That One Thing

In other words, Bible stories don’t have to mean just one thing. Despite what you may have heard from a pastor or Sunday school teacher along the way, faithful engagement with Scripture isn’t about uncovering a singular, moralistic point to every text and then sticking to it. Rather, the very nature of the biblical text invites us to consider the possibilities. From: Inspired by Rachel Held Evans page 40

What an amazing, scandalous and true method of interacting with scripture Ms. Held Evans points us to. When you think about it, it really makes the Bible come alive to read it this way.

Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them (Isaiah 48:6 KJV).

I was reading the Psalms while I ate my peanut butter sandwich today. This is one of the most beautiful and yet selfish parts of scripture. People don’t stop to realize that in some parts David was asking God to wipe out his enemies and prosper him.

The Psalms are delightfully human.

Thank God we have move past the parts of scripture that subjugate and silence women so that we can be blessed by wonderfully prophetic writes like Held Evans. Let’s face it, while he wrote many great things, there are still some ways Paul got it wrong.

Now before you chide me for saying this, let’s look at all those “Bible believing” churches that allow women to participate on Sunday morning. From leading worship to something as simple as reading announcements. Whatever way in which women participate, you are flying in the face of what Paul said.

And thank God you are doing this.

Now stop for a moment and consider some of the other ways in which scripture may need to be reinterpreted in light of what we know today. Maybe, just maybe, there are other things that need to be looked at.

Wow, this post just went off on a tangent I was not prepared for.

Go buy Inspired, I am really enjoying what I have read so far.