Holy Scripture

Most of us are in the midst of the holiday frenzy of gift purchasing.  And after they are selected and purchased, they then need to be wrapped.  Some people are artful wrappers, me, not so much.  Perhaps that is because most of our gifts are opened by children, and they can’t unwrap quickly enough.

One of the most valuable gifts we have been given is the gift of Holy Scripture.

One of my favorite prayers is about unwrapping the gifts of Holy Scripture.

Blessed Lord, who caused all Holy Scripture to be written for our learning: grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life…

To hear, to read, to mark, to learn, and to inwardly digest Holy Scripture is to unwrap them and to dive into them, head first.  They were written for us to build our lives as people of Faith.

In our present time, it is so easy to be distracted from growing and deepening our faith.  Sometimes, it seems like current events and news stories are designed to pull us away from our faith and from living faithfully through love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, kindness, gentleness, generosity, and self-control.

While it is not quite time for New Year’s resolutions, anytime is a good time to examine daily practices.  Each Monday, I immerse myself in the Holy Scripture for the upcoming Sunday and then reflect on them each day as I prepare a sermon.

I encourage all to discover a practice to dive into Holy Scripture on a regular basis.  You will be enriched beyond measure and will live more fully into eternal life that can be enjoyed here and now.