LETTER FROM THE ECUMENICAL MODERATOR
the book that reads me
MURDOCH MACKENZIE
october 2002
Dear Friends
There are many things about which I would like to write this month such as The Week of Prayer for World Peace, One World Week and the situation in Iraq and the Middle East. Those who know me will realise the passion and commitment with which I am concerned, as a follower of Christ, about matters of justice and peace. Indeed someone rang me up recently and asked: ' Are you a pacifist because you are a member of the Iona Community ?' My reply was: 'No, I am a pacifist because of a man called Jesus who has called me to follow him.' I added: 'It's in the Bible.'
Under-girding and overriding all the concerns which we have in this life is the Word of God which encounters us through the pages of Scripture. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu said: 'Those people who say Christianity and politics don't mix are not reading the same Bible as me!' This year Bible Sunday falls on 27th October which for this reason can be viewed as one of the most important Sundays in the year. The Bible Society has a wide range of visual and audio materials which we can use on notice boards, outside the church, in our homes and in our services of worship. Of particular importance apart from the reading of the Word and its application through our sermons on Sundays, is our allowing the Bible to nourish our lives at home day by day. Unless we eat and drink from the words of Scripture our spiritual lives will simply starve. Here in Milton Keynes we have a marvellous opportunity for all those who would like to open up their way of living to the changes which Scripture can bring. This is provided in a gentle and winsome way through the Training Commission and its new Director, Revd Peter Ballantine, as well as through the excellent library which we have at The Well at Willen. People can join in the ongoing programmes at any time and there are many whose lives have been changed, refreshed, deepened and renewed simply through a deeper appreciation of what the Bible is about. I do not think it is any exaggeration to say that the life of society would be transformed if people were to read the Bible. Peter can be contacted on 605892.
In Isaiah 55:10-11 we read: 'For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth. It shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.' The story is told of an African woman who took great pains to learn to read and write and who then refused to read anything else except the Bible. She carried it about with her everywhere she went and when asked why she didn't read any other books her reply was: 'Oh yes, there are plenty of other books which I could read, but there is only one book which reads me !'
In Matthew 7:24-27 we read that Jesus said: 'Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock, and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand, and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.' Jesus also said: 'Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.' (Matthew 24:35) And these words will speak to us and inspire us in the Week of Prayer for World Peace, in One World Week and in the situation in Iraq and the Middle East, as nothing else will, if we will only let them do so.
So let us pray this month for the work of the Bible Society. Let us make Sunday 27th a very special day in each of our churches and may the Word of God be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.
May God bless us and inspire us all this month.
Murdoch MacKenzie
There are many things about which I would like to write this month such as The Week of Prayer for World Peace, One World Week and the situation in Iraq and the Middle East. Those who know me will realise the passion and commitment with which I am concerned, as a follower of Christ, about matters of justice and peace. Indeed someone rang me up recently and asked: ' Are you a pacifist because you are a member of the Iona Community ?' My reply was: 'No, I am a pacifist because of a man called Jesus who has called me to follow him.' I added: 'It's in the Bible.'
Under-girding and overriding all the concerns which we have in this life is the Word of God which encounters us through the pages of Scripture. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu said: 'Those people who say Christianity and politics don't mix are not reading the same Bible as me!' This year Bible Sunday falls on 27th October which for this reason can be viewed as one of the most important Sundays in the year. The Bible Society has a wide range of visual and audio materials which we can use on notice boards, outside the church, in our homes and in our services of worship. Of particular importance apart from the reading of the Word and its application through our sermons on Sundays, is our allowing the Bible to nourish our lives at home day by day. Unless we eat and drink from the words of Scripture our spiritual lives will simply starve. Here in Milton Keynes we have a marvellous opportunity for all those who would like to open up their way of living to the changes which Scripture can bring. This is provided in a gentle and winsome way through the Training Commission and its new Director, Revd Peter Ballantine, as well as through the excellent library which we have at The Well at Willen. People can join in the ongoing programmes at any time and there are many whose lives have been changed, refreshed, deepened and renewed simply through a deeper appreciation of what the Bible is about. I do not think it is any exaggeration to say that the life of society would be transformed if people were to read the Bible. Peter can be contacted on 605892.
In Isaiah 55:10-11 we read: 'For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth. It shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.' The story is told of an African woman who took great pains to learn to read and write and who then refused to read anything else except the Bible. She carried it about with her everywhere she went and when asked why she didn't read any other books her reply was: 'Oh yes, there are plenty of other books which I could read, but there is only one book which reads me !'
In Matthew 7:24-27 we read that Jesus said: 'Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock, and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand, and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.' Jesus also said: 'Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.' (Matthew 24:35) And these words will speak to us and inspire us in the Week of Prayer for World Peace, in One World Week and in the situation in Iraq and the Middle East, as nothing else will, if we will only let them do so.
So let us pray this month for the work of the Bible Society. Let us make Sunday 27th a very special day in each of our churches and may the Word of God be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.
May God bless us and inspire us all this month.
Murdoch MacKenzie
