MNO Synod - Bishop's Message


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Bishop's Message	Follow the Bishop
Not the Same Old Story My six year old grandson is reading the Chronicles of Narnia. He is a child prone to order and routine, so book series appeal to him. Even with his belief in an ordered world where things shouldn’t change much, he does appreciate a challenge, and reading a book that is meant for someone much older is providing that challenge. I chuckle as he asks the question “what does this mean, Grandma?” as he struggles to understand a new word and its meaning or comprehends what the story is saying to him. Grace, another 6 year old, heard the story of the Garden of Eden and how the relationship between God and humans had changed when Adam and Eve thought they knew more than God and took of the fruit of the tree in the garden. She understood that at that moment in time God and humanity had experienced a brokenness that would change humanity forever. Rather than let the story remain in that moment of gracelessness, she asked the question, “Did God and them ever get back together?” The pastor’s response: “well, that is where the story of Jesus comes in- that through Jesus Christ, God gave humanity a second chance and offered up forgiveness so that God and humanity could be together again.” Grace was looking for hope, possibly meaning in her own life, that at some point, if she made some of the same choices as Adam and Eve, what would happen to her relationship with God? The story of Adam and Eve gave meaning to a child in the twenty-first century, though the context was from the beginning of time. The perception today is that the Word of God, as found in the bible, is irrelevant, and that the story of God’s people does not speak to our life today. At a conference, the facilitator asked the question: “What character from the bible are you most like?” Participants took some time to respond. Soon we could hear: Noah, because he didn’t care what people thought and followed God no matter what; Paul, because he was a fighter, stood up for what he believed in; Ruth, because she was willing to go to a foreign land just to maintain her relationship with someone she loved; Mary, for in her timidity, boldly proclaimed God was present in her life. The characters came to life in our own stories. I wonder if we don’t spend enough time in reflection, theological reflection of how God is working in our lives and how the Word of God helps us to understand and give meaning to our lives? I wonder if we are losing ground in our churches because we aren’t able to help each other connect our stories with God’s stories and from there see hope and compassion and meaning and life? I wonder what would happen if we spent more time in conversation with one another around God’s word and its meaning in our life than whether we can get young people in our pew, maintain a facility, etc. I know that in my own work, when administration (dealing with human resource issues, conflict, financial woes, etc.) takes more time than building relationships with others or spending time in God’s Word, I feel life being sucked away. When I am engaged in God’s Word, it is life giving and provides passion and insight for my work. I was in awe of a six year old’s insight into relationships and forgiveness and brokenness, that spoke volumes of her need for God and what God offers humanity. God’s message through the Word IS a message for us. It’s a word for us to study and be engaged in - not just to pick up some details about long ago, but to see the connection between God’s written story and our life story. Maybe we need to let the children lead us.