I love engaging with the Scriptures. And I love engaging with people (which you may find quite surprising since I'm essentially a bit of a 'loner', and more than content with my own company).
Few things are more rewarding, therefore, for someone like myself than the opportunities to teach and apply the Bible: bringing the Scriptures to bear on the lives of ordinary people. And seeing the difference that makes.
But all of that involves hard graft. Getting to grips with the Scriptures. Getting alongside people. And figuring out how best to build the bridges between the two.
There's a lot of such preparation required this week. The midweek service tomorrow. A teaching session with a grooup of people tomorrow evening. The chance to speak at the ladies' weekly meeting at a church in town on Thursday morning. The Scripture Union group at school that same day over lunch. The morning and evening services this coming Sunday. And the young folk's meeting on Sunday night.
Seven separate bits of preparation. An average kind of week!
As I say, it doesn't magically happen. The Lord gives us his Spirit, for sure. And without him we'd be lost (in every sense!). But the promised work of his Spirit is no excuse for lack of preparation, and no reason to shirk the rigorous disciplines involved in handling the Word of God.
A fair bit of time today has been spent in that work.
Not all of my time, certainly. I've had meetings with folk - over coffee, at lunch, and again up town this evening. I've had some fairly lengthy telephone conversations with a number of different folk (e-mails are great in their way, but they're never the same as speaking with folk). And there have been people I've been out to see as well.
That engaging with people goes hand in hand with my engaging with the Scriptures. The two belong together.
I had a note the other day from a couple who've recently come to the point of radical faith in the Lord. "We have taken these vows very seriously and are excited by the future as our relationship with the Lord grows and deepens. .. New beginnings - we can't wait!"
And, yes, although it's the end of that process of bringing the Scriptures to bear on the lives of such people, they're quite right - it's actually just the beginning! And it is, as they say, so exciting.
You can see why I love what I do!
2 comments:
This is actually the fifth time i read your site, excellent post as always! Best Regards, Pedro
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