books and church!

So today I sat outside of Steamers Coffeehouse reading a book that I needed to read for a class. “Holes” actually! Ya, I know, but hey that’s why I am taking a children’s literature class. I get to read fun books like that for homework. That’s what college is all about. It was quite a day. It ended up being like a story reading on the streets of five parks. I had employees of steamers, which are developmentally disabled and kids from the neighborhood sitting around me as I read aloud chapter after chapter in my book. It made me remember the days of when I was a kid listening to people read books aloud to me as my imagination and thoughts got to be free. There's really nothing like a good book. The plot, the character development, the setting, tone, and mood can almost be felt with each page. One can visualize what people look like, how the characters must feel, and attempt to predict where things are going. Page turners...there's nothing like them! When I read the Lord of the Rings series one summer, I found myself lost in the stories and did whatever it took to finish each one. Reading The Chronicles of Narnia can make me feel like I too am in Narnia, turning each page to find out what happens next. I was recently given Dune to read and even there I found myself drawn into the story, flying through each page just to see what would happen next.

Then there's the bad books. The ones that are painful to read. 2 dimensional characters, cliché verbiage, and a story line that's lacking any sort of tension; except for the tension headache I get from reading them. Usually, I just quit reading them after awhile; knowing it's not going anywhere.

The reason I'm writing about reading and the joys and pitfalls of reading a good book is because I can’t help but compare reading books and church. (Yes church has been on my mind a lot recently!) Look at what the apostle Paul writes about in 2 Corinthians 3:1-6, this is the Message translation:

"Does it sound like we're patting ourselves on the back, insisting on our credentials, asserting our authority? Well, we're not. Neither do we need letters of endorsement, either to you or from you. You yourselves are all the endorsement we need. Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it-not with ink, but with God's living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives-and we publish it. We couldn't be more sure of ourselves in this-that you, written by Christ himself for God, are our letter of recommendation. We wouldn't think of writing this kind of letter about ourselves. Only God can write such a letter. His letter authorizes us to help carry out this new plan of action. The plan wasn't written out with ink on paper, with pages and pages of legal footnotes, killing your spirit. It's written with Spirit on spirit, his life on our lives!"

In essence, Paul is saying that the Corinthians are letters that are read by everyone. We become the written word or message from God himself to other people to read...his life on our lives. Paul didn't say the Corinthians were books, but used letters, but I think it can be said that his point was that people should be able to read us and, somehow, be an endorsement of a very living and active God. However, here's the thing I want to know...if our lives were an exciting story to be read by people, then what's wrong? It seems the general public doesn't want to read the Christian Series called "Us." They may have looked at the front and back cover to get a synopsis, but won't venture very far in to read further. Their response a shoulder shrug and a "hmph" and on to some other section in the library.

It would be easy to say that the problem is them; they are not readers. Or, if they are, they like to read junk. However, I don't think it's that simple. Perhaps our lives are not communicating the very live, active, transforming work of the Spirit of Jesus. Perhaps we are 2 dimensional, cliche-ish, and lack a compelling story line. If our lives in Christ are not page turners for others, we should do some deep reflection.

I know when I read a good book, I like to buy a copy and pass it on to others KNOWING they will like to read it too. For those of us that claim to follow Jesus, do we have people that don't know Jesus wanting us to meet their friends? Jesus was such a compelling "read" that many people, after hearing him teach, would want to invite him into their homes to meet their other friends so they can hear what they heard.

Can you say that your life, as you are living right now, is reflecting a God that is active, loving, merciful, risky, and compassionate? When people that don't know Jesus meet you, do they want to read more?