While we would (and should) hesitate to throw labels like cattle or swine around, we Lutherans are, ironically, stewards of a rich heritage of the word—in translation into our own language, our own time, right here in our own hands.
members, get on the same page. Literally. Regardless of the particu- lar way you are using the Bible in worship (the Revised Common Lec- tionary, the Narrative Lectionary, as part of thematic sermon series, whatever) get your people together around one text. In worship, yes, but in adult education and Sunday school, in confirmation, in commit- tee work, etc., study and interpret the same text. This will create conversa- tion starters for families and friends by establishing a common biblical ground for your life together. Faithful parishioners, remember
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in the Lutheran tradition: we are uniquely equipped to enable people to enter the biblical story. What we need are pastors, church
councils, and worship and educa- tion committees—in other words, congregations—that are willing to be creative in their stewardship of God’s word, to reclaim the biblical word as the heart of who we are and what we do. Pastor, your voice is critical in
making the case for getting to know the biblical story. There are many great resources out there, but nobody knows your congregation the way you do. With work and creativity, and maybe even some risk-taking, you can bring the biblical story to your setting in ways no one else can. Church council members, how could the biblical story shape your leadership? What would it look like if before (and amid) conversations about budget, building, mission and pancake suppers, your council cen- tered its work in the word—inten- tionally. Read the story of God’s people in the books of Kings or Acts, or in the letters of Paul, asking what your chapter in God’s story could, would, even should be. Worship/education committee
24 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
that God’s word is for you. Get into the process of shaping how you and your fellow churchgoers (or church samplers even) get to know God’s story. Respond to your pastor’s ser- mons, ask questions, risk your own interpretations and challenge her. Remember that as good as your pastor is, as faithful and good as she is, the Bible doesn’t belong to her alone. She will welcome (and maybe even be stunned by) your interest.
Anecdote: In my mission setting a woman who had at one point asked me to start a basic introductory Bible
study responded to my invitation to it by saying something like, “Not at this point. I’m really into my art right now.” (Angela Goehring Fairbanks, Ashland, Wis.)
Tending biblical fluency There is competition for the atten- tion of our people, even those whose attention and interest we already hold to some degree. We need to find simple and practical ways to draw
and keep that attention to, as the prophet Habakkuk put it, “Make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it” (Habakkuk 2:2). This is not about being flashy
or gimmicky or catchy (although displaying a little flash and going for “high production value” aren’t necessarily bad). Rather, this is about being creative, thoughtful and intentional in the ways we orient ourselves to and around the word. After all, Lutherans are word people, we always have been. In the 1520s, Martin Luther, following his visitations of Saxon churches, lamented the general state of igno- rance among the German Christian people (priest and parishioner alike).
In his preface to the Small Cat-
echism he concluded: “… all bear the name Christian, are baptized, and receive the holy sacrament, even though they do not know the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, or the Ten Com- mandments! As a result they live like simple cattle or irrational pigs and, despite the fact that the gospel has returned, have mastered the fine art of misusing all their freedom.” While we would (and should) hesitate to throw labels like cattle or swine around, we Lutherans are, ironically, stewards of a rich heri- tage of the word—in translation into our own language, our own time, right here in our own hands. And we are among the least fluent in what should be the “first lan- guage of our faith.”
Anecdote: People care about the prob- lem but have no idea what to do about it. They say the biblical narrative is a founda-
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