace its impact through my life. I’ve been taught from it and come to believe, I’ve searched for knowledge, understanding and help, I’ve got to know God more through it.  Therefore it’s also very important to me. 

But reading it is like exercise – I know it is important and has soooo many benefits, but as well as ultimately being enjoyable (both the process and result) it is a lot of work both to start and continue.  Can you see its importance in my life? Yes, usually.

I know God’s word is important for me.  Can you see its importance in my life? Again yes, usually. Hm, a bit of a challenge there for me!

“…?”

I may have asked more questions than I have answered in this blog, but I shall finish with a few more. 

The Bible is still vitally important for you. 

Did you know that?          Is it also important TO you?         What will you do about it?

Some useful books that might help you to answer these questions (full references below in the bibliography):

·         Engaging the Word (Peter M. Phillips) – lots of discussion of what the Bible is, what its purpose is, and how we engage with it.

·         How to read the Bible so that it makes a difference (Michael Parsons) – loads of helpful suggestions of varied and creative ways to engage with the Bible.

 

References & Bibliography

CAMBRIGDE UNIVERSITY PRESS., 2013. “Important”, Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (4^th ed). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

FEE, G.D. & STEWART, D., 2003. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (3^rd ed). Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI.

HARDY, L., 2020. Honey from the Comb. Birch Island Books, St. Paul, MN.

PARSONS, M., 2020. How to read the Bible so that it makes a difference. BRF, Abingdon.

PHILLIPS, M.P., 2017. Engaging the Word. BRF, Abingdon.

WRIGHT, T., 2013. Scripture and the Authority of God (2^nd ed). SPCK, London.

(Bible references use the NIVUK translation)

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[1] notably Phillips and Parsons, read as part of this study

[2] Parsons, p.15

[3]Cambridge University Press.