The Struggle to connect between the Bible and People

Many people in Korea say that post-modernism is very dangerous because it denies God’s Word and God’s existence. So I have some negative viewpoints about post-modernism. However when I attended this class, I found my thinking about post-modernism was wrong. Even if post-modernism has a negative aspect, we (as pastors and preachers) need to understand and accept people who should live in the post-modern society or context. The truth of God cannot be changed, but the ways of expression or delivery methods need to be changed. In this point of view, Steve’s teaching was very useful and helpful for me to change thinking about post-modernism. Therefore, as a pastor, I need to connect between the Word of God and people who live in the 21 century.

When Steve was teaching in the class, he used many items including films, sounds, movies and so forth. It was very helpful to understand the feature of post-modernism context. If the passages of the Bible can be shown to people, they can understand the meaning of the Bible clearly. Jesus Christ also taught using metaphors and parables which have the effect to show images. As like that, owing to many images and metaphors in the Bible, we need to show for people to understand and imagine the text in post-modern context. In this meaning, the DJing was very interesting, because DJing was a unique approach to use sounds. Steve took one example in the Bible. It was 1 Peter 3:1-7. Peter was DJ to remix the sounds of society in that time. I can find other example in psalm 99. This psalmist made chorus sound “He (God) is holy” in the verses of 3, 5, 9. It amplifies the meaning of the Bible. The most important issue in the Old Testament must be ‘holiness’, because Israelite was selected to be differentiated by God. Therefore, they should be holy and they need to remember the character of God, ‘Holiness’. This DJing viewpoint helps me to read the Bible extensively.

In addition, I have much interesting in ‘Imagination’. Sometimes some Korean pastors mention that when people read the Bible, using imagination is very dangerous. However I think that God gave us ‘rationality’ which can think and imagine. Therefore, when we read the Bible, we need to use my brain to imagine the context and situation of the Bible. As a preacher, I often used to preach as narrative style. It was storytelling. At the moment, many people do not want to listen to traditional style sermon, for example, 3 main-points sermon and instructive sermon. Therefore a preacher needs to help all people to imagine a story to understand and keep in mind. Storytelling style sermon is very useful for people to concentrate on it. Especially, in children case, to help imagination is very important. For example, to make similar feelings as like Israelite people when they lived in a tent in the desert, we can build up a tent in the front yard. All children can stay in the tent for a while. We can explain the story of the Bible. Children can imagine how Israelite people were felt in that time. Therefore, helping imagination is very important bridge between the Bible and people. In this point, Steve’s teaching and resources which are he find will be helpful to think this issue.

Last Sunday (05/10/08), I had the opportunity to have a sermon to children who were from year 1 to year 6. I preached using ‘power point presentation’ including some sounds and a short film. It was the first time to use them. After finishing my sermon, many Sunday school teachers gave a feedback to me. They were surprised that all children were very calm and they could concentrate on my sermon. I can catch that all children are familiar with multi-media. When a pastor preaches in oral mode, they cannot concentrate on the sermon in a long time. However when they watch or hear the short film and sound, they can imagine the story of the Bible and have much interesting in the sermon.

In my opinion, to make me to think not individual but community is also important issue. I should remember that the Bible is the result of community. God wants to call not a person but people. To be sure that salvation is up to person, however living and growing is up to community. Especially, people in the 1st century are totally different from people in the 21st century, because the environment of community is changed. Therefore, we need to be careful to adapt the text of 1st century.

In addition, ‘storytelling’ is very interesting issue. When I learned narrative therapy, storytelling is one of important keys in narrative therapy. All human being have their own story. We are the writer of my own story. This thinking makes people to live their life according to their own will and purpose. As like that, the Bible has many stories from many people in the Bible. However they maybe can be one voice from God. I think it is the conflict between God’s story and people’s story. For example, there are two kinds of ‘oneness’. One is oneness in art. The other is oneness in music. If we mix all colors, we can find ‘black’ color. However, if we sing a song according to all parts (soprano, alto, tenor, base), we can find ‘harmony’. I think that the story in the Bible is similar to harmony. We need to find all peoples voices, but we don’t miss God’s voice.

Finally, I enjoyed making post-card and engaging case studies. I was surprised at Steve’s preparation for Christmas in his church. Making post-card, many different topics in his sermon which help people to prepare coming Christmas and many activities are impressed. I can see his passion in that. As a pastor, I need to have much passion to connect between the Bible and people, even though I am still struggling.

In conclusion, I found that the most important role of pastor or preacher is to connect between the Bible and people, between the society in the Bible and the society of 21 century, and the people in the Bible and the people in post-modernism society. I appreciate all colleagues and Steve to give much helps, insights and passion.

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