Scripture: John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
Thought for the Day: Marcus Borg has always intrigued me, challenged my preconceived notions, and on a occasion, caused me to squirm out of my skin. What I appreciate so much about Borg is his love and passion for scripture, yet he is not one who views the Bible as inerrant or infallible. This is where my heart lies. When asked by visitors who do not know the traditions of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), I will often say, “We take the Bible seriously, but not literally. We claim the Bible as fundamental to our faith, but we are not fundamentalists.” In his book, Convictions: How I Learned What Matters Most, he writes:
Biblical inerrancy and the absolute authority of the Bible are thus a post-Reformation Protestant development. The first time the Bible was described as “inerrant” and “infallible” was in a book of Protestant theology written in the second half of the 1600s. Widespread affirmation of biblical inerrancy is even more recent, largely the product of the past one hundred years.
There are so many who would claim that Jesus believed in the inerrancy or infallibility of scripture, but those concepts would have been foreign to him. Look at how he understood, interpreted, reevaluated, and often turned scripture on its head. Yet all the while, he joyfully interacted with it, encouraged people to seek its deeper meaning, and did whatever he could to bring it to life.
Prayer: O Lord God, your Word of Grace has come alive through so many voices throughout history, but today I give you thanks for your incarnate Word, Jesus Christ, whose life witness continues to encourage and challenge my spirit. Amen.
TONIGHT
Men’s Gathering
at
Cramer Retreat Center
Dinner at 6:30pm
Get there when you can…
