The image or metaphor of a Bible as a lamp for one's feet makes complete sense for a ancient world where darkness is dangerous, scary, and a daily reality when most activity ceases. That image, powerful as it is, is less vivid for today's readers. Each of us carries around—consciously or unconsciously—an image of the Bible. Sometimes, these images came to us from literal, physical actions we witnessed in a worship or other church setting, and they affect the way we think about and interact with the Bible.

Some grow up in congregations where the Bible is held above the head of a worship leader as he or she processes into worship. The image communicates a message that the Bible is 'above' us, that it contains a 'higher' wisdom.

I have previously reviewed the music of Bryan Sirchio. One of Bryan’s songs that has stuck in my mind since I first heard him sing it is “Follow Me (87 times)”. The question that has persistently stuck in my mind from this song is, “Are we following Jesus, or just believing in Christ?” Of course, this question begs a follow-up question, “What does it mean to follow Jesus?” How would you answer that question?

My weekly covenant group is in the process of a Bible study using the songs on Bryan Sirchio’s CD, J-walking: Songs for Justice Walkers. (I am in the process of writing this study and it will be available from Different Voice soon!) As a part of this study, the group wrote a creed in response to the above question. I share it with you here.

~Sally Hoelscher

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:12

Apologize – and mean it
Be a good example
Care for those in need
Do what you can
Extend an invitation
Forgive

God?
Hey, God, it’s me.
I have a few questions.
I’ve been thinking about this “love one another” thing.
I love my family and friends.
Well, most of the time. There are moments.
What’s that?
Yeah, I probably do have a few moments of being difficult to love…

If you have ever participated in an adult Bible Study, you have likely had an opportunity to try your hand at paraphrasing scripture. Taking a scripture passage and rewriting it in our own words can be a helpful exercise. We are forced to slow down, study the scripture and consider its meaning, as we attempt to put ideas into “our own words”. Reading a paraphrase of scripture (our own or someone else’s) can provide new insight as we hear the message in a different way.

Two nights each week, I work at the homeless shelter for men in my community, preparing dinner, handling phone calls, taking assistance applications, and the like. As you would expect, the conversations often drift to jobs (or more accurately, the lack of them), the inability of the government to make meaningful change, and other political and economic topics. The men who come through the doors each day see things from a very different perspective, they'd tell you, than the "average" person, and generally I think that is true.

This week I got into a long conversation with an extremely articulate, well-educated, creative guest at the shelter who has given up on the people of this country to make fundamental change. "James" didn't have many good things to say about churches and their various missions to the poor. I tried to listen carefully, to really "hear" him.

Two comments especially hit home and stung more than others.

As I read the lectionary scriptures for the second Sunday of Easter, several verses from the various readings jumped out at me and seemed to speak together.

How very good it is when kindred live in unity! (Psalm 133:1, NRSV)
The whole congregation of believers was united as one – one heart one mind! ...They shared everything. And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. (Acts 4:32, 34, The Message)
God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)

Two personal writing projects have me thinking lately about what it is to be a sustainable church. The first is a 6-week series for youth on creation care that I'm writing for a major publisher, due out later this year. My goal is to help youth to discover that sustainable living is not only possible, it's preferable. The second project has me visiting 52 churches in my community and neighboring towns over the next 52 weeks, plus having informal conversations with people I meet at places like my favorite coffee shop, starting this Sunday. Exactly what will come of that experiment is unknown, but I am very interested in local expressions of faith and people's "peak church" experiences. (I also want to learn from churches like this one, which make being a sustainable church part of their mission.)

When I hear how Jesus…triumphantly rode into Jerusalem
I feel…expectant, excited, empowered

A prayer for Lent.