Flexible Bible

Flexible Bible

“Mary Cosby used to begin her New Testament class by bending her soft-cover Bible and saying she preferred a Bible that was flexible. Then she would say, ‘The Bible is not a manual for morality but a mirror for identity.’”—Carol Martin, Bread of Life Church, “A Mirror for Identity,” InwardOutward.org, Church of the Saviour..

My first introduction to this more profound and flexible approach to Bible study came through a small group at St. Mark’s in Little Rock in the 1980s, led by Dick Moore in a room above the children’s classrooms, which we called “the upper room.” As we studied the books of the Bible, Dick reminded us that the Bible was a roadmap, not the destination. 

I think of old friends like Carole and Gary Kimmel, who were in our class and now live on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. I remember Betty and Brady Anderson well. They later became Bible translators in Tanzania, Africa. Brady was later appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as the American Ambassador to Tanzania. They taught me so much. Together, we uncovered new insights from the Bible that had never occurred to us.

As we saw God present in the lives of people in the Bible who were like us—with gifts and faults—we also became more aware of the Holy Spirit at work in our own lives and in the lives of others. We saw that the Holy Spirit's relationship did not end with first- and second-century Christians; instead, the Spirit continues to lead us today. If we believe only in a strict, literal translation of the Bible, we deny the Holy Spirit's continued presence in our lives today, which will bring us more good news. 

I share with you the Bible I received from Bishop Maze twenty-five years ago, at the time of my ordination. It is also flexible.

Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/daily

Nature as Healer

Nature as Healer

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play and pray, where Nature may heal, cheer, and give strength to body and soul alike.”—John Muir.

A Forward Day by Day writer recently reminded us of John Muir’s quote, one of our country’s most renowned naturalists and conservationists. Muir played a pivotal role in establishing the National Park Service and the Sierra Club. In spiritual direction, we ask, “Where do you find meaning or feel closest to God?” The most common answer is “outdoors in nature.”

In photosynthesis, trees transform light energy into chemical energy. I believe the trees, the sun, the sky, the ocean, and the mountains also convert some energy within us when we are outdoors among them. As a result, we see beauty alive and well, whereas before we could only see ugliness. We realize that there is something greater than ourselves, something that transcends our own problems. It is there for us. We do not have to pay for it. It is a gift.

My experience is that when I have difficulty sleeping because of physical, mental, or spiritual pain, it helps to go outside or sit by a window to watch the sunrise in the morning, even on a cloudy day. The sunrise and the world outside can be a constant reminder of a new opening, a new beginning—the dawning of a fresh perspective. I am reminded of John McQuiston’s book, Always We Begin Again, a modern version of the Rule of Benedict.

Muir stands out for making us aware of nature's marvels, particularly the wilderness, while also reminding us of our stewardship of this gift. 

Consider spending time in nature and the outdoors one of our most crucial, lifesaving, and life-renewing spiritual practices and remedies—perhaps even more effective than drugs. But nature, like our own soul, also needs care and love.

Joanna https://www.joannaseibert.com/

St. Michael and All Angels

 St. Michael and All Angels

“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”—Psalm 91:11.

A few weeks ago, on September 29, we celebrated the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels.

The next-to-last day of September is always the Feast Day of St. Michael and All Angels. Above my desk in my home office, a carved stone hanging by my window bears a painted image of St. Michael with his sword. Michael is almost the first thing I see when I look up from my computer. St. Michael lives in stained glass, overcoming evil outside my church’s chapel. I give thanks for St. Michaels in my life—and for angels who have been by my side in troublesome times, lending me the courage to go on. 

Angel Clarence in a Wonderful Life

I think of some of our favorite fictional angels. There is Angel Second Class Clarence Odbody, played by Henry Travers in Frank Capra’s timeless Christmas movie, It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). Clarence saves George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, from bankruptcy and suicide.

Whenever I hear a bell ring, I wonder whether an angel has just earned his wings!

Then there is my all-time favorite movie angel, the suave angel named Dudley, played to perfection by Cary Grant in the Samuel Goldwyn Christmas classic The Bishop’s Wife (1947). Dudley comes to save the life and marriage of Bishop Henry Brougham, played by David Niven. Loretta Young plays his wife, Julia.

Whenever I visit my Bishop’s office, I always look around to find where Dudley is.

As I engage in spiritual direction with people, I listen for whether they speak of “angels” in their lives—people they encounter over time, or who stand by them or guide them through challenging situations or around impossible obstacles. Angels are life-changing and life-giving. They are messengers and truth-tellers who see God in us and, as the angel Gabriel did to Mary, proclaim that God is in us—when we never had a clue.

Give thanks for the angels in your life. Then repay them by being a Dudley, a Clarence, a Michael—or another angel—to someone else you meet. This is called paying it forward.

 Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/