Run Without Stumbling
Proper 26 The Sunday closest to November 2
Almighty and merciful God, it is only by your gift that your
faithful people offer you true and laudable service: Grant
that we may run without stumbling to obtain your heavenly
promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for
ever. Amen.
faithful people offer you true and laudable service: Grant
that we may run without stumbling to obtain your heavenly
promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for
ever. Amen.
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. Proverbs 4:12 (KJV).
During our “Harry Potter Year” at Holy Nativity Episcopal School we had a family who did not want their child exposed to the witches and wizards. Rather than have one student sent to the library during Religion & Ethics classes, we decided to offer an elective Senior Bible Seminar open to eighth graders only, and in addition to regular religion class. I had wanted and intended to limit it to six students, eight max, but half the senior class signed up, making it somewhat unwieldy for a round-table seminar; but nevertheless. Everyone knew there was a refrigerator in my classroom, and snacks were help yourself; however, the students actually were eager, enthusiastic and noisy about Bible study.
We studied several Bible books that year, including Proverbs, which the students themselves chose. The book has an interesting structure that one misses if just thumbing through pointing to bits of choice wisdom. A focus of Proverbs is a father teaching wisdom to his children, with wisdom personified in sharp contrast to folly personified. That’s what’s going on in Proverbs 4:12 above, lifted out of context: if you run the way of wisdom you will not stumble.
The Bible is filled with wonderful promises of God; and though today's ancient collect doesn’t say, what it probably has in mind is the promise of justification through the faith of Christ, and salvation into God’s everlasting dominion at our last day.
Which always brings to mind a favorite “good old” that was often on the hymnboard on Sunday morning when I went to East Hill Baptist Church, Pensacola, with my grandfather and Gentry cousins. “Standing On The Promises of God.”
My students in that Senior Bible Seminar are college freshmen this year. May God bless and prosper each beloved one.
TW+