A New Year, A Book, and a Different Life...

So here we are on the brink of 2011, and that always causes people to think. Unfortunately, for some people, this is about the only time they take to think throughout the year, but that's a topic for another day ;) For most of us, though, it usually causes some evaluation of the previous year, and some degree of wonder about the upcoming one...What's going to happen? How will things play out? When I look back on 2011, will I like what took place in my life, or will I not? Looking back at 2010, you can no doubt see where you went wrong, whether in thought or action. You can also see where things were good, and hopefully you have a bunch of those moments to celebrate!

I wanted to take a moment here to champion something that I think could make a major difference in life this year. One of our major focal points in the Element community this year is a deeper understanding of the Bible...Makes sense for a church to say that, I know, but here's the deal. As people who consider our journeys with God to be critically important parts of our lives, our interactions with the Bible itself can sometimes be pretty limited. What I mean by that is this: There are a great many people whose knowledge of what the Bible says is gained almost exclusively by what other people tell them. In other words, there's little personal study of the Bible going on, and for a number of reasons. Some people find it just too difficult to figure out what it means, some people find it pretty tough to find the time, and still others have never really considered themselves a reader at all, let alone a reader of an ancient text!

There's something else I mean by "limited", as well, and this one applies even to people who consider themselves to be avid readers of the Bible, maybe even students of the Bible. In this case, our understanding of the Bible can be  limited to interpreting things in light of how we feel  about a given topic. We all have a way of seeing the world and a set of beliefs that we bring with us when we read the Bible, and it's very common to come to conclusions that simply support what we want the Bible to say. We would never say that we do that, of course, but the truth is that we do. 

Here's why I bring this up...As the written word of God, we have been given no greater tool than this for more fully and deeply understanding God and his plan for our lives! This certainly doesn't minimize the importance of prayer and community, but the reality is that we are not usually people who passionately pursue Bible study as much as we pursue other avenues of getting close to God. 

With that in mind, I want to challenge you to make this a year in which you embrace the Bible like you never have before. I know that sounds about as fun as a root canal to some of you, but I believe wholeheartedly that it'll change your life! That goes for those of you who already read it regularly, as well. And you don't have to be brilliant or have some sort of special gift, either. If you have trouble knowing where to start, or how to start, let me know. I'd love to help you! If you have trouble figuring out what certain things mean or how they apply, I'd love to help you with that, as well. In recent years, I've recommended and made good use of some great resources to help with the journey, and  I want to pass one in particular along to you. It doesn't matter what your level of familiarity is with the Bible, this book will help with just about any issue you might have in personally studying it. I know it can be tempting for some to say that you don't need rudimentary help like this...Let me put this as kindly as I can: That's garbage :-) I know seminary professors who still learn from resources like this. 

This particular one is called "How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth", by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart. I recommend it so highly because it helps to turn the average reader, of average intelligence and average motivation (in other words, me ;), into someone with a very solid understanding of hermeneutics (which simply means how we interpret things the way we do) and exegesis (which simply means breaking things down to what they mean). In other words, turning the Bible from a daunting task into something of great value in your life, and it does it in layperson's terms, and in very relevant language. I'd love to get your feedback on other resources you find helpful as well! Just don't buy what some people will tell you, which is that you're somehow doing something wrong if you look at other resources, both people and books, to help you understand the Bible better. No solid Bible scholar ever has embraced that attitude - Don't buy into it. As Isaiah 55 says: "Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life..." In other words, be humble and teachable, making use of all of the resources God has given you, including the Bible, and you will find the life God intends for you. 

I'm looking forward to the conversations about what you're reading, and about what God teaches you! I pray that we can humbly share in the journey together, learn with and from each other, and in the end, be sharpened by each other. God bless you in the New Year - I'll be praying for you, and I'd love for you to pray for me! Let's do this...