A Better Way… Than Bible Roulette
God can use whatever he wants. God used “Bible roulette” when I was in high school. Bible roulette is when you flip open a Bible to any random page, stick your finger on it, and hope that passage right under your finger is what you need for a given moment.
Now, I say he can use whatever he wants because I remember in my junior year of high school God helped me find the right passage for an important moment. A friend of mine wanted to go on a trip that was suddenly deemed dangerous due to a potential military conflict in northern India. Me, genuinely trusting God to speak, opened my Bible, flipped open and hit Jeremiah 1:7 “But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.” Even with the warning in Jeremiah 1:14: “From the north disaster will be poured out…” It felt like I’d struck Spirit-filled gold for that moment.
I remember calling my friend and saying: “Look, you should go! Jeremiah 1 says…” In hindsight, that was actually, astonishingly, a big encouragement to her and to her family.
But now I feel a little sheepish about the interpretation I assumed at 17 years old. Now I know that the Jeremiah message and the army coming from the north has a particular context and doesn't necessarily apply to a teenager trying to weigh the danger and God’s call about going on a short-term trip to India. (But maybe it does, too??)
How can we read and understand the Bible?
How am I supposed to know what Jeremiah’s story was about?
Can the Bible help me figure out who I am and what I’m meant to do?
That's the passion of teaching Bible 101: to help us understand how to really hear from God through the Bible. We will talk about important Bible basics. How did it come together? What's in it? How could I learn to relate what I am going through to what's there?
When you're using a particularly large Bible, often called a study Bible, what are those little numbers in the margin and who wrote the comments at the bottom? If I do play a little Bible roulette from time to time, how do I know what I've landed in the middle of?
That's what we cover in Bible 101.
Please jump in with us May 29-30! Maddy's teaching Bible 101 for elementary aged readers; I'm teaching adults. In a good old-fashioned Kitsap House way, we will provide food and Bibles and plenty of time for conversation and questions.
We are excited to grow in our practice of scripture over the summer. I hope Bible 101 opens the door for many of us to restart reading the Bible. Our 90 day challenge returns June 1. This time we’re encouraging the whole community to participate. Register Sunday morning, and enter a raffle for a journal version of the four Gospel stories.
Jesus is the greatest teacher that ever lived. He is the most sought after person of history. He’s alive today by his Spirit and wants to talk to you through his Word. Come join us for the deep dive of Bible 101 May 29-30 and over the summer for the 90 Day Challenge.
Pastor Megan
