Episode 203: October 20, 2024 - Re-Enchating The Text - Part 4

Eternity Church PodCast

A Sunday morning sermon by Pastor Brett Deal. Even when our kids are little, we sometimes want to share with them our favorite things. The week our oldest came home, while she nestled in my arms, I “showed” her one of my favorite movies: Citizen Kane. I could talk for hours about Citizen Kane. But for some reason, my newborn didn’t seem entirely interested in that cinematic wonder. One movie, however, that did catch our little kids’ attention was Singin’ in the Rain. Packed with vibrant colors, singing and dancing, hilarious pratfalls and sight gags, it’s an easy film to get excited about! Unlike Citizen Kane which uses the stark contrast of black and white to tell its tragic story, Singin’ in the Rain is bursting with color as it tells a heartwarming story of creativity and innovation. I think this is what N.T. Wright was getting at when he said, “It is possible to allow the study of the text, and of different interpretations of the text, to become a substitute for allowing the text to bring us into the presence of the living God.” We can appreciate the biblical complexity, tightly packed within grammar and genre, time and place, like a black and white masterpiece. There is value to devoted study, but we cannot substitute the leading of the Holy Spirit with academic rigor. When we are led by the Spirit into Scripture, we are immersed in awe and wonder, vibrant colors, singing and dancing, hilarious wordplay and life-defining reality. As we prepare our hearts to reflect on Ezekiel’s vision (Ezekiel 47.1-12), ask the Holy Spirit to bringing God’s Word to life in living color along the banks of the desert and Dead Sea of our disenchanted imaginations.