Word of God Speak

When I was in middle school, I wore a jeans jacket stocked with pens, mechanical pencils, and a multitude of highlighters—highlighters of every color—most of them fat like magic markers. I carried the pens and pencils in my right inside pocket. I carried the highlighters in my left inside pocket. Hidden away. Like a secret stash. Yes. I am a nerd.

For some reason, I have a vague yet somewhat specific memory of going to youth Bible study in the sanctuary one night. We usually had Bible study in the church library. What I remember about that night is lying on the floor in the aisle of the sanctuary and laying out all of my pens, pencils, and highlighters in preparation for the night’s study. Do I remember anything else? No. I remember nothing else from that study. Just the pens, pencils, and highlighters. Yes. I am a nerd.

During that period of my life, I used a small, hardback The Student Bible. I’m pretty sure that I chose this bible because it includes a clearly laid out bible-reading guide. It’s sort of neat to see little middle school x’s in the boxes beside the scriptures that I read over twenty-five years ago. It’s also neat to see some of my middle school thoughts jotted in the margins. I don’t use my The Student Bible that often anymore, but I still keep it beside my bed for quick reference.

…

On Sunday morning, Mister Pastor Patrick preached from Acts 17:16-34. Here is abstract of his sermon: In this interesting story about Paul speaking to the intellectual elite in Athens, we see Paul’s willingness to engage a particular culture where it is. He speaks their philosophical language, he talks about their gods. And yet, Paul holds up the Gospel as the one, true truth and God as the one, true God. Ours is a mission of One, of the One truth and the One true God. We must move beyond even our own idols to preach this truth.

As I discussed Sunday’s sermon with my dad, I made the comment that I didn’t remember ever reading the passage that Patrick had preached from but that I really liked it. I was drawn to the fact that the people of Athens had prepared an altar to THE UNKNOWN GOD. Maybe it was the fear of missing a god and having that god punish them that led them to do it. But maybe it was because they knew on some level that there was a god bigger than any of their gods—but that they just didn’t know that god’s name…until Paul told them.

I was also really drawn to verses 27 and 28: God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being.

For in him
We live
And move
And have our being.

Wow.

…

On Sunday afternoon, as I was laying down for my Sunday afternoon nap, I reached for a Bible so that I could read next Sunday’s scripture passage. I wanted to ruminate while resting . The first Bible I found was my The Student Bible. As I was turning to Acts 21, I decided to take a detour through Acts 17. Remember, I couldn’t recollect reading the passage before that morning (even though I knew I’d probably read it for one of my divinity school classes.)

When I got to Acts 17, I laughed. Evidently, during my middle school years, I’d read Acts 17 and been drawn to verses 27 and 28. They were underlined. Probably with one of the pens or pencils that I carried on the inside of my jeans jacket.

…

The Word of God is timeless, friends.
And it speaks to us exactly when we need it.
Middle school. Middle life.
For in Christ,
The living Word,
We live
And move
And have our being.
Amen.