"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (I John 1: 7)

From the Pastor’s Desk

Pelham Community Church Newsletter Spring 2010

There is this curious piece of art (although the word art might be a bit of a stretch) -- okay there is this curious ‘thing’ sitting up at the front of our worship space.  It is a weaving, a lumpy, oddly multi coloured bit of weaving on a frame, and by no stretch of the imagination could this weaving described as pretty or elegant. 

The weaving is intended to be a visual representation of the Bible, and in particular, the way in which the Bible is a weaving of different threads, writings from different people, different times and circumstances, on different themes and from notably differing perspectives.  Just as weaving is done with a vertical thread (the warp) and a horizontal thread (the weft), the Bible has two threads, or themes, running through it.  The vertical dimension is the Covenant, God reaching down to us in invitation.  The horizontal thread is the Kingdom, God challenging us to weave the life of the kingdom into our lives.  From Genesis to Revelation, we can trace the connecting threads:  God’s sovereignty, our rebellion; God’s grace and mercy, our hunger and need; God’s call to the most unlikely people and our response to that call.

The Bible is key to how God reveals his face to us.  And as we open ourselves to the influence of the Bible, it begins to mould us and shape us.  Like a long married couple who resemble one another more and more as the years go by, the more we immerse ourselves in scripture and allow it influence us, the more we begin to reflect, in our lives, the one who scripture reveals: Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible itself provides a multiplicity of images for how it is that God speaks to us in scripture.  Here are a few:

PETER says that God’s message is like milk to a baby— an essential ingredient of spiritual nurture. Its stories and ideas feed your mind and your heart, and strengthen your faith.

PAUL says God’s message is like a sword for opposing evil. It has powerful insights that can cut to the quick, or touch the heart, or confront evil.

JAMES says it is like a mirror, where you see yourself as you really are. Reading the Bible can reflect the truth of how special you are to God, but it can also shed light on the weaknesses God still wants to work on in us.

We have a very pretty church to worship in, and that lumpy, bumpy ill assorted piece of weaving at the front doesn’t really fit in with the ambience.  In fact, it is rather jarring.  Funny thing that, because the Bible is jarring as well.  The Bible shakes us up:  our priorities, our decision making, our way of thinking.  And as we read the Bible, as we reflect on its meaning in our lives, we begin to weave the Bible into our reflections, our decisions, our actions.  That’s never a neat and tidy exercise with straight lines and trimmed edges.  Rather, weaving the Bible into the changes and challenges of our lives will inevitably result in some lumps and bumps, thrills and spills.  So maybe our messy, lumpy woven piece is a far more accurate representation of the Bible, and of the life in Christ that it speaks to us, than we could have imagined.

May the Blessing of God Almighty,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

Be upon you and abide with you always.

Diane