I was unsure about what to post this week. I'm mostly working on the Dagara literacy teacher training guide, so I guess I could post a picture of me sitting in front of my computer, but who really wants to see that?
I guess the highlight of my missionary week would be speaking to about 180 leaders about the literacy program. They hadn't gathered for that purpose. They were there mostly to just elect new officers for their legal association and discuss plans to share the cost of getting a plot of land in Dano for the use of all the churches. But they gave me a guest speaking spot to talk about what I've been doing. With over 30 villages represented, I don't make it to all of them too often so many of them may not have known what I've really been doing. I used a rhetorical device that I intended to have an impact on them, but I think it had more of an impact on me.
I reminded them of the story of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. I reminded them how each of his responses included the phrase "it is written." (See Matthew 4:1-11) How did he know it was written and where it was written? Forget the fact for a moment that He was divine and had originally inspired the text. I think part of the point of the story is that he was in a human body. He was really hungry after fasting for forty days. He had divine power but he didn't zap Satan or do anything like that. He just read his Bible, something even you or I could do. And he used it to defeat Satan. So here comes the dramatic moment. . . I asked everyone to raise their hand if they wanted to defeat Satan in their lives. This idea of defeating Satan is not a concept that seems as weird to them as it might to westerners. It is how they think. They wake up in the morning thinking about what spirits might try to mess with them today, etc. So I got the obvious response that I expected. All 180 hands shot up like fireworks. Then I asked them, "O.k. how many of you can read God's word by yourself?" A smattering of about 10 embarrassed hands slowly raised. It was so shocking that one of the leaders present repeated my question, because he was not sure that they really understood it (after 9 years, my accent can still be difficult for some to understand). But, no, that was basically it. What a visual aid! Now, I believe all those non-readers still have the mark of the Spirit in them having been baptized in Jesus name. That's why you could still say that they have "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" in their hands (Ephesians 6.10-17). But I hope that this visual aid inspired some of the few reading leaders to champion the cause of literacy in their churches.
What does the Bible mean to you? Can it help you to defeat evil in your day to day life? In your neighborhood? In your home?
5 comments:
I have just been added to the eldership at our church. We are working with Micheal Gray, a church planter, on his way from Pueblo Co to New Zealand . He is helping us be the kind of eldership God has called us to. Part of this process has been to challenge us on the basics of our faith and helping us to hold each other accountable on such things as payer, giving, serving, sharing Jesus, and reading our Bible for 30 minutes each day. Of course we as elders or just Christians we should have these things solidly in our lives. The truth is we were not any where near where we should be. Four weeks into this I can say that the daily Bible reading is transforming my life in the others areas more than I could have imagined. Keep up the good work! Gods word is an amazing force in our lives if we give it a chance.
By payer I ment to prayer.
Dad,
I'm sure the church will grow in the direction it should under your leadership. I'm glad you've re-committed to reading so much. I'm not as consistent as I used to be. You've inspired me to set a daily goal for my Bible reading. Thanks for the encouragement. What are you reading? I've been focusing a lot lately on the sermon on the mount.
I have been trying to read whole books at a time. So that means a lot of Paul's letters. I get a different impression some times than when I focus on just a few verses. However I have been thinking for a couple of years about what it means to be salt and light. I am thinking that it is not the same thing. I think being salt is acting out Gods love for people making the world more palatable. Being light is sharing Gods love by sharing Jesus. I think I am more salt than light and sometimes neither. However I am working on being more balanced in this idea. Does this make any sense?
Yeah, that makes sense. I agree that the balance of service and proclamation is so important. Proclamation without loving service can be arrogant. Loving service without proclamation can be hypocritical. But worse is a Christian who thinks that God loves him because of his performance on either of those things. So praise God when he uses you for service or proclamation.
On tying it to the salt and light thing, I don't see the dichotomy between service and proclamation in that particular passage. I think that whole sections is singling out Jews, God's chosen people (and now by extension the church), as the salt of the earth and the light of the world. I think the city on a hill reference is a direct reference to Zion or Jerusalem. He seems to be saying you've been chosen, but for a purpose. He seems to be saying, "everyone can tell that God picked you as his people. Are you going to make God look smart in his choice are not?" That's why he challenges those of you who have been chosen by God to "let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
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