THE BIBLE AS…

He said…, “What is the kingdom of God like?” Luke 13:18

 

At the two-year college where I worked, one course offered was called “The Bible As Literature.” Teaching “religion” was not part of this public college’s mission. The description for “The Bible As Literature” read: “intended for all students…will analyze and explore Biblical Literature…may include Old Testament literature that demonstrates the genres of short story, biography, tragedy, philosophy, and epic narratives.” Might the course also include New Testament literature? Also noted: “the course does not study theology or doctrine but…focuses on events, characters and literary techniques.” I wondered if there was ever discussion of “theology” or “doctrine.” Or could a student even express that the Word is actually…alive! And did the Holy Spirit show up? Well, of course He did, because He is always there—indeed the Trinity is always present, indwelling, creating, sustaining and growing within each of us, whether we choose to see it or not.

 

Separation of church and state is important to ensure equal consideration for all faiths, backgrounds and ethnicity. As a Christian, I fear I would find “The Bible As Literature” slightly underwhelming. Part of the excitement for me in studying Scripture is the way in which God’s Word speaks to me differently every time I open the Book. I can read and study the same passages—Old or New Testament—over and over, but each time, someone or something will show me another way to interpret the words, another way to apply them to my ever-evolving walk with Christ. God’s Word certainly does include “short story, biography, tragedy (lots of tragedy!), philosophy and epic narratives.” And the “events, characters and literary techniques” used to convey God’s message are always intriguing. But for me, it is my faith (my “theology,” as it were) that not only motivates me to dig deeper but sustains me in my quest to learn more from God’s Word.

 

Jesus often said, “The kingdom is God is like….” He intentionally used metaphor, simile, story and symbol to explain Himself.  How we interpret Scripture has to do with where we are in our faith. But what cannot be denied is that Christ’s power is present in any study of God’s Word, whether in a public institution of higher learning or a church or our homes.

 

We thank You, Lord, that Your Word is taught in many ways. Amen

 

Meg Blaine Corrigan tells stories of wisdom, strength, fear, joy and risk-taking. Daughter of a raging alcoholic mother, and survivor of sexual assault at gunpoint, Corrigan has shaken a dismal past and flung herself into the arms of Christ, Who sustains her in her daily walk of grace. She shares with her listeners her incredible story of surviving and thriving through many trials during her seven decades walking this fragile earth. She has been described as a Renaissance Woman, integrating her formal training in psychology and counseling, an enlightening experience as a percussionist for a Polynesian show troupe, and most recently as an inspirational author and blogger. Her exposure to many life experiences has enriched her passion for spreading Christ’s word and helping other trauma survivors. She has a Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling and thirty-plus years of experience in the field of counseling and social work.  She lives in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, with the love of her life, Patrick, and their formerly disenfranchised rescue dog Ginger. www.MegCorrigan.com    MegCorrigan@comcast.net

 

 

 

 

EDITING THE BIBLE

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

 

Can you imagine willfully removing entire chapters, books and sections from the Bible? The Bible is God’s Holy Word, His living, breathing letter of love to each of us, His beloved children. And yet, that’s exactly what some London missionaries did in 1807, on behalf of the Society for the Conversion of Negro Slaves, to “improve the lives” of captured African citizens, shipped to Britain’s wealth-producing Caribbean colonies. A rare copy of the “Slave Bible” is on display at the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. Removed sections like the exodus story were thought to potentially cause uprisings among the slaves. What were included were sections that justified slavery and oppression by a foreign power, namely the Roman Empire. The missionaries who conducted this dishonest, blasphemous Bible editing took it upon themselves to prevent the Negro slaves from learning the true Gospel of Christ, which last time I checked, declared all of God’s children to be the same (Ephesians 4:5-7).

 

When I heard of this “Slave Bible,” it immediately struck me how hypocritical this whole idea was. Kidnapping free people in Africa and transporting them against their will—in chains and merciless conditions—to become slave labor for other men who called themselves Christians just never has made any sense to me. And even if slave labor was a common practice at the time, why would these “Christians” want to give slaves Bibles at all, if their purpose was to control their lives? The perpetrators of this “Bible editing” allowed the Gospel of Christ to be provided to their slaves only under the condition that chapters deemed “too controversial” were not shared. It’s a wonder to me that so many descendants of slaves still believe in Jesus Christ at all.

 

This is the testament that the Word of God is alive and, even when that Word is torn apart for evil purposes, that Word still does what God intended it to do. God overrode the sinful actions of these men to make His love crystal clear.

 

Omnipotent Lord, we thank You that Your Holy Word cannot be stifled from doing what You sent it to do. Amen

 

Meg Blaine Corrigan tells stories of wisdom, strength, fear, joy and risk-taking. Daughter of a raging alcoholic mother, and survivor of sexual assault at gunpoint, Corrigan has shaken a dismal past and flung herself into the arms of Christ, Who sustains her in her daily walk of grace. She shares with her listeners her incredible story of surviving and thriving through many trials during her seven decades walking this fragile earth. She has been described as a Renaissance Woman, integrating her formal training in psychology and counseling, an enlightening experience as a percussionist for a Polynesian show troupe, and most recently as an inspirational author and blogger. Her exposure to many life experiences has enriched her passion for spreading Christ’s word and helping other trauma survivors. She has a Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling and thirty-plus years of experience in the field of counseling and social work.  She lives in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, with the love of her life, Patrick, and their formerly disenfranchised rescue dog Ginger. www.MegCorrigan.com    MegCorrigan@comcast.net

CHRIST IN THE SHOWER

And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor. Luke 2:52

 

I get frustrated with the “auto fill” feature on my electronic devices. I can’t seem to get a sensible message entered before the little Auto Fill Gremlins try to have their way with my thoughts. More than once, I have meant to record an idea that comes to mind when I read our Lutheran daily devotional publication, “Christ In The Home.” But when I type “Christ In The…,” the next word suggested is “shower.” The image instantly comes to mind of our Lord and Savior soaping up, singing the Psalms at the top of His lungs, while his loyal disciples pour jugs of water over Him. NO! I say, this is NOT what I had in mind at all!

 

Yesterday, my granddaughter Jenna posted on Facebook, “It was a nice day. I took the kids for a walk in the park to the PANIC GAZEBO.” I responded, “Panic Gazebo?!? They have those now? You go there when you are feeling like you’re losing control with my great-grandchildren?” “Grandma,” she replied, “I meant to write ‘picnic gazebo’ but auto-fill jumped in!” “Oh, I see,” I wrote back. “Glad to know it wasn’t a mental health crisis!” I read about a new police officer who texted his mother that he had just received his new “unicorn,” right before he read his first “banana” rights to an arrested person. And “talk to text” creates even more problems, like the woman working from home who sent this message to her boss: “Project complete no no get down bad kitty!”

 

Aren’t you glad “auto correct” wasn’t invented when the Bible was written and translated into many languages? We could have all sorts of issues come up, like “power from on high” becoming “PowerPoint.” Or “spread the gospel” becoming “sprint the goslings.” Or even today’s Scripture: “He increased in wisdom and in years” becoming “incredulous in Wisconsin and yeast.” Well, that’s what the computer wanted me to type! But the good folks who compiled the Bible, filled with the “Holding Spice”—I mean Holy Spirit, took care to make the Living Word a permanent Book of “Instagrams”—I mean Instructions that we could always count on.

 

Father, we thank You that we can count on Your Word to provide us with wisdom and guidance. Amen

 

Both candid and humorous, insightful and ponderous, Meg Blaine Corrigan’s memoir, Then I Am Strong: Moving From My Mother’s Daughter to God’s Child, takes the reader through her chaotic childhood with an alcoholic mother and enabling father to a violent assault that nearly ended her life. She populates her tale with vivid descriptions of her parents, other influential adults, the attacker, and her disastrous first marriage. But this story has a happy ending, when Meg finds solace in a God she didn’t think she’d ever believe in, when He gently helps her heal from her past lives and move into the best times of her life. Meg has also written a novel, Perils of a Polynesian Percussionist, about said first marriage, as well as a Christian devotional, Saints With Slingshots: Daily Devotions for the Slightly Tarnished But Perpetually Forgiven Christian, comprised of blogs from this site. Stay tuned for sequels to her last two books! All of her works may be purchased through her website, www.MegCorrigan.com or from www.amazon.com .

LABYRINTHS OF NEGATIVITY

Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you. Luke 11:36

 

Irish philosopher, poet and priest, John O’Donohue (1956-2008) believed our bodies speak clearly to us. “Your mind can deceive you and put all kinds of barriers between you and your nature; but your body does not lie,” he says. “Your body tells you, if you attend to it…,if you are living from your soul or from the labyrinths of your negativity.” O’Donahue’s statements imply that our souls are harmonious entities, carrying the peace, joy and love of Christ in spite of our very human efforts to portray ourselves otherwise. The Irishman goes on to say, “The soul is not simply within the body…. The truth is…your body is in the soul.” And the soul, he says, fills you “completely.”

 

Why, then, as the Apostle Paul bemoaned, do each of us “not understand what (we) do. For what (we) want to do (we) do not do, but what (we) hate (we) do” (Romans 7:15)? And Paul answers himself, “it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me” (v. 17). Anyone with a conscience has had a “dark night of the soul,” where we travail in sorrow for something we’ve done wrong—even something as simple as gossiping or exchanging harsh words with a beloved friend or relative. But as O’Donahue insists, the “soul” is good, and it fills us up, so how is it that we keep on missing the mark, failing our Lord every day, every hour, perhaps every minute on a bad day?

 

In my “dark nights of the soul,” which have been many, I sing the lyrics of favorite songs to myself. One I especially like says, “Who have I but God Who really know me?” And if God “really” knows me and still loves me, there must then be hope. When our bodies ache because of the mistakes we’ve made, we must remember to rest in His wonderful grace and forgiveness. The morning will come and we will be given another chance to escape the “labyrniths of our negativity.” With God’s help, our “good” soul will conquer our “sinful” nature, every single time.

 

Lord of Light, fill me with Your marvelous love. Amen

Meg Blaine Corrigan is the author of three books: Then I Am Strong: Moving From My Mother’s Daughter to God’s Child; Perils of a Polynesian Percussionist; and Saints With Slingshots: Daily Devotions for the Slightly Tarnished But Perpetually Forgiven Christian. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling from the University of New Mexico and has over thirty years’ experience working with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, war veterans, and other trauma survivors.  Her books may be purchased through her website, www.MegCorrigan.com or from www.amazon.com .

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING by Guest Blogger, Diana Merkl

I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing. Genesis:  12:2

 

I have shared this old Chinese proverb often, but it has always been a teaching tool to me. There was once an old farmer who had a mare.  One day the mare broke through a fence and ran away.  “Now you have no horse to pull your plow at planting time”, the neighbors said.  “What bad luck this is.”  “Good luck, bad luck”, the farmer said. “Who knows?”

 

The next week the mare returned, bringing with her two wild stallions. “With three horses you are now a rich man,” the neighbors said. “What good fortune this is.”  “Good fortune, bad fortune,” the farmer said. “Who knows?” That afternoon the farmer’s only son tried to tame one of the stallions, but he was thrown and broke his leg. “Now you have no one to help with the planting,” the neighbors said. “What bad luck this is.” “Bad luck, good luck,” the farmer said. “Who knows?”

 

The next day, the king’s soldiers rode into town and took the oldest son of every family, but the farmer’s son was left behind because of his broken leg. “Your son is the only male in the land who has not been taken from his family”, the neighbors said. “What good fortune this.”

 

It seems that story is so important to me because that is how my blessings have been. Things in my life that have looked to be a good blessing have become a poor choice and things that have been bad luck have turned into a blessing of the best kind. I often think that’s how my view of God from this side of the world must be.  Exactly what I think God wants is exactly what turns out to be materialistic and selfish on my part. I am so blessed. I am so blessed to have good friends that remind me of the important things of life. I am so blessed to have you.

 

Shall we pray:  How many times and ways can we say thank you to You O God. Thank You over and over for all the blessings You give us even when we are blind to their value.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

 

Diana Merkl is a fellow survivor of major trauma.  She and Meg attend the same church; and Diana describes herself as a prayer warrior.  She is an accomplished public speaker, writer and poet.

Contact her at dlmerkl@msn.com