Last week in my blog I talked about the habit of rising early on Sunday morning and finalizing my thoughts into a sermon to share with God’s people. That has been a joy and I am honored that at least some of you have joined in that process. I am a firm believer that even though I have put in the work of scripture study and, even though I am the person who has stood in front of a body of believers and shared my thoughts, I believe it is the Holy Spirit of God who takes those words and applies them to a person’s heart and mind. As Jesus said,
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. John 14:26
“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. John 15:26
So, what now?
Over the course of my pastoral work I have grown. It has not only the people with whom I have shared my thoughts who have grown…I have grown. The questions that people have asked me either privately or in Bible studies have stretched me. Those questions have caused me to go back and search and study and process to provide an intelligent answer to an honest question.
In addition, over the course of years I have seen certain passages rise to the top as reference points to which I regularly return. I believe scholars have referred to this process as being “A canon within the canon.” What is The Canon? The Encyclopedia Britannica says,
Biblical canon, collection of sacred texts of Judaism and Christianity which, after being determined either by general agreement or by official religious bodies, are alone viewed as fully authoritative and truly beyond all further change or alteration. The works not admitted to the canons (apocryphal literature of semisacred or semicanonical character) may still be quite valuable as supplementary texts.
The term canon, from a Hebrew-Greek word meaning “cane” or “measuring rod,” passed into Christian usage to mean “norm” or “rule of faith.” The Church Fathers of the 4th century CE first employed it in reference to the definitive, authoritative nature of the body of sacred Christian scripture. While the definition of biblical canon seemed clear, the question of what constituted it—within both Judaism and Christianity—remained unsettled for centuries.
One of my ‘usually trusted and go to websites, www.gotquestions.org, provides a simple article that gives insight into the process that was followed if you would like to read further about this centuries long process.
That being said, to have a “Canon within The Canon” means that over the years, from within the whole of the authoritative text of the Bible, certain passages, certain themes from The Canon of Scripture have risen to the top in my thinking. Some have become more important to me, more influential in my thinking, more directional in my behavior. These passages have deepened my understanding of who God is, who people are, how we got to be who we are and how we can continue to journey of becoming who God designed and desires us to be.
Have you ever taken time to think about what passages have influenced you the most? Why has your mind/spirit gravitated to those passages or individual verses? What is the Spirit trying to teach you through that process? What change in attitudes have been shaped within you because of those thoughts? What actions have grown in your behavior as God’s Word has come alive?
Over the next weeks (and maybe months) I will be walking through some of those passages and the thoughts they have inspired and how they have shaped my life. If these thoughts are meaningful to you, please feel free to pass them along via the ‘share’ button on Facebook or copy them and send to an individual for whom you might feel the thoughts helpful. You can also recommend my blogspot, www.pehfactor.com, if someone might want to read other thoughts.
Will this be my only focus of my writings in the months to come? Time will tell. I have always attempted to make some comments on events happening in our world that stir my soul and I have always attempted to provide a unique and balanced perspective. I am sure that will continue. However, a primary focus of my writing will be on the cream that has risen to the top in my thinking over the past 4 ½ decades of my life.
Paul
Comments