St Paul writes in this Sunday's epistle
We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.
what does this mean to receive teaching as God's word?
Does it mean it is a sort of fairy story? Not quite earthed, and having an air of the supernatural about it?
We sometimes think of the Bible like that.
When we are really desperate and tempted to flick open the Bible
in the hope we will get some inspiration
or direct message from God (hoping not to get Matthew 27:5)
we are rather treating the 'word of God' with a high level of contempt.
Paul uses the expression "God's word"
to the matter of his own teaching
This is a useful thing for us to remember.
We actually think...teaching, and preaching
and perhaps counselling and other ministries
...are not just dumping of information
they are one of the ways (and I use that expression "one of the ways" advisedly)
that God communicates with us.
How different might this make the way we approach the Sunday sermon or homily
If God might be speaking to me
then perhaps I need to try and listen
(I am bad at this myself...as a preacher I am not always good at listening to others)
So we should (and I try to) discipline ourselves to say
something like
"I expect to hear you today"
Even though the words, and the delivery, and the preacher themselves
may be flawed
That's not the point.
If God is speaking then perhaps we should try to listen.
Our Christian tradition suggests also
that we receive the Word of God through
Bible reading
Christ speaking directly to us
In the way we encounter Christ in the poor, the marginalised and those who the world finds hard to love
Again I say: If God in Christ is speaking to us
Perhaps we should be listening.
THIS WEEK
When I heard preaching this week what one thing did I hear? Did my anger, my carelessness, my apathy mean that I heard nothing?
It is not that God is not speaking. It is more likely that I am not listening
Can I read some Scripture this week...not as a magic trick...but take one of the Gospel stories and talk to Jesus about what he might be saying?
In my life what one thing has happened this week that would seem to me to be God speaking important words into my life?
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