From Pastor Steve
October 2008

  I spent some time today thumbing through a well worn Bible that was given to me by my mother in June of 1973.  I had started meeting with a few other teenagers at a house in our neighborhood for a Bible study every Thursday night.  My mom thought this was a good thing, so she went out and bought me this beautiful Corinthian leather bound, silver edged King James Bible.  I marked it up.  Its pages are filled with my highlights, notes, stars and exclamation points.  I have worn out a couple of Bibles since I set this one aside, but this one holds a special place in my heart. How grateful I am that I have learned to love the Word of God communicated through the Bible.  I’ve got a head full of biblical stories and that is one of the best things about my life.
The Bible is the written Word of God, that creates and nurtures faith through the work of the Holy Spirit and points us to Christ, the incarnate Word and center of our faith.  The Bible invites us into a relationship with God, making demands on our lives and promising us life in Christ.  The Bible tells the stories of people living their faith over centuries and, through its demands and promises, forms us as a people of faith.
Together as a community of faith we speak to each other.  We have a calling as the people of God.  Part of our calling is to know, hear, share, and be rooted in scripture.  We are transformed, enlivened, and empowered by the Word.  As we live into our calling as people who are formed by Scripture, we become renewed in our faith, enlivened through the Spirit, and empowered through the cross of Christ to serve God and neighbor.
By the time you read this we will have just started a journey into the “Book of Faith” initiative.  Our “Lutheran insights for Bible study” course is underway (you can join in at any time).  I sincerely hope that a variety of Bible study groups will spin out of this 5 year initiative. To learn more about it check out http://www.bookoffaith.org.
Becoming more fluent in the first language of faith (scripture), is our goal.  We’re sure to have successes and challenges as we go on this journey. Here, as a community of faith we can teach and learn from others how we are being called, transformed, empowered, enlivened and sent by God’s Word.
Come and join the conversation – bring your Bible!
                                                                                                           Pastor Steve