Recently, the editor of The Evangel, the national magazine of The American Association of Lutheran Churches (TAALC), asked me to write an article for their May/June edition. The edition was to address one of two topics: the Holy Scriptures, or the congregational life of the Church. I accepted the assignment, immediately knowing I would combine the two topics into one about the Scriptures in the life of the congregation. The article was accepted, and appeared this month in the magazine. For those who don’t get The Evangel, I thought I would include it here in my blog. Therefore, I give you the following:
The Good Book in the Pew
I am sure you have seen, either in a church you visited, or in your own church, a rack on the back of the pew in front of you. That rack may hold a hymnal, some offering envelopes, an old bulletin covered with kids’ scribbles, or most likely, a Bible.
Certainly, a church that places the Bible there does so to honor God’s Word and benefit the worshipers. But does that Bible actually get used, or is it just a symbol of the faith, another churchy decoration like the paraments and candles? Does it play a part in the service, or does it just gather dust?
I ask these questions, not to denigrate the use of pew Bibles. They should be there. But if we are to be faithful Christians who believe and follow what Scripture teaches, then the Bible needs to play a much bigger role in the life of our congregations. Scripture cannot be just for show, or something we add to our other church activities, but must exist at the very core of who we are and all that we do.
By definition, “The Church is the congregation of saints, in which the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered.”* But how are we to rightly preach or administer the Sacraments, or even know what the Gospel is, or those Sacraments are, without the Scriptures? Indeed, how do we know who are the saints, unless the Bible tells us so? Therefore, the absolute requirement for any church is to teach those things to its people.
Another core necessity for continued biblical understanding flows from our doctrine that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, the only infallible rule for faith and life. As Paul wrote, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV). If Scripture is going to guide our lives, both as a congregation and as individuals, we need to know what it teaches and treat it as our authority.
So, how do we make sure the Bible does more in our churches than just fill some pew racks? Let me suggest the following:
- Begin with a firm commitment by the pastor and church leaders that Scripture will be an integral part and guide for the congregation. They must agree to use Scripture as their guide for all decisions they make and all ministries they conduct.
- Preach and teach from Scripture. Contemporary illustrations can help people relate to God’s Word, but sermons must not be about the latest theories or self-improvement fads. Preaching should both challenge with the Law and comfort with the Gospel.
- Teach and encourage a love for God’s Word, so that the people will want to hear it and read it on their own, in addition to at church. Think of Psalm 1, which speaks of the blessed person delighting in God’s Law and meditating on it day and night. If we treat Bible reading as a chore, people won’t take the time and effort to read it.
- Regularly conduct Bible studies throughout the week as able, expanding the teaching to include Scriptures beyond the lectionary. There are many rich and edifying stories not covered in the usual preaching cycles, such as Noah’s Flood and Daniel in the lions’ den. If all Scripture is God-inspired, we should not ignore any of it.
- Provide opportunities for members to share their favorite Bible passages with each other, maybe in newsletters or during church gatherings. Hearing others tell why certain Scriptures mean so much to them blesses us as well.
During his time as a monk, Martin Luther had access to only one Bible. It was in Latin and chained to a desk in the monastery’s library. Its precious teachings and words of hope and life were not available to the common believers in the churches. One of the greatest things Luther did was to free the Bible from its shackles by translating it into the language of the people, and thus making it available and understandable. He knew the power of God’s Word for salvation and life, and the important role it must play in the life of the congregation. Let us not leave our Bibles shackled to our pews, but use them freely in every aspect of church life, that the Word of Christ may dwell richly in us (Colossians 3:16).
End of article
The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.
Read: Psalm 1; Colossians 3:16; 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
*Article VII of the Augsburg Confession
You can read this and other articles online at taalc.org. Click on the Resources tab and you will see The Evangel as the first selection.