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Letters Biblical fluency a clear must for all Letters and articles on Bible, Jesus and prayer prompt responses DECEMBER 2013 • www.thelutheran.org • $2.50


these stories arose. The Rev. Edward Beckstrom Lake Martin, Ala.


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Beyond biblical literacy


to fluency 20 Study guide 27


Stewarding gift of song 14 Ukulele goes mainstream 28 A Christmas letter 30 People’s Bible in Norway 34


“Is the word returning empty?” (December, page 20) hit a nerve. If our understanding of the word is confined to the 66 books of the Protestant Bible, we have missed the context in which the Bible was written. Terms such as “the Son of Man” cannot be deduced from the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the New Testament alone. They must be woven into one fabric of our thinking. The New Testament is an unbroken continuation of the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew Bible is not just the prelude to Jesus’ incar- nation. It is the final chapter that stretches from Abraham, through the prophets, and the story of Israel (the people of God) itself. The peo- ple of God (and we who have joined them) stand together as members of the kingdom of God, the very good news Jesus came to proclaim. We can only understand and apply the biblical story to our lives by under- standing something of the culture, the values and the faith out of which


48 www.thelutheran.org


Missed something I read the “Get up and go” letter (December, page 48) the evening after my husband and I discussed which of our belongings to sell this month to pay our mortgage and before he went off to a 12-hour night shift at a manufacturing plant. How comforting to know that it’s our fault. If only we hadn’t dropped out of high school. If only we hadn’t refused to take vocational training. I would can- cel my subscription to The Lutheran like we’ve canceled our cable TV and everything else we can think of to save money, but we get it free as my husband is a rostered ELCA pastor (with a master’s of divinity). When I get up to go work at my full-time job, I’ll remember how I should have gone to college—must be hallucinat- ing that magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Name withheld


Bible is best-seller The ar ticle “A people’s Bible” (December, page 34) contains an error. It says the Bible wasn’t among the top 100 best-selling books in the U.S. last year. While exact sales fig- ures on Bible sales are hard to come by, a 2005 story by The New Yorker estimated that more than 25 million copies of the Bible are sold in the U.S. every year. While no single transla- tion or edition of the Bible topped the best-seller list in the U.S. last year as occurred in Norway, the combined annual sales of all versions of the Bible far eclipses any other book in


print in the U.S. The Bible, in its mul- titude of versions, remains the peren- nial best-seller. The Rev. Dana Lockhart Buffalo, S.D.


Peace passing a winner The letter “1-2-3 strikes you’re out” (December, page 49) asks for a halt in passing the peace. Please do not eliminate the peace passing. I find it warming and a chance to share hand- shakes and smiles. In fact, increase the time for this part of the service. As I age, I find it more difficult to reach as many people in the pews as I used to. And we have a rather tiny church. Earl Finkler Medford, Wis.


Lutheran witness The “Jesus the savior” ar t icle (December, page 18) made me think of my mission experience in Nepal and old pastor Tir. When we came in 1997 there were more than a million converts. It all started with that one saintly man. His secret was “love.” That was winning people there faster than anything else. Of course they went on to study the Bible and take classes to make them grow in faith. Pastor Tir also forgave. It was illegal to be a Christian in Nepal up until 1992. Pastor Tir was sent to prison a few times, but they released him because he was converting his jail- ers. He forgave them even when they tortured him. Winning others by showing love to them is not illegal. That can be an example for American churchgoers as well. The Rev. Robert S. Ove Rio Rancho, N.M.


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