The Gift of Being Known by God and by Each Other

The story of the Bible is a story of relationship. It is a story of God’s relationship with humanity and with all of creation. It is a love story. The Bible is filled with stories, chosen by faithful people, to share their understandings and experiences of God. It is offered in many different voices, in many different genres of literature. The stories each come out of a particular context, in a particular time in history, and the portrayal of God offered is shaped by that time and context. It is not something dictated by God for us, but rather it is a human document, made sacred by its use, that reveals to us how people have understood and experienced God through the ages. As we study scripture and explore the stories, as we discuss scripture together, we receive God’s voice, God’s message. What is at the core of scripture, throughout both testaments is this: God is love and God chooses to be in relationship with humankind. God chooses to be in relationship with us and we choose to be in relationship with each other in this congregation. Faith is rooted in relationship – and that has been our theme this fall.