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megan's newsletterPastor Megan Crouch’s January 2011 Newsletter article
Megan is the daughter of Curt & Cheri Crouch & is pastor at St. Andrews Lutheran, Grand Rapids, MN
One of the great joy’s I find in ministry is the opportunity to explore my faith with others through Bible Study. This past year, I was very excited to be a part of not only the weekly women’s Bible study, but also to lead three other six-week classes on the catechism, early church history and the book of Revelations. I cannot say how thrilled I was to find out that so many people in the St. Andrew’s community were also interested in talking about these elements of our faith. It is a wonderful thing to see people enjoy the opportunity to learn about and explore their beliefs. Thank you for that!
I am writing about Bible study this month because I wanted to share with you some of the reason’s I feel so strongly about it, and the impact it has not only on the adults who participate in the classes, but also on the children and youth of the congregation. It has been said that one of the most important things a community can do for its young people is to encourage its adults to actively engage and explore their faith. This not only sets the important example that we are forever growing into our faith, but also helps us to understand how our faith shapes our everyday lives. In a world where the loudest voices for any faith are often radical and hurtful, it is important and encouraging to see people who want to better understand what they believe and why they believe it. By taking the time to have a deeper connection with our faith, we are better able to express our beliefs to a world that is desperate to hear the Good news of God’s love. And the best part is that you don’t have to have any special training to do this. Believe me when I tell you that thre are NO stupid questions, and people come to Bible study everyday who know very little about the Bible. We all start somewhere, we all are journeying together, and we all go at our own pace.
In fact, one of the reason’s I feel like it is so important for community Bible study to happen is because of my own anxiety when I was first learning to explore my faith. I remember worrying that the questions I had about God and life meant that I didn’t have enough faith. I thought I would ask the “wrong” questions and that people would think I didn’t believe. I remember trying to find the “right” answers to the questions I had about why bad things happen, how literally we should take the Bible, and how I could know for sure that I had done all the right things so that I would be saved. I drove myself crazy with these questions and cost my wonderfully patient mother many a good nights’ sleep by waking her up in the middle of the night. I begged my confirmation teachers for simple answers, and spent many afternoons taking with my pastor. I also remember that no one ever gave me an easy answer; they shared their own understanding and experience with me and encouraged my faith to develop through conversation, prayer, study and most importantly through the Holy Spirit, and that more than anything I probably why I feel such a calling to promote Christian education.
When we take the time to engage our faith on this deeper level, many wonderful things happen. It is when we think about our faith that it truly changes our lives. This is not a work that brings us to salvation or a quest with a clear cut goal. We do not study the Bible to find answers. The truth is that there are no simple answers. Rather, we engage in Bible study because it helps us to hear God’s voice in our world. We hear that voice from the past in the way that the texts preserved the ancient stories about God. We hear it in the present when we explore how our own experiences shape how we understand the Bible. And while we can become overwhelmed by the details of the texts, we often find that the larger messages of God’s love and mercy are enhanced by what we share as a community growing in our faith together. So I encourage you to take time this year to ask questions, share ideas and think about your faith. There are many great ways to do this at St. Andrew’s including a Women’s Conversation Group that meets the first and third Tuesday each month at 10:00am, weekly Men’s and Women’s Bible Studies, and, of course, I will continue to offer Bible studies this next year (starting with the one on Genesis in late January—hint, hint). I hope I will see many of you at these studies and hear about your own faith journeys, and that you will share your knowledge, questions, and perspective with the community. May God Bless your New Year with faith, curiosity and above all love.
Blessings and Peace,
Pastor Megan
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