I sent the following email to about 70 friends on December 4, 2023. Many of the people I emailed hadnāt heard from me in years. Iām a name caller. I called them āBible nerds.ā I am okay with those who didnāt respond. Iām glad that more than two dozen took the opportunity to say hi, and even report some of their more recent activities as Bible nerds.
Iām blogging today because, once again, I am feeling some anxiety about posting chapter three of Telling Godās Grand Story (my working title). Chapter Three asks a difficult question: Which story are we telling? The chapter concludes with a gloomy assessment: Most of us have believed, told, and especially lived, the wrong story. And I wonder, how can we repent?
Please pray for those you love. Pray for me. Again, I wonder, how can we repent?
Greetings from Utah!
Sometimes, something leads us to a very odd place. This is one of those times. Here are the bread crumbs that led me to write this email (and to plan to share a version of this in my blog).
I watched this video this morning (I do hope it is okay that I am sharing it with you).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8UU_pcTl8g
Dawn (my bride of seven years) and I are amazed and grateful to be supporters of The Bible Project. I hope you discovered The Bible Project years ago. If not, prepare to be amazed, and enjoy!
The video uses the phrase āBible nerds.ā
Yes, I am a Bible nerd. And I started thinking about other Bible nerds that have been, even if briefly, part of my life. I opened my gmail contact list, and started reviewing names. I am grateful your name is still there. If you received this, then I have a good email address for you. Again, I am grateful. I hope you donāt mind that I think the phrase āBible nerdā may describe you.
And then I thought, āI am just a beggar helping other beggars find bread.ā
Who said that? I searched for the author of this saying, and found it attributed variously to Brennan Manning, DL Moody, Charles Spurgeon, and dozens of others. It may rise from one of Martin Lutherās final thoughts: āWe are all beggars. It is true.ā Your own search may lead you to this blog post: https://www.reformation21.org/blogs/theology-for-beggars-part-1.php
And then I thought, āBible nerds wonāt mind being called beggarsā especially if it puts them in a class with Martin Luther!
And so I am inviting you as a Bible nerd and beggar to say hi, and hopefully say a prayer of gratitude that āSometimes, something leads us to a very odd place.ā And then I thought, āSometimes, something leads us to a very odd grace.ā Celebrate an odd grace or two with me?
In Christ,
James