Exploring the vision
Bishop Geoff Pearson
‘Returning to the scriptures’
Whalley Abbey, March 2015
What does BIBLE stand for?
B.I.B.L.E. Basic Information Before Leaving Early
That’s what we need and that’s what we’re going to get. And of course it’s linked with the whole
theme of discipleship of following Jesus Christ. What are the scriptures for?
They are to help us know Jesus Christ better. To really find out about him. If you get a particular
magazine for a particular hobby you get it find out what’s going on, how to do the hobby better, what
events are happening.
The whole caboodle. Here we are talking about the scriptures that point to Jesus Christ. And one of
the common traps that I give out these days, I give this out to all my confirmation candidates. Its
basically an east window from my local church, three panels which illustrate three main events of
Jesus life, his birth, his incarnation, his crucifixion, and his resurrection
If we want that information about Jesus; if we want to find out why he was born; why he did he get his
hands dirty; how did he come to share our humanity; if we want to learn about how he forgives us; why
he loves us so much; why he was prepared to got to the cross; if we want to learn the power of the
resurrection and the difference that makes then we need to go to the scriptures.
Now the title I’ve been given tonight is about returning to the scriptures and the implication seems to
be that we’ve drifted from them and so I’m going to make this personal tonight in the hope that by me
sharing something of my favourites you might also share your favourites.
I go back to my school when in the 6th form there was a small group of us doing A-level history, with
Mr Jarvy Jones. We all loved Jarvy Jones for all sorts of reasons and one of the reasons was he used
to go off script all the time and so, for example, we would say tell us about his favourite actor so he
would sit then for 10 minutes hearing all about Kirk Douglas and why he was the best actor in the
world and we absolutely loved him.
And he was prepared to tell us his favourite thing and when you went out it made you feel I’ve got to
have a favourite actor, so that I can share that as well.
That’s what I want to do tonight, I’m going to start off for the first part, favourite verse, favourite
chapter, favourite book in the bible.
What would be my favourite verse? Well, all sorts of verses could pop up. Certain verses from the
book of Joshua have been thrown at me at various times in my life.
Joshua 1, 5, I remember when I had a particular experience of the Holy Spirit given the verse in a
college in room, “As I have been with Moses so I will be with you.
I will never leave you nor forsake you”. At various points of ministry Joshua 1, 9 has been given to me
“be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be
with you wherever you go”.
And what’s that famous verse at the end of Joshua does anybody know? “...as for me and my
household we will serve the Lord.” We’ve got that in the kitchen and you see it in a lot of places like
that. Or in the New Testament something like John 3, 16, “God so loved the world that he gave his
only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life”.
But none of those are my favourite verses. My favourite verse was given to me when I was a curate and I was a curate for a long time – I must have been a bad one - nine years!
I loved it so much I wanted to keep being a curate. I remember asking God, very clearly, if he could
give me a life verse that would determine the shape of my ministry, and it doesn’t happen very often,
but I say to you a verse jumped out at me from the scriptures, from Psalm 96, verse 2 and at the time I
was using a good news Bible and the verse simply says: “Proclaim every day the good news that God
has saved us” and that’s become my life verse.
And every day I pray, Lord what does it mean today for me to proclaim the good news that you have
saved us. And I’m still working it out every single day. It’s a great verse and pushed me in the
direction of mission.
It wasn’t many years after that I went to work in London for one of the Synod boards, The Board of
Mission and Unity, I worked there also for the Evangelism Committee of the British Council of
Churches.
It’s a great verse about proclaiming good news, be good news people, gospel people, reminding them
that God is in control, God loves us, that God has the power to forgive us and rescue us from the grip
of sin and despair. As I said, I try to stay with the verse every day.
So what is your favourite verse?
If my wife was here I have no doubt she would pick Romans 8 or another candidate for me would be
Matthew 18, the one that talks about the greatest in the kingdom of heaven … unless you change and
become like a child you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
The number of people who come to me and give me earache about something and I say look, see
what it says in Matthew 18, go and do that.
My favourite chapter, I think, is probably Luke chapter 15. This man welcomes sinners and eats with
them – 3 lost parables. In each case something of value winds up missing – likewise lost people
matter to God. His Father heart is stirred - we mattered so much that God send Jesus.
Also in this chapter – there are aspects of joy and celebration. When every lost person gets found
cannot underestimate the value of one person coming to faith. We matter to God.
What is your favourite chapter?
And then there is a favourite book. For me has to be one of the gospels: Matthew, Mark and Luke
focus on what Jesus did and said. They are action gospels.
But John – written with unique insights by the person who was closest to Jesus while he was on earth
– gives us more about who Jesus was; a portrait of Jesus’ inner life and self identity.
John collects evidence and proof. He lines up eye-witnesses and underlines Jesus’ own words.
There are great encounters and dialogue with people like Nicodemus and the Samaritan women. All
the ‘I am’ sayings and the signs – spiritual, reflective, gospel – evidence and material gathered so that
readers might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God and that by believing this they
might have life in his name.
It is a book for mature Christians to help them hold onto their faith – asserting that Jesus is both fully
divine and fully human. John wants the readers to know the same Jesus that he knew.
What is your favourite book?
I have a high view of the Bible and its authority. When I have questioned it I have fallen back to where
or what or who would be a better alternative.
When the Queen received the Bible at her coronation it was described as ‘The most valuable thing this
world afford’. Is that how you see the Bible?

How often do we face problems, temptations and pressures? – Every day.

How often to we need instruction, guidance and greater encouragement? Every day.
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How often do we need to hear God’s voice, feel his touch, and know his power? Every day.
So what’s stopping you returning to the Bible if you have moved away?
Perhaps return to it in a different way.
We are in a changing age.
1st age – oral communication
2nd age – written communication
Now in 3rd age – visual communication
Makes new demands on our preaching – effort that goes into few minutes tv – small attention span.
People look for image-based media … a stunning video before sermon?
But we should be able to use all our senses in worship.
It is important we don’t dumb down however. We need more teaching in our sermons and to use our
Bibles.
There are many reasons why you should return to the Scriptures.
I love the saying “Bibles that are falling apart are usually read by people who aren’t’.
So we should immerse ourselves in stories of scripture … and find ourselves in them.
+Geoff