Taste and See: A Deeper Look

Melissa Logsdon – August 13, 2024 2 Comments

My brother recently asked me how long it takes to prepare for a sermon. I tried to give him an exact amount of time–maybe 4 hours? I’m never quite sure how to answer that question. Does a 20 minute teaching really take 4 hours?! In some ways that sounds like a long time. But, in other ways I know it really isn’t an accurate measure. Maybe a sermon takes weeks, months, maybe even years to form? 

There’s so much that goes into each teaching. As I read the scriptures, I ask,

“What was God saying and doing then?”

“What is God saying to me now?” 

“What might God want to say to our fellowship today?”

So much time is spent meditating on the scripture passages, conversing with friends and mentors over these passages, journaling, going on walks, and reading supporting resources on the scriptures.

And then there’s my own life experiences that get hit with God’s word and ECHO BACK my pain, defeat, victory, revelation, and yet-to-be-answered questions. 

And how God has met me, and does meet me in life and through scriptures.

In this past week’s teaching, Taste and See, I mentioned the book The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church by Sarah McCammon. This book is being called “The first definitive book that names the growing social movement of people leaving the church: the Exvangelicals”. It is a book that mixes research with the author’s own experiences. And for me it was a highly autobiographical read. 

Sarah McCammon reports on the unraveling of her and others’ known worldviews through the “deconstructing” of their faith and shared how there is a need to “reconstruct”, but how many are still feeling alone as they are looking for “another way”. Another way of following Jesus, loving God, the Church, and the Bible.

One question that’s been rolling around in my brain, in my heart for the past several years:
“What is the Good News, really?” and “Why doesn’t everyone hear Good News in the Scriptures?”

When I read the scriptures, I do see good news, most of the time. But, not everyone comes away from the Bible feeling like it’s good news. Most translations have an over use of the masculine pronoun in speaking to the reader AND in reference to God. For a myriad of reasons, this holy book becomes a stumbling block to the very people that the good news is intended for.

Recently I was speaking to a mentor about these concerns when she mentioned a translation that works at alleviating some of these stumbling blocks, with a fresh way of reading scriptures, The Inclusive Bible: The First Egalitarian Translation (2009).

We used this translation in our service this past Sunday. I encourage you to take a look and see what you think. (We will have a copy available at the NCF library and one in the sanctuary.) The Inclusive Bible looks like it will be a good resource for the reading of scripture in our services when our go-to translations seem to not be as inclusive and expansive as God really is.

I hope you find it to be a blessing to you and a reason to declare: 

 “Taste & See how good Yahweh is!” –Psalm 34:8a, The Inclusive Bible

–Melissa Logsdon, NCF Associate Pastor