the bound and unbound word

adapted from a meditation given at Shalom Mennonite Church
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Reading: John 14:23-29


The Word of God.
The Word of the Lord.

What comes to your mind when you hear these terms?

When I hear them used in contemporary Christian circles
it seems that they are most often used to refer to
the Bible, to the written text of Scripture.

In our Mennonite hymnal there is a small section of
hymns collected under the heading, "Word of God."
Most of these hymns in some way reflect a focus
on the biblical texts.

When some Christians are gathered in worship,
a reading from the Bible
is immediately followed by the response:

(Leader) The Word of the Lord,
(Congregation) thanks be to God.

For other Christians I know,
"the Word of the Lord" not only refers to scripture,
it quite literally is scripture.
According to these sisters and brothers in faith,
The Bible is the definitive Word of God
for all people, for all time.

Such usage of these terms is interesting
given the fact that when you look in the Bible
for references to the Word of the Lord and
the Word of God, you will find many
and most are not references to sacred texts
or written words.

In the Hebrew texts, God's word is a central theme.
At the very beginning of all things it is God's word
and speech that calls forth the elements of creation.
God speaks the word of the Law to Moses on the mountain.
God's word makes promises to Sara and Abraham and others.
The prophets speak the word of God that is spoken to them.

God's word is in the raging whirlwind of Job,
and in the silent stillness heard by Elijah.

In the central proclamation of the Hebrew Bible,
we find reference to God's word:

Hear, O Israel:
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your might.
Keep these words that I am commanding you today
in your heart. (Deuteronomy 6:4-6)

And then, later in that same book
there is the beautiful verse:

The word is very near to you;
it is in your mouth
and in your heart
for you to observe. (Deuteronomy 30:14)

The writers of the New Testament texts
refer to Jesus' preaching and teaching as "the word."
The gospel message that Jesus proclaims
in word and in action is called "the word of God."
And, as we can see especially in the gospel
and letters of John, as the tradition developed,
Jesus himself became known as the Word:

In the beginning was the Word
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came into being through him,
and without him not one thing came into being.
What has come into being in him was life,
and the life was the light of all people. (John 1:1-4)

The people of Old and New Testament times
would have found it difficult to understand
the notion of God's own Word being bound
and contained between the covers of a book,
or held in any kind of entirety on the parchment of a scroll.

According to the texts themselves,
the Word has much more to do with
the Presence of the living God in every moment.
This is a God who speaks and acts
in the here and now.

The Word of God
is written in hearts,
it is spoken by mouths,
and lived into life
for us to observe
and understand.

Perhaps you have seen the more recent
ad campaigns for the United Church of Christ.
It focuses on the message:
"God is still speaking."

Amen to that.
God is still speaking.

We listen best together,
because our senses are "tuned" differently.
We each listen differently with our lives
as unique children of God.
I need you to help me listen to
and discern what is the voice of God
and what is not.

So, we listen together to the Word of God
that is written in our own being,
that speaks through the lives of others -
the neighbors and strangers we meet each day -
that speaks through the natural world,
and that speaks through the story, the poetry,
the prophecy and the proverbs of Scripture.

One way of thinking about our relationship to the Bible
would be to say that we study scripture,
and enter into a living conversation with the texts,
so that we might be better oriented
and more awake to the Word of God
speaking to us this moment and the next.

The Word of God is indeed very near,
it is in our mouths
and in our hearts
and in this life
for us to observe
and follow.


For a wonderful story of hearing the Word of God
amidst the ordinary flow of life see:
http://www.mennoweekly.org/2010/4/5/gift-life/?print=1