Thursday, July 18, 2013

Thursday’s Musings: Bible-to-Life or Life-to Bible?


Mark 16:20 And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.

From biblical times, we’ve had people who were charged with sharing the news of current events and the Good News of the Gospel with others. Shane Raynor wrote a good article about the current Zimmerman / Martin issue for Ministry Matters. (link is below) Yet he goes on to say about pastors who intend to address the verdict from the pulpit, “…but I’ve never been one for preaching with a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in another. A Bible-to-life approach, to me, produces more spiritual dividends in the long run than a life-to-Bible one, although both have their place. Congregations that are grounded in Scripture are able to process these kinds of events for themselves as they happen. They don’t need the pastor telling them what to think. Addressing every current event from the pulpit turns a preacher into just another pundit.”

In a way I agree but with some reservations.  I have been taught and I truly believe this that the best way to share the Gospel is to show where it intersects the members of the congregation’s lives. When I craft my sermons, I most often try to show where the scripture applies to or is evidenced in a current event either in the news or in our congregation. That’s also the basis of these Musings as I look at life and see a relationship to scripture. What do you think?  Would you rather hear Bible-to-life, life-to-Bible or something else?  How do you perceive my sermons?  There is no wrong answer here!

God of life, I ask your help in preaching the gospel and relating it to our lives. May we all know your Word to such an extent that we can see how it applies to what’s going on in our personal life and in the lives of those around us. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

God Bless,
Paige

http://www.ministrymatters.com/all/blog/entry/4059/trayvon-zimmerman-and-pastor-pundits#axzz2ZMJMl4Qa

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