I was asked, back in october, why I blog. I've been thinking about that ever since and haven't necessarily come up with good reasons. In fact, if recent life events are any indication, I probably shouldn't blog since anyone can find these things. But, there's something there. There's something carthetic about getting my thoughts out onto paper (as electronic as it may be) and thinking through things as I write. It helps me put everything in order...or at least begin to put things in order. And sometimes, as in this week's grey's anatomy episode, it gives a feeling of keeping yourself from fading away into nothingness. I'm leaving an imprint, or something.
Either way, I was really looking forward to writing about the Bible Study Methods class I started this weekend at church. We're going through the book How to read the bible for all its worth. And yes, it's possessive "its"...not it is. This differentiation was specified in the preface. I knew right then that these authors and I were going to get along. The other really neat thing was how closely their writing styles were to my own. It sometimes takes me a little bit of time to get used to the syntax and style of an author - but these guys comma and fragment just like I do. It made me smile. Anyway, that's not the main point. It's secondary. :o)
The main point is, this bible study methods is really really cool. First, it was supposed to be five and a half hours over two days, but we ended up spending around six and a half hours. It seriously felt like 20 minutes. The time just flew! We learned so much, but didn't even make it past the sixth chapter....and most of those were just an overview. I walked away feeling better positioned to reading deeper into my bible passages. I think one of the neatest things though, was as we talked about different passages and how they've been used/interpreted in the past, I saw how blessed I am.
I know I've talked about this before. I had an amazing childhood, birthdays are a huge event, i'm an adult female who's favorite holiday is valentine's day because it's an opportunity to share love...basically, my parents are amazing. And now, now that I'm sitting down and learning all the different ways that the Bible has been used and interpreted, I'm finding out how blessed I am that I had solid, Bible-believing and teaching, God-fearing parents. When we started a few passages by learning that we'd probably been using them incorrectly our whole lives, worrying that I had been, and then been completely blown away by what people have used the passage for....i was amazed at how accurate the majority of the teaching I've received about/on the Bible is. At the same time, it scares the crap out of me because of the responsiblity I have to teach the Bible correctly. I have second through fourth graders that are taking my interpretation of the Bible as correct. And I of course believe what I'm saying. But I think back to all of the sunday school lessons that stuck with me....and it scares me. What if I say something wrong and that's what sticks with them? That's an intense amount of pressure. I know God's present and assisting, but wow. I've never felt the weight of the position before. Prayer would be great, if you have a chance.
In other news, went ice skating tonight and rented hockey skates! Can I just say how much more amazing those are than figure skates?! Holy crap! I actually liked skating tonight! I could do crossovers on the turns and glide back and forth and even dance to the music! Best skating night EVER! :o)
Time for bed. Out!
-R
5 comments:
Can't you give love on any day of the year? Why must there be a holiday to celebrate an act such as that? I am beginning to think it is a day that is used to compensate for lack thereof in every other day of the year. Why not show love on a day that isn't hijacked by the card makers of this world?
oh anonymous - i wish you signed your name! :o)
I completely agree with you. You can absolutely give love on any day of the year. If anything, Valentine's day should only be the day that makes us stop and take stock of how we're showing love. Are we? Are we taking the challenge to show love?
I think the reason I love the day so much is that it's easier to love on that day. People are prepped and ready. As someone who's quite a bit more shy than people would ever give me credit for, it's always offputting to show love to someone and have them give you this "are you some sort of crazy?" response. (Okay, so listening to myself I hear that it's easier for me to love someone when you know it won't be kicked back in your face. That's definitely something to work on.)
The other side of it is that I like to think I'm hijacking the holiday for God. I think about the whole God is love thing....and if people are already prepped for love...let's use the overcommercialized holiday that it is and share God instead of Love. Commercialism has stolen Christ from Christmas....but I'd kinda like to retaliate by stealing Valentine's Day love for God. Kind of cheesy, yeah. But really, shouldn't a day about love highlight the love we as Christians have?
And you get to wear pink.
I just had a conversation with my roommate about how hard it is to read the Bible on a daily basis. I don't, because I can't. Personally, I feel like I've reached some kind of saturation point where the problem is not that I need to read more, I need to figure out how to apply it. Is this a problem Bible study technique can solve?
Great post, rebekah. Now you know why I'm gonna do a Ph.D. in hermeneutics. The possibilities for bad Biblical reading are always present and sometimes/often carry with them the weight of a lengthy interpretive tradition. Discretion, humility and submission are always your guide lights. Keep up the good work with those little ones.
amos - i've for sure been in that boat before. you've gotten all the bible stories your entire life, maybe even completed one of those "bible in a year" things...and so what else is there. I think yes to your question, on two counts/or in two different ways.
I think a bible study is a good forum in which to be challenged. I feel like there's no more to extract/learn when i'm not living in a world where my assumptions are challenged. If you're in a good study group - you'll find that people have different backgrounds and presupositions. That's what makes me dig further. The other yes, is that bible study methods is driving me to re-examine what I've held as accurate interpretation because i've been told it's accurate interpretation. I've been a christian for how many years and I'm still, to some extent, expecting my pastor/bible study group to feed me? I need to learn to do it on my own. And learn to own it. Take some responsibility for it.
I'm not saying that you have the same feelings/strugglings/stresses, I just wonder if it's a condition of PK/MK...eh? The Bible study methods has really opened my eyes to the layman interpretation/usage that i've often been taught that may not match with the theme of the passage.
Point? I say a bible study or bible study methods is worth it. :o)
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