Thank-you for joining the online conversation about Trinity’s Bible Statement. Comment deadline is December 31, 2009. Please read one paragraph at a time and post your comments by clicking on the “Leave a Comment” link directly below each paragraph heading. To learn more about this project, please go to the “About this Project” page. To see the whole statement in one place, please go to the “Bible Statement” page. To leave a question about this project, please go to the “Questions” page.
The Bible is a diverse tapestry of stories and writings that challenge us to dig deep, ask hard questions, and explore God’s loving relationship with humanity and all of God’s creation. It is not an easy answer book for all of life’s questions. Studying the Bible is an important lifelong practice as we seek to grow in our awareness of God’s presence in our lives.
Please comment on paragraph 1 using the following questions as your guide:
What do you like?
What don’t you like?
What questions do you have?
What would you change or add if you had written this?
Consisting of the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament, the Bible is our community’s shared sacred scripture. The Hebrew Scriptures link our spiritual tradition with the Jewish community; the whole Bible links us with Christians throughout the ages and around the globe. We recognize that people of other faiths share some of these foundational stories even though they have their own sacred books.
Please comment on paragraph 2 using the following questions as your guide:
What do you like?
What don’t you like?
What questions do you have?
What would you change or add if you had written this?
We affirm that the Bible was written by humans and that God was present with people as they were writing. For thousands of years, people composed prayers, stories, poetry, and letters about their real experiences with God and other people. Over time, the most important of these writings were collected by communities of faith and began circulating together as a collection of books. This library of books from across the ages eventually became the Bible we read today. We believe that the Bible has a powerful message for people of all ages and backgrounds and that each generation and community must do the work of faithful interpretation in their context. We trust that God is involved with us as we interpret scripture today.
Please comment on paragraph 3 using the following questions as your guide:
What do you like?
What don’t you like?
What questions do you have?
What would you change or add if you had written this?
As a whole, this collection is a record of God’s interaction with the world and shows how God’s story is intermingled with our human story. Through its many books, we see over and over again how God reaches out to people in order to invite them into a dynamic relationship. Engaging the Bible is one of many ways that people can experience God, encounter the power of God’s unconditional love, and be transformed by God’s revelation in Jesus.
Please comment on paragraph 4 using the following questions as your guide:
What do you like?
What don’t you like?
What questions do you have?
What would you change or add if you had written this?
We acknowledge that some stories and passages in the Bible are more important than others. As Christians, we believe that the life and teachings of Jesus are central to our understanding of the Bible’s overall message. Studying scripture helps us to discover God and our identity as Christians who are called to love and serve the world in the way of Jesus.
Please comment on paragraph 5 using the following questions as your guide:
What do you like?
What don’t you like?
What questions do you have?
What would you change or add if you had written this?
