It was late. The prophets, both major and minor, were running together. Elisha, Elijah. Zephaniah, Zechariah. Amos, Hosea, Habakkuk. Index cards littered the floor. Our coffee cups runnethed over. We were cramming for the next day’s Bible content exam and things were not looking good. We took turns quizzing the group. Which prophet was a dresser of sycamore trees? Which prophet bought a field at Anathoth? One especially cruel member of our group threw in made up names. Which king did the prophet Mariachi rebuke? Someone yelled, “Hold on! I know this one!” The cards were passed to me and although I don’t remember the question, all these years later I do remember the answer had to do with Ezekiel eating a scroll.
The person to my right declared, “EEEEEzekiel eeeeats scrolls.” Then, in a wave of sleep deprived punchiness, the group began to chant: “EEEEEzekiel eeeats scrolls.” Our volume and confidence grew with each repetition. We felt emboldened, empowered and brilliant as a result of this mnemonic device. There was growing hope for barely passing grades. Sadly, none of us knew enough Bible content to point out that Jeremiah ate a scroll, too. As did John of Patmos.
Devouring words was not unique to Ezekiel and hopefully is not unknown to us. First and foremost, we are — like Ezekiel, Jeremiah and John of Patmos – called to consume God’s word, reading it, studying it, praying it, proclaiming it, so that it sustains, nurtures and becomes part of us. We are people of The Book.
We are also people of books. Presbyterians have long valued the written word and you, dear readers, prove it. According to past Outlook surveys, 60 percent of you purchase five or more books annually and 24 percent of you purchase 15 or more books a year. No doubt, some surveyed refused to confess the actual number of books purchased annually. (I feared for the life of the kind ruling elder who recently helped move my books from my church office!) Weeee Presbyterians eeeeeat books.
Words matter to us. And they should. Words have power. What we say and what we read and what we write shapes us and the world around us. That rhyme about sticks and stones was surely written in an attempt to ease the core-piercing sting of words that had hurt … and hurt badly. We say weekly these words, “Through Christ, you are forgiven.” And we are. No wonder God, knowing we become the words we consume, instructed Ezekiel to eat that scroll, and Jeremiah and John of Patmos, too.
As I begin my tenure as the editor of this almost 200-year-old publication, I am keenly aware of the power of words. My fervent prayer is that all the words found in these pages will be a reflection of God’s Word and the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. I pray we will faithfully write what we see and that we will have an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. I also know, because I am solidly Presbyterian, we will fail and fall short of the glory of God. However, I stake my life on another solidly Presbyterian tenet: the truth that grace abounds for all of us. It is this truth that emboldens and empowers us to speak, to write, to read, to use the words God has given us, and when we do, we will get glimpses of brilliance — God’s, not ours.
So, in this my very first editorial, I urge you to eeeeat some of the books featured in this spring book issue of the Outlook. Devour some words. Filter those words through The Word and then speak and write some sweet tasting words of your own. Maybe even gather a group together and discuss some of what you have read. No index cards or coffee required. There won’t be a quiz, let alone an exam.
I am grateful for the opportunity to be in ministry with you. I look forward to getting to know you. I welcome hearing from you. In the days and years ahead may we, like Jeremiah, discover God’s words, devour them and find them to be a joy and the delight of our hearts.
Grace and peace,
Jill
