I'm happy that the Bible is coming to a small screen near you. I have dedicated my life to helping people get to know and appreciate God's love shown to us in the Bible. Seeing it go by so fast on TV, that's going to take some getting used to.
Start with the good stuff. It helps to see images that might give us some idea of what the characters in scripture actually faced, or at least give us an impression to go along with the story. We are such a visually oriented culture now that we need pictures to go along with our words. The Bible on TV has given us some images to float around in our heads. The rocking back and forth on the Ark with Noah was a pretty good way to paint some pictures. Seeing the animals inside gave me a better sense of appreciation for the work that Noah had to do and how anxious that task would be.
I digress for a brief moment, those animals in the Ark, reminded me of the challenge of being the pastor for a congregation, floating along in the sea of turmoil we have today in our culture. We all want to be safe and on board during the storms of life that are raging all around us. Each animal has their own set of circumstances, issues, places in their spiritual journey and a different reason for coming to church and a different diet necessary and appropriate for their well being. Some get along great, others look at each other with either fear or longing depending on their spiritual maturity or place on the food chain? Trying to watch over the whole boat for the whole trip, is what God's help is for. Makes me want to pray that much harder for God's help and intervention.
Back to the Bible on TV, getting some pictures to go along with the story will help us keep the details and the main purpose of learning about God's relationship to us in focus, is a good thing. Watching David recite the 23rd psalm as he walked out to meet Goliath, is a lesson we can all learn. Ask God to help us each step of the way and know that God will prepare the way ahead for us. Goliath in this case took off his helmet because he was laughing so hard, made it that much easier for David's rock to hit him. God does open up doors and ways for us if we prepare as we approach the challenge with prayer and remembering the help that God has given us in the past.
I'll write more about this later.
I'm a little overwhelmed by how fast the stories go by. I am very aware that trying to tell God's story in ten hours is almost impossible. But maybe this is part of the point, we long for more, that we will read it for ourselves. Now what I need to do is to find condensed and appropriate versions of the Bible for people who are now interested, but are not about to get bogged down on all those begat so and so's. I'm going to have to really look for helpful resources in this direction. May I offer the Story, a readers digest type of writing as a good starting place. Even the Story, produced by Zondervan press tells the whole story but in a shorter version. It's great for the Old Testament, I would like a longer version of the Jesus sections. But that too is a topic for another Blog session.
Part of what I missed in the going fast version is the story of Joseph, son of Jacob, one of the twelve. Joseph is such a good example of a person after God's own heart and his ability to be used by God no matter what the circumstances should not have been skipped over. I also missed the deeper presentation about the Passover, so that it could be tied in with Jesus at the Last Supper. I know members of my Bible Study really appreciate the connections when they can see them so clearly.
Keep watching the Bible on History Channel. It will be available in stores in April as a DVD set. But more importantly, find a Bible and read some, you will be amazed at how much help God is offering us for life.
Thanks for your patience, I plan to write a whole lot more now. Grace & Peace on your spiritual journey
Pastor Jeff
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