Sunday, March 21, 2010

Dear friends,

I used to have a hard time reading the Bible. I would get all tangled up in questions. Is this true? Did this really happen? How can anything so old and so strange have anything to do with me? Still, I was intrigued. The Bible has been around for a very long time. People love it. People hate it. Either way, they just keep reading it. It is the most widely printed book in the world, published in thousands of languages and versions. WHY?

Ten years ago an Episcopal priest caught my imagination when he pointed out that I could read the Bible for information (trying to discover historical facts) or I could read the Bible for formation (trying to discover what the Bible has to say to me today). He introduced me to a method he calls The Art of Engaging Holy Scripture,based on an practice of reading the Bible that has been around since the 6th century known as lectio divina. (http://www.saintbarnabas.org/images/sitecontent/pdf/taehs%20information%20nov09.pdf)

Being in conversation with God through the Bible this way has changed how I see the Bible and it has really changed my life. The ancient text is alive for me. I find my self and my situations in the stories. But more than that, I find hope and experience joy and enthusiasm in my life. I feel more and more connected to people – people long ago and people today. And the sense of meaning and value in my life keeps growing.

I want to share this with you in a way that feels safe and invites you to participate as much or as little as is comfortable to you. We are all joined in the interconnected web of creation. We all have stories to share. I hope you enjoy the stories you read here and when it feels right, maybe you will want to share yours too. Come and see. Read other people’s stories. See how they are finding meaning and value for their lives in the words of the Bible.

Thank you for visiting hOlybytes.

Debra Asis
Seminarian
Church Divinity School of the Pacific
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1 comment:

  1. AnonymousMarch 25, 2010 at 4:56 PM

    1. What did you notice? In a few sentences describe the situation, the characters and the action. How would you describe God's mission in the world?
    Neither Pilate or Herod believed Jesus to be guilty and neither wanted to make the decision about his fate so, they passed him back and forth. Eventually Pilate succumbed to the pressure of the crowd and sentenced him to death. Jesus’ followers stood by and did not publicly act on his behalf. I believe the mission of God was to show us we must make the choice to believe in him or not

    2. What attracted or repulsed you in the text? In a few sentences describe what you felt drawn toward or what you wanted to push away.
    I felt drawn to Jesus’ forgiveness of those around him. And reminded that we can all be forgiven. I felt sad for Jesus’ pain and suffering.


    3. What response is rising up in you? How do you see your role in this? How might you be called to act?
    For me remembering the reason for Jesus’ suffering and re stating my beliefs. Not being silent about what I believe and that forgiveness is there for me too.

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