I agree with your thoughts on Scripture reading…it reminds me of what Chris Wright says in “The Mission of God… “This worldview, constituted by putting the mision of God at the very center of all existence, is disturbingly subversive and it uncomfortably relativizes one’s own place in the great scheme of things. It is certianly a very helpful corrective to the egocentric obsession of the Western culture-including, sadly, even Western Christian culture. It constantly forces us to open our eyes to the big picture, rather than shelter in the cosy narcissism of our own small worlds. We ask, where does God fit in the story of my life? When the real question is where does my little life fit into this great story of God’s mission.” Thanks for sharing these thoughts…I/we have the tendency to want a tame version of Scripture…one that fits into my already pre-existing world (suburban, urban, rural, whatever)…God desires to renew me and the world through the power of His Word…not merely give me enough self-esteem to make it through the day… -Michael

Totally agree.
This approach to Scripture also confirms what many atheists criticize us for: that God is simply an imaginary friend who makes us feel better. That faith is an opiate. If an atheist/agnostic is feeling generous, then faith is a comfort during hard times. Maybe it isn’t real, but if it makes people feel better, why not?
And sometimes faith in God is an incredible comfort. Sometimes I don’t know how people can stand believing that there is no justice except what we create, or that life, no matter how filled with exquisite moments of happiness, is short and ultimately meaningless.
But other times I wish I thought this way. Because our faith is also a challenging one. We are commanded out of our comfortable beds early to go help people. We are forbidden to hold grudges. We don’t get to hit back. We don’t get to sleep with whoever we want. We’re warned very strongly against wealth. Even a quiet, simple family life is regarded as something of a concession, certainly not the most important thing in our lives.
So sometimes I think how comforting it would be to believe that my life was my own. That I owe no one anything. And I wonder whether folks like Bill Maher or Richard Dawkins ever think of it that way.
And if we keep reading the Bible like it’s a heartwarming story about a dog from Reader’s Digest, they never will.

“What do you think of the Smiley Face approach to Bible reading?”
If you never come away from the Bible feeling chastened, you will never grow in Christ-likeness or in your relationship with Him.

I also think our understanding of blessing is out of whack when we think it only means affirmation and never a calling to something hard. Think Abraham and Isaac. That was a sign of God’s blessing, but it involved carrying his son up to altar to sacrifice him. I can’t imagine Abraham undergoing this with a smiley face.

This is the reason that Tradition, the embodied locus of liturgical and spiritual practices grounded in a theological vision,is central to Christian formation. If what we live by is not cross and resurrection focused, which reminds us daily of who we are in relation to YHWH in Christ,we will go astray into various forms of subtle spiritual idolatry.
We need to humble ourselves to allow YHWH to deconstruct us emotionally,psychologically and spiritually,so that YHWH can address us. This is a painful process but absolutely essential in Christian formation. This is often a precondition for hearing the Word behind the words in Scripture. And its the reason why using a lectionary is a necessary spiritual discipline.

Amen, Scot. You, too, Travis.

Scot, great post. I’ve read The Blue Parakeet, and don’t want to rehash things you already know. **GRIN** In the book, you did say that everyone “picks and chooses” when they read the Bible. That is so true.
I am trying to actively be aware of the context around particular verses when I read the Bible to make sure that the “promise” is actually something I could claim, and not something pointed directly at a particular group of people (i.e. the entire nation of Israel…etc.) As a result, I’m gaining a much better insight into scripture!!!

Does anyone have thoughts about Scripture memorization for children in light of this post?

Amy #9,,
The Olivet discourse?
Followed by Philippians 4:8?

Amy @ 9,
The Beatitudes are always a good place to start. And the Psalms. Even the hard ones.

Scot, this is why I’ve had some problems with The Shack. It seems to present that God is only and always loving. What about the jealous God? And the God of righteous anger? The book seemed a little one-sided to me.

Smiley face bible reading involves the readers life too – they probably think their purpose is to be this smiley face influence in other’s lives, and, as you point out, it cuts out what makes the rest of the whole of human experience. What a burden for someone to carry since they have non smiley face moments, days……

I agree with what Scot and additional posters have written, as one who teaches and preaches primarily from a perspective of the responsibilities of Christians.
I would only temper my comment by saying that there are certain seekers and new and young Christians who come from a background of personal abuse or distress, or who have been beaten over the head with the image of an angry God. They need to hear large doses of the promises and the good stuff, preferably in the company of a more seasoned guide who can also gently guide them into the responsibilities and difficulties.

As one who feels a preaching burden for the sections of Scripture that call us to responsibility, I agree with Scot and our previous posters.
I would only temper my comment by saying that there are certain seekers and new and young Christians who come from a background of personal abuse or distress, or who have been beaten over the head with the image of an angry God. They need to hear large doses of the promises and the good stuff, preferably in the company of a more seasoned guide who can also gently guide them into the responsibilities and difficulties.
But I realize these are different cases than folks who just want “positive energy for the day,” each day, all the time.

I would take this one step further and say that we can’t go through the Bible also looking for verses with which to proof text. Oftentimes people pull out isolated verses to prove their points of view and again, we’re short-circuiting Scripture by doing so. What is the larger context? Can this verse really, legitimately be applied to my particular situation? God is not only NOT a genie in a bottle, He is not a weapon to be used against others.