Gospeling Your Life

 

Beginning on September 1, you are invited to embark with me on a journey through all four gospels.  For two months, reading two chapters each day, we will seek to let Scripture sing to and shape our lives.  We will let the stories of Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John impact and influence the story we are telling ourselves.  The words, “Gospel” means “good news” in ways that change your life.  In other words, we will “gospel” our life by letting the story of God’s love incarnate in Jesus intersect, inspire, inform us.  At this point you think, “Sounds great…but why are you telling us now?” 

 

Great question.

 

Before leaping into this adventure, in the next few weeks I want to help us prepare for our travels.  Just as you might make a packing list before hitting the road or tilling the ground to make for the seed, I pray the meditations help prepare the soil of your soul.

 

Before opening to Mark 1 (where we will start in September), consider, what assumptions do you bring to scripture?  What lessons have you been taught or caught, picked up along the way in your religious education?  Often we are not even aware of what we are carrying in the luggage of our religious life.  There can be thoughts in the cobwebbed corners of our souls that we are surprised to find there.  These might have been passed down with your grandmother’s silver platter and you are unsure if can part with it.

 

For example, if you heard growing up that Scripture is the literal word of God, then perhaps you struggle with miracle healings.  Or question (logically) why Jesus didn’t heal everyone?  Or why Jesus didn’t heal the person you love when you prayed?  Or maybe Scripture was read in a monotone voice on Sundays sounding about as enthralling as a refrigerator manual.  Maybe Scripture seems far removed from life today.  Take a moment this morning and ponder your relationships with the Good Book and specifically the Gospels.  What is your normal reaction to scripture?  Do you feel bored or energized, interested or ready to go do something else like have a root canal?

 

When we name our normal reaction we become aware/awake to the neurons that fire together and wire together in our brain.  What is hidden in your sacred imagination when it comes to scripture?  When you name and notice your propensity, proclivities, patterns, this is important to hold onto throughout the coming days and weeks.

 

I encourage you to get out a piece of paper.  Write the word, “Gospels” in the middle of page.  Maybe around that you want to write, “Matthew,” “Mark,” “Luke,” and “John”.  Then, write as many adjectives, descriptions, definitions as you possibly can.  Try to fill the whole page with words from your mind, heart and soul.  Hold onto this as we will come back to it throughout the week.  May God, whose Good News of unconditional love and unceasing grace wants to write a story on your soul every day this week.  Amen.