ed noble, the teaching pastor at my church (and my friend of almost 20 years — he hired me in omaha in early 1989), turned the big five-oh a few days ago, and blogged a random list of thoughts from his new “older” perspective.
i was nonchalantly reading through the post, until i came to this comment about the bible, which just blew me away:
The Bible looks different than it did 20 years ago. It looks less manageable yet more real. Less consistent but more true. I used to marshal arguments for the inspiration of Scripture (they were good ones too!) and I still do. It seems however lately that the story itself is so self-authenticating that this seems almost redundant. It’s like convincing people that the sun is hot as we are sweating outside on an August day.
yes! ah, yes. so pickin’ good.
i’ve been thinking quite a bit about the role of the bible in our lives (both practically, and in terms of god’s intent), since the CORE is focused on this subject next spring, and i’m writing (and re-writing, and re-writing again) the opening session. this is so in line with what we’re hoping to communicate that day.
I read your blog quite religiously — but have never yet commented. I feel compelled to tell you that I am so-o-o looking forward to the next CORE. I was just commenting to our Jr. High Director that we need to get ‘back to basics’ — I want our students to fall in love with the Bible! I know it’s possible … I am praying for you & the YS CORE staff as you write & rewrite the curriculum!
Just read these sentence five minutes ago:
‘We have only to compare our own “understanding” of such literature as the Psalms or even Shakespeare in childhood, youth, early hood, and later life, to see how this understanding is profoundly conditioned by our own experience. Can someone who has never suffered the pangs of guilt before God know what it is to appropriate the glad assurance of the Psalmist, “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down” (Ps. 37:24)? Can someone who has never experienced the ups and downs of life enter into the hopes and fears of Shakespeare’s more profound characters?’ (Thiselton, 106).
The question then is, if Ed has a new understanding of the Bible, what does the adolescent Ed know about the Bible that the middle aged Ed has forgotten? Can a middle aged man understand the youthful exuberance of David as well as an 18 year old? What of the overwhelming passion of first love of some of Shakespeares younger characters like Romeo?
very interesting questions, blair!
Might even be interesting enough to write a paper about.