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As Christians, we turn to the Bible for:
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Each of us has other reasons about why the Bible is important to us, including the affirmation in the United Methodist doctrinal standards-- that the Holy Scripture contains all things necessary to salvation.
Some of us first learned about the Bible through hymns or other songs. According to legend, someone asked the Swiss theologian Karl Barth what he believed to be the most important theological statement. He replied, "Jesus loves me, this I know," citing a children's hymn that many Christians have grown up with.
Toby Gould, author of the study guide for The Bible: the Book that Bridges the Millennia, observes:
"I would hope that Barth meant two things by this. First, Jesus loves us.... Second, the primary place of knowledge about the love of Jesus is the Bible...."
Let's take comfort and courage |
1. How did you first encounter the Bible? Was it through touching, hearing and/or seeing? Where were you? Who else was there?
2. What are your first memories of the Bible? What images come to mind? What words and experiences? What people are connected to your first Bible community?
Jot answers to these questions down and prayerfully reflect on them. Share your story of your beginnings with the Bible with someone else.
May God bless you on your continuing journey with |
More materials to study this theme are available, including books and a video.
If you have not explored all of our Bible web site, go to the beginning or check out the Table of Contents.
1. Step away from the highway and visit Hymns and the Bible. Choose between pages with only the words from some hymns or pages with words and music that automatically plays when you go to the page if your computer has music software and a sound card.
2. If you enjoy Christian art, take this byway. You can also read Hillary Rodham Clinton's address to the United Methodist General Conference of 1996 in which she mentions how the painting of Jesus as the Good Shepherd and the song "Jesus Loves the Little Children" affected her life.
3. Read the United Methodist Doctrinal Standards.
Next Page: Art and the Bible
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"Jesus Loves Me" is hymn number 191 in The United Methodist Hymnal. Thanks to HymnSite.com for providing this public domain midi file.
Photo by Nancy A. Carter, Easter Sunday 1998, English-Speaking Episcopalian Church in Guadalajara, Mexico. Copyright © Nancy A. Carter. United Methodists, you can reproduce this picture on your web pages. Please give credit to the photographer.
Disclaimer: Some links jump to outside sites for further information on the Bible, interpretations, the canon, translations, manuscripts, resources, and other perspectives. Links do not constitute an endorsement by the Women's Division of the information on other web sites. External web sites offer us diverse perspectives; afford us an opportunity to compare them to United Methodist positions; and, encourage us to critically analyze the issues raised by The Bible: the Book that Bridges the Millennia web pages.
