The Centrality of the Word In Our Lives

your-word-is-a-lamp-unto-my-feet
 
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
 
 
Dear Servants,
 
We have just shared the celebration of Christ the King Sunday, and we are only a week away from the start of the Season of Advent. Advent is a time of preparation, not only for the celebration of our Lord’s birth but also preparing ourselves for the Lord’s victorious return. None of us know when Jesus will come again, but it is clear that one of the best ways we can prepare is by taking the Scriptures seriously. Over the past two Wednesday nights, Dr. Andrew Hanson has been sharing the primacy of Scripture in our Anglican heritage and mainly teaching us on the history of our Bible (canon) from its Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic roots. We hope to have that teaching available online soon if you missed out.
 
The importance of regular Bible reading cannot be overstated when it comes to spiritual growth in the life of a believer, as our two passages above point out. Your vestry takes these verses seriously, and after a day of retreat and conversation back on September 3rd, agreed that God was calling us to emphasize this to the parish. An electronic survey of our parish recently revealed that over half of those polled, read Scripture daily. Praise God! The vestry’s hope is to encourage many others to join in this worthy pursuit.
 
As we discussed possible strategies, it seemed helpful to devote the season of Advent to compile a devotional of writings by members of our congregation. Twenty eight members of our body have written devotions that will be available through our website, email, or in printed form starting next Sunday. Thanks to all those who have contributed. The hope is that as we read these devotionals together, day by day, we may find our hearts and minds prompted by the Lord to recommit ourselves daily to the spiritual discipline of Scripture reading. At the end of Advent, we will have an opportunity to commit to one of several daily reading plans for 2017. More information about various plans will be forthcoming.
 
During my Bible reading plan early this year, I was reminded of 2 Kings 22. In the process of restoring the place of worship (the Temple), King Josiah’s leaders rediscovered the Book of the Law in the Temple. As our parish seeks our permanent worship space, we are reminded that God’s Word must remain central to our pursuit of facilities. Josiah says in verse 13, “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”
 
With this in mind, I do want to update you concerning our offer on the Harvest Christian Church property at 4820 NW 34th Street. The Harvest’s board feels our offer is fair, and they desire to sell the property to us, but they first need to discern where God is calling them to move as a congregation. We are not currently under contract but continue to pray for God to direct Harvest Christian Church and also to sustain and direct us as we seek His Word to guide our path.
 
May God bless you during the Thanksgiving holiday, and may we be truly thankful for all God has done in the life of our parish over the last year.
 
Onward and Upward,
Alex +

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