The
Bible is not a series of metaphysical claims, but is primarily a
story of how communities of faith have responded to the presence and
activity of God in their midst.
Samuel
Wells, What Episcopalians Believe, p. 47,
This
sentence came in a larger discussion about a variety of acts recorded
in the Bible – things such as creation, the origin of species, the
virgin birth, and any number of other miracles. This sentence stood
out to me because, once again, I happened to come across yet another
church that advertised itself as a “Bible believing church.”
I
don't know about you, but when I see or hear those words my first
instinct is to run away.
When
a church advertises itself as “Bible believing,” it tells me that
one of their core beliefs is that other churches do NOT
believe what the Bible has to say.
When
a church advertises itself as “Bible believing,” it tells me that
they focus more on segregation than on inclusion.
When
a church advertises itself as “Bible believing,” it tells me that
what they believe are the verses confirming their preexisting
prejudices.
St.
John's in particular, and the Episcopal Church in general, is also a
Bible believing church – we just don't feel the need to advertise
that fact. But maybe we should.
It
seems that Christianity has been hijacked by fundamental dominionists
with loud voices and platforms that spread a particularly segregated
and virulent form of the faith. Things like a six-day creation, the
sin of Ham, women must remain silent, women should submit to their
husbands, a lack of care for creation because Jesus is coming soon,
or any number of efforts to protect the powerful as blessed while
ignoring the less fortunate for any number of real or imagined sins,
are just some of how the Bible is used as a weapon by a certain
segment of Christianity.
But
I also am a Bible believing Christian. I believe that in the
beginning, God created; the how and the time-frame are immaterial. I
believe that Ex. 22:21-22, Deut. 10:16-18, Amos 5:24, Jonah 4:10-11,
Micah 6:8, Matt. 22:34-40, Matt. 25:31-46, Luke 2:7, John 10:16, Acts
10:9-34, Gal. 3:28, 1 John 4:16b-21, Rev. 7:9, and Rev. 22:1-2 (among
others) are just as valid today as when they were written. I believe
that the Bible is not to be used as a weapon to tear down, abuse, and
cast out, but that it is to be used as a tool to build up, heal, and
restore. And I believe that the Bible is not only a record of how
communities of faith have responded to the presence and activity of
God in their midst, but that it also challenges us to live in
faithful relationships with God and others in the here and now.
We
are a Bible believing church. It's up to us to cut through all the
noise and help people understand that that isn't a bad thing.
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