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Sometimes I wonder how we get so far away from believing that God's word is a living word.  I mean we treat the Biblical text, most times, as if it is written on the stone from Mt. Sinai.  As if it is only a set of laws we are to abide by.  The wonderful thing about the Bible and I think the reason it has lasted so long is that it is living! 

Think about it, all the stories we have speak to us at some particular point in our lives.  Have we ever not had enough faith?  Have we ever doubted a call to us from God?  Have we ever seen ourselves as unworthy?  Have we ever seen ourselves as cast out of the community?  Do we know what it is to have our country torn apart and do we know how we look at each other with suspicion when it comes together again?  There are so many Biblical stories which speak to each of these things.  If you don't know them than maybe you should start reading http://www.commonprayer.org/offices.cfm or http://bible.oremus.org/. 

In John we are told again and again about the Spirit of truth which will reveal all things to us, even Biblical things.  We seem to forget that this Spirit sometimes puts us in uncomfortable places with the scripture.  In order to be living word we have to allow for this movement of Spirit in the story.  When we don't we may as well be reading dead words on a page, which have no meaning in our lives and no relevance.  I happen to believe there is too much of the text which speaks to my heart and makes meaning in my life.  It is living water to me and if we follow that analogy it changes us and our direction in life.  Not set in stone, but always moving us forward to new channels of meaning and life on our shores.

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