The word of God, loud and clear

http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/mission/missionthinking/the_word_of_god_loud_and_clear/

[sydneyanglicans.net] 4 Aug 2008--When was the last time you stopped and considered how remarkable and significant is the public reading of Scripture? As evangelicals, we believe that when the Bible is read aloud the audience hears the very word of God. The listeners are given access by the Spirit of God to the mind of Christ.

This is a belief that we do not share with many other Christians. In some churches, the truth of God is believed to be revealed through reasoning and intellect, leading to phrases like, “It seems logical to me that God would want us to act this way...” In other traditions, access to God comes via the emotions, for example, “I feel that God is saying to me that he wants me to act in this way...”

At their core, both of these approaches are in sharp conflict with the heart of evangelicalism, which maintains that God speaks through his word, the gospel (in Greek, the evangel).

All of this makes the public reading of Scripture crucial to our evangelical Christian life. If we are to be true to our evangelical heritage then we, of all people, should savour and delight in the public reading of the word of God, and should receive it with anticipation and expectation.

Yet, sadly, it seems that our Bible readings are often undervalued. What should form the core of our gatherings is often overlooked and under-appreciated.