COMMUNITY SENSE

IN PRAISE OF THE BIBLE

Mark R. Wenger

Ihe local African-American community rents our worship space from time to time for weddings and funerals. This was a funeral for a beloved saint. The place was packed. I stood at the controls of the sound system. The pastor stepped into the sanctuary at the head of the procession. His clear voice rang into the silence. The words and cadence triggered a visceral response within me. It was pre-reflective, a shiver up and down the spine.

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

The pastor led the large extended family down the center aisle. He took his place at the pulpit. The family slowly walked by the open casket in front to take their seats from the side aisle. All the while the pastor intoned the ancient words of Scripture from the King James Version, words about God, about death, about eternal life. Then the "home-going" service began and lasted two hours.

I’ve been exposed to the Bible since before I can remember. Bible story books, "sword drills," memorizing verses, listening to innumerable sermons. For the first 15 years of my life, that was almost exclusively in King James English. Then the American Bible Society came out with Good News for Modern Man. I remember hawking paperback copies for 25 cents each after revival services in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

In the years since, I’ve studied Greek and Hebrew, learned the rudimentary skills of historical and literary critical study, written exegesis papers, preached many sermons, and become familiar with a dozen or more English translations. Just last year, as part of a family challenge, I read from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22 from The Message.

I stand within the broad Christian community that accepts the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament as canonical, possessing a sacred and authoritative character. I’m not enough of a historian to be able to trace the profound influence of the Bible in shaping a sense of community of shared stories and values in the last 2,000 years. But I’ve seen it happen countless times on a smaller scale. The funeral service convened under the sacred canopy of Scripture is simply one unforgettable example.

Of course, I’m aware that the Bible has also sparked many arguments and disagreements. I’ve taken part in my share and will no doubt in the future. There are lasting rips in the fabric of Christian community that can be partly traced to conflicting views of Scripture. Tensions exist today. This morning’s newspaper contains a story on the terrific stresses straining the worldwide Anglican Communion.

But I am most intrigued by the way the Bible serves as a watering hole, a community gathering place, and a source of wisdom and sustenance. Yes, I know, what we bring to the Bible plays a big part in what we find there. But the opposite is also true. What is found between its covers molds, illuminates, and draws people into closer proximity to each other, helping to shape them into a community through story and divine truth. A watering hole can bring enemies together.

As a pastor, I often make use of the Bible in public worship. Today there are so many different English translations available that it’s almost impossible to read a passage of Scripture aloud together. I don’t want to go back to the days of King James hegemony. I like the new variety and so do many others. But for common worship and study, there is no denying a loss: the erosion of shared language and rhythms. I worry about how that weakens identity and cohesion. A congregation will do well to select a preferred version, recommending it to each other and using it for public services.

The Bible is precious to me, however, for more than what it does to shape community. It’s precious because of what it is: a chorus of voices from a people of faith giving witness to a God who created, loved, guided, rescued, and empowered them. "Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy" (1 Peter 2:10). The Bible is God’s Word written, even as it is a very human record of God’s decisive activities.

In January 2005, I was invited to speak to the Tuesday evening Bible study at the Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community in Harrisonburg. The instructions were general: "Share from your journey with the Scriptures." In pondering what to say, my inspiration came from David Letterman, of all people. Letterman is fond of "top 10" lists. Why not share my list of top 10 Scripture verses?

This was easier said than done! My initial list contained 50 passages of one or two verses. The first cut took me to 25 selections. Then it got tough. Five cuts later I had my top 10, but not before tossing treasure overboard in a desperate attempt to reach my goal. Here they are:

10. 2 Timothy 3:16: "All Scripture is inspired by God. . . . "

9. Exodus 3:13-14: "God said, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ . . . "

8. Psalm 19:1-2: "The heavens declare the Glory of God. . . . "

7. Genesis 1:26-27: "So God created humankind in his image . . . male and female. . . . "

6. Micah 6:8: " . . . do justice . . . love mercy
. . . walk humbly with your God."

5. John 1:14: "The Word became flesh and live among us . . . full of grace and truth."

4. Acts 2:38-39: "Repent . . . be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ . . . "

3. 1 Corinthians 1:18 "The message of the cross is foolishness . . . power of God."

2. 1 Peter 2:9-10: "Once you were not a people but now you are God’s people. . . . "

1. Revelation 5:11-12: "Worthy is the Lamb. . . . "

In her book, Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith, Kathleen Norris writes of the "scariest story" she knows about the Bible. An acquaintance, Arlo, received a big fancy Bible as a wedding present from his grandfather. It ended up in the box in the bedroom closet. But every time Grandpa saw Arlo, he asked how Arlo liked the Bible. Arlo’s wife had written a thank-you note, they’d thanked him in person, but he just wouldn’t let it lie.

Finally Arlo got curious. He took the Bible out of the closet and had a look. "I found that Granddad had placed a 25-dollar bill at the beginning of the book of Genesis, and at the beginning of every book of the d--- thing, over 1300 dollars in all. And he knew I’d never find it!"

The Bible may no longer be the gathering place it once was in the public square. But that’s okay. For many people of faith, the Bible still retains a mysterious power to shape a shared history, a common consciousness, and hope for the future. It contains timeless treasures for personal and communal blessing for those who take the trouble to open its pages and imbibe the richness.

—Mark R. Wenger, now a pastor in Waynesboro, Virginia, will in June 2005 become Coordinator of Pastoral Training Programs for Eastern Mennonite University in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.