Purpose
I hope to build Permeseus into a place where people can interact with the Bible together
and discover how God’s Word shapes all aspects of our daily lives, from the
mundane to the extraordinary. I have found that understanding the Bible
strengthens my understanding of God's purpose for my life. I have also found
that a deeper understanding of God's Word deepens my relationships with others
and with God.
Approach
Permeseus Thought of You provides
a space where I interact with the Bible based on the practice of daily reading.
The focus is on digging in and applying God's Word to what I believe and how I
live. I bring my questions to God and seek His guidance and His answers knowing
that He alone knows my passions and my fears, my struggles and my strengths.
You may not believe that the Bible is God's Word. To you, the Bible
may be a historic book concerning the religion and spirituality of
Christianity. If you feel the Bible, as an historic religious book, is limited
in its ability to change and shape lives, then you are still welcome here. I
hope you join in the discussion as I study and interact with the text. I have
some partners in this project that will be adding to the discussion. We are all
in different places in life and approach the text from different viewpoints and
with different backgrounds. Whether you're reading for spiritual growth or for
knowledge about a religious document, reading the Bible should be done in
community with others. After all, the Bible (and Christianity) seems intensely
focused on relationships: the Trinitarian God, the relationship between Creator
and creation, humanity's relationship with God and with the world,
relationships between nations and cultures, and even relationships of
time--past, present, and future. In addition to the relational content of the
Bible, it seems important to read the Bible with others because many of the
books were originally letters to communities of people. That is to say, I'm
glad you're here, and I hope this space provides a helpful community and
resource as you investigate the text of the Bible.
Goals
[1] I hope to post weekly as I complete readings for this year’s
Bible Reading Program. These posts will focus on what I learn about God’s Word
and how the daily reading applies to aspects of daily living: family,
relationships, world events and social justice.
I don’t want to get caught in the trap of reading for reading’s sake. By
writing about and discussing the week’s readings, my intention is to understand
how to apply the passages to our lives today: how does what we read affect our
understanding of our purpose and the quality of our relationships with one
another and with God? For example, one common desire is to feel that our
lives have value. From the Bible, we get a picture of God as the creator
and source of life. If God ultimately determines the value of what we do (1
Corinthians 3:12-14) and if we are to find our life and meaning in Him (Acts
17:25-28), then understanding God's Word should help us with our desire
for value and meaning.
I also hope to grow in my understanding of how a passage connects with
the larger message of the Bible: what is the passage telling us and how does
that deepen our knowledge of God and His plan for His creation? For example,
asking the question, "What does this passage teach us about God's
character?" can help us learn more about God and how His nature is
consistent over time and between passages. This question can also be a good
starting point for understanding difficult passages. There are many questions
that are useful in accomplishing the goals of understanding and applying the
text. I will try to be open about what specific questions or filters I am using
when I study and write about a passage.
[2] I also hope to write about a variety of creative pursuits and
interests, including pens and stationary, photography, and art. Ideally, I can
find a way to show how our hobbies, work, and creative undertakings are related
to and combined by our relationship with and study of God’s Word. This is a
developing long-term goal for this webspace. Over time, it will be interesting
to see how time in God's Word shapes our creativity and our drive to create
through the visual arts. This is an area I’m still brainstorming and where the
community aspect will add unique perspectives, challenges, and ideas.
Discussions in the Comments are open to all. I am leaving them open
for now, relying on the overwhelmingly positive character of the communities I
follow to engender constructive and valuable conversations. I am aware of the
unfortunate development of hateful and destructive trolling. I value differing
opinions and constructive feedback. I ask that the comments remain civil and
respectful. If you feel so angered by what is written on this blog that you
feel like attacking someone or using hate-filled language, it is probably best to
move on to another community. Comments will be moderated or closed if trolling
becomes a distraction. If you have questions or feedback that you want to send
directly to me you can use the information on
the Profile page. In the meantime, thank you
for reading. I look forward to the feedback and discussions to come.
Originally posted 3.22.2015; Revised 1.8.2017.
