May 28, 2017

Background Scripture: John 21:15-19

Devotional Reading: Luke 10:25-37

Many years ago I came across and wrote down what seemed like good advice: “Do not suffer from the delusion that you can make your speech immortal by making it everlasting.” In the 52 years and 2,704 “Bible Speaks” columns I have written, I don’t think I have ever assumed my writing would be “immortal.” And now I realize it is not “everlasting,” either. This is the last “Bible Speaks” that I will be writing – a decision tentatively made two months ago as I celebrated my 87th birthday.

Why stop at 52 years? For one thing, over the last 10 or so years it has become increasingly difficult to get the lesson outlines that are, as I understand it, put together by an ecumenical Uniform Lesson Committee. For most of the 52 years, the outlines were supplied to me by the National Council of Churches (NCC).

But a few years ago, I did not receive the outlines as usual, and called my connection in New York City, only to find that the NCC had left New York and moved to Washington, D.C. I finally got their number and called, but they did not know the person who was my NCC contact; neither did they know anything about “The Bible Speaks.” Eventually I did get the names of several people on the committee, but none of my calls was returned. Nevertheless, I did find another source for the outlines. Then, a year ago, my source informed me they now realized sharing the outlines was a violation of their contract with the committee.

So, that was the end of the outlines for me and “The Bible Speaks.” It is possible, I believe, to use just the “Background Scriptures” but nothing else.

Dr. Foreman ‘speaks’

 “The Bible Speaks” began as a product of the NCC in 1948. The writer was Dr. Kenneth Foreman, who wrote until 1965 when, because of health concerns, he had to give it up. The NCC then asked about 30 of us to write some sample pieces, and no one was more surprised than me when they asked me to take it over. If they had said, “Will you be willing to do this for 52 years?” I probably would have declined. But it quickly became an important part of my ministry and life.

I understand that originally there were almost 300 newspapers across the USA that used the column. After about 20 years, the NCC terminated all of its newspaper features. But the distributor, Community and Suburban Press Service of Frankfort, Ky., continued to circulate the column for about another 20 years.

And then it closed down its syndicated features, but contacted me and said: “There are 20 newspapers that want to continue and deal with you directly.” That brings us to 2017 – at last count there are 11 newspapers carrying this column.

In August 2015 when I broke my neck and was hospitalized, for the November and December columns I used material from one of my books, Sixty Days With Luke, for “The Bible Speaks.”

 

But because my column was often used by them for their Uniform Lesson Sunday school classes, some readers wanted to know when I would go back to the lesson outlines. As I remember it, it was January 2016 when I returned to the outlines. Since then, my experience has been similar to running uphill with a load on my back – not the writing of the columns so much as trying to keep them based on the outlines.

So, the decision to cease was mine alone, not your newspaper’s. It was for me a most difficult decision. For more than a half-century, it has been a vital part of my daily life and ministry.

In1995 at the age of 65, I retired from the ministry of the United Methodist Church. I gave up camping about 30 years ago and skiing a few years later. Despite my age, I intended to write as long as I could tolerate my computer – or vice versa. But I never considered retiring from “The Bible Speaks” until

now.

WWJD?

Recently, while cleaning out my desk (once every 25 years!), I found a folder with some letters from readers of “The Bible Speaks.” I don’t know which of these I answered or failed to answer. So, I apologize if you did not receive the courtesy of a reply. To all of you, I thank you for your attention and consideration. I shall continue to hold you in my prayers.

It is impossible to adequately sum up the messages of the last 52 years, but my parting message is this: WWJD?

Do you remember the passage of a few weeks ago in John 21:15-19? When Jesus asks Peter: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter replies: “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” So Jesus says to Peter: “Feed my lambs.”

Twice again Jesus asks: “Do you love me?” And when Peter insists that Jesus knows of his love, Jesus responds: “Tend my sheep” and “Feed my sheep.” If we love Jesus and aim to follow him, he says this also to us: “Tend my sheep, feed my sheep!”

At its simplest and best, being a follower of Jesus Christ is to be and do as he is – just as much as humanly possible – particularly if we are willing to expand the limits of “humanly possible.”

Sometimes we make being a Christian too complicated. A man was concerned with some teachings to which he was exposed in his church: “I’ve been all over the Old and New Testament trying to get this straightened out, but I just can’t find the answer.”

With advice that may have appeared simplistic, it was suggested that he ask himself these three questions: “First, what would Jesus think about this? Second, what would Jesus say about it? And third, most importantly, what would Jesus do?”

That may not answer all the questions that come before us, but it certainly will give us the responses to most of them. On the basis of what we know about Jesus from the Gospels – “What would Jesus do?”

Farewell, and God bless!

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions, comments or well-wishes for Rev. Althouse may write to him in care of this publication.