March 10, 2009

Great Was The Company Of The Preachers

“So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the manner for which I sent it.” - Isaiah 55:11

The first thing I remember is the smell of the wood early in the morning. What a serene space I was in ... yet I was so keyed up.

Turn the lights on, turn the sound system on, open the Book and read - to no one, to myself, to God, to everyone - "In the beginning, when God created ...."

That's how Proclamation started at 7 AM on Wednesday, May 24, 2000 AD. Aldersgate Day, the anniversary of John Wesley's conversion experience, when he had his "heart strangely warmed," and I was finding my whole life "strangely warmed."

I've heard the same kind of thing from countless participants in our congregation's ten-day journey through the whole Bible. We found the experience of reading the Scripture to be even more moving than we had expected. It didn't matter if we were reading the account of Creation, or a list of the sons of Esau; about Jesus walking on water, or the list of who begat whom from Adam to Jesus. It really didn't matter, because we were part of something special, something grand and important; we were reading God's Word from start to finish, from that first "In the beginning" of Genesis to the final "Amen" of Revelation.

Thinking back on my reading, it seems a bit odd that I was surprised by the Joy of it. After all, one very good way of looking at the Bible is as sixty-six love letters from God to me: why would I be surprised at the delight of reading that?!

Bible study has been an important part of my life for quite a few years now, but the experience of Proclamation, reading the whole Bible in such a short time, was something I'll never forget: it was a wonderful reminder that God's Word will always speak to us, if we will only listen.

Today, why not read a chapter from one of the books of the Bible which you've never read? If you want some suggestions, how about 1 John, 2 Peter, Ezra, Amos, Malachi, …. I know God will speak to you through His word, and it will not return to Him empty. Praise God! Amen.

Charlie van Becelaere (from March 30, 2001)