The Word

John 1:1 -- Hebrews 4:12 -- Ephesians 2:1-11

Tonight, I'll be teaching confirmation students about "The Bible." So for the past 2 weeks, off and on, I've been thinking about scripture and it's relevance in my life. I've taught on the subject numerous times--at youth group, at camp, and even to confirmation students before, but each time there's a pressure to be sure I get it right. There's a pressure to make students "get it." I remember hearing talks about the importance of Bible reading, quiet time, study groups, etc. throughout my life, and yet, I don't remember every really "getting it." So what can I say that's different?

My mom read a Jane Goodall quote to me this morning that said, "What you do makes a difference. What you need to decide is what kind of difference you want to make." I decided to write it down, but I wasn't sure why. As I write this, it came back to mind, because it occurs to me that it probably doesn't matter what I say tonight or how I say it. Followers of Christ have to read it for themselves. We'll never understand the importance or the relevance of scripture until we read it. Until we decide to carve out time in our busy lives to rest and read in the presence of God, we'll never realize the power of transformation possible to us. Until we place ourselves in a Bible Study group, we'll never experience the love and grace that is available to ALL.

Father Liem from Our Lady of the Cove Catholic Church spoke at one of the Friday Lenten services, and he asked several questions about how we treat "the Word."
He asked questions like these:
--How do you treat the Word?
--Do you carry the Word around in your purse, pocket or backpack?
--Do you use it only in case of emergencies?
--Could you live without it?
--If not, how do you show the world that you can't live without it?

Then, he reminded us of John 1:1, and he began to talk about how we treat our cell phones. He said that when we forget our cell phones, we turn around and go back for them. He reminded us that we never want to be without them. Why? They are a communication tool, we might need them for an emergency--for us to call out but also for 911 to know where we are, we might want them for entertainment: taking pictures, listening to music, playing games. Whatever it is we use our cell phones for...we don't want to be without them. We check them for missed calls and text messages. We use them as reference guides for phone numbers, appointments, the calculator, the internet, etc. We use them to express ourselves--not only in conversation but with the kind of phone we carry, the embellishments we put on them, the screensaver we choose, the ringtones we buy. I had a student, whose parents took her phone away, tell me that her parents just don't understand what that does to her. That her phone is an extension of herself--like her right arm. I think she may be right.

Father Liem wonders if we treat our cell phones with more importance than with the Word of God. We walk out of houses everyday without recharging ourselves with God's Word. The life that we have so abundantly takes precedence over the Source of our abundance. We aren't so stressed about not being in the Word, as we are when we forget our phones or when our phones malfunction or when we lose service.

John said, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...and the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth." So if the Word is Jesus, how do we answer the same, now more haunting, questions that were posed above?
--How do you treat Jesus?
--Do you carry Jesus around in your heart?
--Do you use Jesus only in case of emergencies?
--Could you live without Jesus?
--If not, how do you show the world that you can't live without Him?

Indeed, the Word of God is living and active...