UNWRAPPING OUR BIBLES

Scripture Text: Psalm 119:105-112

The format and message this morning is based on a Bible presentation developed by Judy Gattis Smith. Thanks to Ms. Kara Woodford for locating this resource.

Our Protestant heritage stresses the importance of reading the Bible for ourselves; although, I believe this is a lost art in our culture today. Still, presenting Bibles to our fourth graders is a significant rite of passage that we must celebrate and maintain.

So now, fourth graders, you have your very own Bible. Trust me; there is a Bible inside there. You may be asking yourself, what’s with the paper. Allow me to assist in unwrapping your Bibles.

First, this book is the sacred Scripture of our church. Your Bibles are wrapped in brown wrapping paper to remind you that this is a very old book. The Bible is a book of 30 centuries. That’s a long time. Some parts of this book were composed more than a thousand years before Jesus Christ. Some of the stories come down to us from a time before people could even write. That means folks told the stories orally – word of mouth – until finally they were written down. We claim this ancient sacred book of our faith as the basis for how to live our lives. We trust that our ancestors Abraham and Sarah, Mary and Paul, and many others, followed God faithfully throughout their journey, and the lessons they learned can help us in understanding God’s direction for our lives today. Now, very carefully remove this layer of paper from your Bible.

What do you find now?

Yes, there is a gold layer of paper underneath. This layer is to remind us that our Bible is extremely valuable. There was a time in history when Bibles were chained to the pulpit so as not to be stolen. Persons have been imprisoned because they read this book. Some persons have even died to save this book. That’s why we call the Bible sacred and holy because this book is precious to us. We believe the stories contained in these pages are worth more than any price tag that might be put on them. This is a rich resource to be treasured like none other. Our Bible, our sacred Scripture, is both ancient and valuable. Now, gently remove this layer of paper also.

What layer is next?

You’re right, this layer is colored, comic-strip paper. Some of you will find the comic-strip is from today’s paper. It’s important to know the Bible is filled with wonderful stories. You have been hearing them in Church School but now you can read them yourself. There are adventure stories and miracle stories, stories of heroes and stories of villains. You are at a point in your life in which to ask yourself, what do these stories mean for my life? Why were these stories included in our sacred Scripture? This is an opportunity for you to explore the Bible, to let your curiosity wander, to find meaning in these stories so that you might grow in your knowledge and love of Jesus Christ. It’s an important part of our history to have such freedom in uncovering the wild, humorous, demanding stories of the Christian faith. I hope you will have fun, be excited, or maybe shed a tear as you read this gift of God’s involvement all through creation. Now, remove this layer of paper.

What did you find?

This white layer reminds us that not only is our Scripture ancient and valuable and entertaining, but it is also inspired. It came from a people who had a special relationship with God – a relationship that we can also have with God. It is not like any other book you will ever own. When you read it, you will understand what God is like and what God wants you to do. In the Bible you have a message from God and about God. This message will help you to grow in grace and to be encouraged about your faith in Christ Jesus. Expect these stories to move you in such a way that your footsteps will be guided along the path of God’s glorious good news.

The words from this morning, as found in your Good News Bible, state, “Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path.” Indeed, the ancient, valuable, entertaining and inspiring Word of God in Scripture supports us and nourishes us throughout our life and faith. Interestingly, The Message, a paraphrased version of the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs, by Eugene Peterson, towards the end of our text for today reads, “I inherited your book on living; it’s mine forever – what a gift! And how happy it makes me!” I think that is a great summation of Bible Sunday. I hope this ancient book you have inherited will remain a valuable gift forever and that you will be happy to read these entertaining stories inspired by God.

You may remove this final layer of paper and find your own name in the Bible.

(Show them my Bible from 1980.)

Congratulations on receiving your fourth grade Bible! There is so much more to be said, but I’ll finish by saying, God is still speaking to us through the many stories of the Bible. God wants to speak to each of you through God’s Holy Word. As John Robinson said to the Pilgrims departing for the New World, “The Lord hath yet more truth and light to break forth from thy holy word.” I invite you to experience God at work personally in your lives as you read and learn from your Bible. May we all be more intentional in unwrapping our Bibles and in discerning how to live out Christ’s message faithfully. So, fourth graders, this Bible is for you. Treasure it and learn from it. Blessings to each of you! Thanks be to God! Amen.

Sermon preached by Reverend Kevin Gregory at First Congregational United Church of Christ, Appleton, Wisconsin on February 18, 2007.