Many of you have heard me use terms like “exegesis” and “bible commentaries” when I preach. The other day, I was thinking about how I need to further explain what I’m talking about when I throw around those terms in my sermons because someone approached me after worship to ask what “exegesis” means. When I led an exegetical study on Philippians last year, I defined exegesis in its most basic sense as a critical interpretation of our scriptures. One engaged in exegetical study uses history, culture, and language among other context clues in our canonical texts to discern their intended meaning. It’s helpful to have an awareness of this process because for many pastors this is the starting point for the sermon writing process. Usually, when I start exegeting a bible passage or forming my own understanding of a passage’s meaning through critical interpretation and study, I begin with bible commentaries. Bible commentaries help those tasked with preaching to begin to further explore the text. I have my personal favorites, but there are a substantial number of different bible commentaries that are put together by experts in the field of biblical scholarship. You can find all sorts of different perspectives in each commentary along with helpful facts about the original Greek and Hebrew, dating information on when it’s believed that a particular text was produced, and important context about who may have written the text and why they felt compelled to write in the first place. After that, I usually turn to the original languages and search to see if I can learn anything that the modern English isn’t communicating in our scriptures. One cool piece of information is that you don’t have to be a pastor writing a sermon or a world-class bible scholar to use these tools. They are helpful for personal study and many of them are available for free. We actually have the full set of the Interpretation commentary series in the library located in the parlor. This series is published by our denomination and is a terrific resource to use if you encounter a question about a complicated passage. Another fun place to explore is Biblehub.com’s interlinear tool. You can use this tool to see the precise meaning of each individual word in the Old Testament’s Hebrew or the New Testament’s Greek. I encourage you to check these resources out and see what new things God might teach you about our holy scriptures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know that many of you are on our campus on days other than Sunday for various gatherings, committee meetings, and bible studies. However, I thought it would be interesting to share what it’s like when we receive visitors from outside of our church community throughout the week.

 

During certain times of year, it is not unusual for us to have one or two neighbors (sometimes more) ring the doorbell or make a phone call asking for assistance and prayer. Whenever that happens, one of the members of our administrative staff will direct that individual to one of the pastors. Generally, it begins with a conversation. I like to learn about who they are and where they’ve been, listen to what’s on their hearts, ask them questions about what they need and how we can help, and offer whatever encouragement I can in the process. We receive all sorts of visitors from all kinds of different ages and backgrounds. You almost wouldn’t believe some of the unusual situations I’ve come across during my time at Grace. I’ve met people with advanced degrees sleeping in their cars and without homes; young adults who’ve run away from stable homes who are lost and confused; frustrated people because their former employer let them go in a way that they felt was unjust. You really never know who and what you are going to encounter when someone walks through the door or makes a call. Of course, I try to help them. Usually, it’s as simple as walking with them to the Little Free Pantry and giving them one of our DART passes or gas cards that we keep on hand. Sometimes it’s a little more complicated, like finding another organization that offers social services that are best equipped to meet their needs.

 

Whatever the person’s situation might be, there is one commonality that I’ve found to be profoundly powerful in every single meeting: when I pray with our neighbors and remind them that they are a beloved child of God. I don’t always have the right words to say, and it might not solve all of their particular problems that day, but it lightens the burden a little. It doesn’t put an end to the very real crises they are facing, but it reminds our new friends that they aren’t walking alone. It might not give folks everything they need, but it provides a glimpse of hope into God’s coming Kingdom. And though you might not be there with me while I’m actively engaged in these conversations, I feel the encouragement of our community behind me when they happen.

 

I couldn’t do what I do without each one of you. We live in a hurting world that can at times look quite bleak and it is a blessing to be a part of a community that cares about being a shining light in the midst of darkness. So, thanks to each one of you for empowering me to do what I do.

Peace,
Wilson