Part of the continuing drama

 I love books. And I don’t mean just a little—I mean a lot. In most situations, if you’re looking for me relaxing, I’ll be reading a book. I love thinking about different characters, and I absolutely hate being told the ending. I love buying a new book, and I hate being rushed when choosing one. Basically, books and I are lifelong friends.

I also enjoy reading the blurb on the back of a hard copy or the description of an electronic version. One blurb I particularly like reads:

“These pages contain stories on an epic scale—thrillers, adventures, family sagas, and more—taut with emotion and spanning the whole of history. Yet a single current—one of love, sadness, betrayal, and forgiveness—flows through. It points to a Father who offered his only Son so that we can go free.

A cast of thousands crowds the pages—people living in different times, different places. But the casting isn’t closed. In the continuing drama, each of us is invited to play a part.”

This blurb is from the back of one Bible translation. Today is Bible Sunday—a day to give thanks for the Bible and reflect on its importance to us and to the world.

There have been some unfortunate typing errors in Bible translations over the years—thankfully, most never made it to the shelves. For example:

• In 1832, one edition had Rebekah leaving her tent to meet Isaac with a group of camels instead of damsels.

• An 1810 version read, “If any man come to me, and hate not... his own wife” instead of “his own life.”

• The first English-language Bible printed in Ireland in 1716 encouraged readers to “sin on more” rather than “sin no more.”

• An American printer once published the “Parable of the Vinegar” instead of the “Parable of the Vineyard.”

Back to our Bibles. They’re not always easy to understand, but the Bible is a conversation—a plot into which we are all invited. That means we need to turn to God for help, to Bible commentaries, and to one another. After Christmas, a Bible group will be running weekly on Tuesday mornings from 10:30 to 12:00 in Usk, where we can explore the Bible together.

This morning, there are many things we could say about the Bible, but the main one is this: we are to be thankful.

We can be thankful that the Bible is both about God and from God. In it, we learn that God is deeply interested in humanity. For example, He sends prophets in the Old Testament to guide His people and show them how to turn to Him. As we heard in our reading from Isaiah (45:22–25), God is the only Lord, He is powerful, and He calls each of us to turn to Him.

We can be thankful that the Bible is God’s revelation—His description of Himself. It is the Word of God, a record of how He makes contact with humanity. As we read, we learn more about God, and so the Bible becomes a living word.

We can be thankful that the Bible is not just a historical document. It continues to impact lives today, showing people who God is. As the collect this morning reminds us, God has given us the Scriptures for our learning—to learn about Him.

We can be thankful that the Bible is useful. Because it reveals who God is, it is incredibly valuable to those He has created. It guides us in how to relate to God—the Creator, the Almighty.

In our reading from Romans (15:1–6), Paul encourages the Christians in Rome to care for one another and reminds them of the importance of Scripture. The Scriptures they had were what we now call the Old Testament. Our Bibles continue to teach us how to live.

With all this in mind, it’s no surprise that the Bible is central to our belief. Yet sometimes we forget how important it is. We’re so used to seeing Bibles in shops, in homes, on our own shelves, that we can start to treat it as a helpful extra—something that might even help with crossword puzzles.

But the Bible’s importance is immense. And as I said earlier, we sometimes take it for granted and forget to give thanks for it.

The Bible is considered dangerous in countries where it must be smuggled in because it’s banned. But it should be dangerous for us too—because it has the power to change us, if we’re willing to let God speak to us through it.

In our Gospel reading (Luke 4:16–24), we heard Jesus read from the book of Isaiah—a passage of hope. The people were waiting for a Messiah, someone to save them from Roman rule and make life better. Jesus stood up and declared that He was the One they had been waiting for. Incredible! This is what we know and believe to be true—Jesus is the one who can change everything.

This is how reading and hearing the Bible should make us feel: astounded at what God has done and continues to do, amazed that He wants us to be part of it, and challenged into action to go out and make a difference.

I often imagine that when people heard Jesus speak, they must have been in absolute wonder. His words couldn’t be ignored—a change was needed.

In our reading from Isaiah (45:22-25) we heard that when God speaks a word, it does not return to Him empty. That means we need to act on it.

We can be thankful because the Bible is powerful and it causes us to act, to change as we become more like Jesus. The Bible is  full of the words we need. It’s hard to describe, really. But perhaps the thing we can be most thankful for is this: the Bible is an invitation.

When we read the Bible and hear it read in church, we are invited—just as that blurb said—to be part of the continuing drama.

Now 

“To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.