Palm Sunday or What I Did Three Years Ago, Part 2

Three years ago on Palm Sunday.
[In case you missed it the first time, this is a new bit where every so often (when I am completely desperate for something to write) I'm going to pull out my journal from 2002 when I studied abroad in Oxford, England and comment on my entries in it.]

Date: March 24, 2002
- Woke up
- Went to St. Aldate's Church
- Lunch at Radcliffe Arms pub with my worship group
- Went to G & D's Ice Cream Parlor
- Did homework
- Eyes hurt, wore glasses
- Took nap
- Led prayer at service
- Rachel spoke about reading the Word of God

My comments:
It's funny how every entry in my diary starts with the words, "Woke up."

In high school, I always enjoyed going to church (mostly because of my friends in the youth group) and was upset when I had to miss it for any reason. That feeling disappeared while I was in college, except for this one semester in Oxford. I loved St. Aldate's. It was an Anglican church and completely different than the Churches of Christ that I am accustomed to. There were noticeable differences at St. Aldate's: women on stage leading prayers and songs, the use of instruments and a band, the relaxed atmosphere of the service (people would drink coffee and eat donuts while the vicar was giving his lesson). I liked going there so much that there were times that I didn't want to travel on the weekends so that I could go to church.

Palm Sunday was definitely memorable at St. Aldate's. Normally, when we would walk to church on Sunday morning (about a 30 minute walk I remember), the other churches that we passed would ring bells every 15 minutes or so. But on Palm Sunday the churches rang their bells without stopping the entire morning. The harsh sounds of clanging bells echoed throughout the city, bouncing off the old buildings and down the narrow streets. During the service at St. Aldate's, the children were given palm leaves and waved them around before laying them down in the aisles for others to walk on. It was an amazing celebration.

I would go back to Oxford just to eat at the Radcliffe Arms again. It was like a Thanksgiving meal every time we ate there - and cheap too!

I also remember my friend Rachel's lesson about reading the Word of God. My Bible class was responsible for leading a service every Sunday night, and it was my group's turn to be in charge. I led the prayer, and I don't remember a thing that I said. Rachel talked about reading the Bible, and I think I remember almost every word that she said. She is one of the most passionate and talented speakers I've heard. And such a Godly woman!

Her lesson was based on these two points.
1. In the beginning God spoke and because of his words, the earth and the heavens and people were created. Through the sound of his voice, things were made.
2. The Bible is the word of God. It's God'’s words written down.

Rachel said that no matter who you are, a scholar in Biblical text or someone who has never been to Church, there are times that you will read the Bible, and you will feel that it has absolutely nothing to say to you. It's not relevant, it doesn't answer your questions, it doesn't help solve your problems, and it doesn't make sense. What do you do when you turn to the Bible for help and answers and it doesn't give you any?

Rachel said that in those times, maybe, just maybe, you should try reading the Bible out loud. By doing this, you are speaking the words of God. And if when God spoke, things were created, maybe when you speak his words, things will be created too. Maybe this new creation is something on the other side of the world that you will never know about. Or maybe this new creation is something not physical but in your heart. God is waiting for you to speak his words, even if they don't make sense, just so that he can create something new inside of you.

It's been three years, and I still think about what Rachel said. I'm no scholar in Biblical text, and I don’t have any doctrine to back me up here. But I'm intrigued by the idea that even when the Bible doesn't make sense to me or when it seems not relevant, something can happen when I read it. I'm OK with the fact that I might not ever see or know about the change. I just have faith that when God's words are spoken, he will create.