paradoxum

“On our own we are little more than bits off stone and glass. Together we are the body of Christ.”

I remember my first seminary class on Church History. I walked in as a rugged evangelical individualist who had only heard the word “tradition” in sentences like, “we will not be bound by tradition!” I thought “tradition”, especially tradition spelled with a capital “T”, was something Jesus came to destroy! Michael W. Smith expressed my view of Tradition quite well in his song “Secret Ambition”. My sense of Church History was that Jesus and the Apostles started things out and then things went terribly wrong for 1500 years until the reformers came and finally got things back on track. Needless to say, I was in for quite the revelation. I’ll always be indebted to Dr. Ted Campbell for opening my eyes to the BEAUTY & WEALTH of our shared Christian Tradition.

Since my seminary days I’ve had many opportunities to discuss our Christian heritage with people who, like me, have a very limited exposure to our shared Christian Tradition. I’m always saddened at how little is known about it and even more, how little it’s appreciated. I guess it’s not odd that we don’t stop and ask the question “where did all of ‘this’ come from?” since really, we don’t even ask that question of our own families (pity that). It’s always with great delight that I share the story of “the church” with the uninitiated, and, without fail, the response is no different than when a child hears a fairy tale for the first time. The imagination begins to fire as connections are made and the heart comes alive to a much, much bigger story. Too many Christians are caught up in a very small story. I was. My view of Christianity and Christ’s Kingdom / Body was no larger than my local church. Seeing the BIGGER STORY has deepened and broadened my faith, and I’ve seen it do the same for many others.

How does one begin to be introduced to the Christian Tradition?

This is a question I think anyone who appreciates the Tradition contemplates and most of us have attempted, in some form, to address. It’s for this reason that I’m so pleased to see the release of the MOSAIC bible by Tyndale House. The purpose of this bible is “to provide a way to encounter Christ on every continent and in every century of Christian History.” Wow. In fact, I must say that I’m even more excited about it because my friend (ANTHONY SMITH) is a contributor!!!!

Why the title “Mosaic”? I’ll let the editors answer that question: “Mosaic is not merely the title of the Bible…It also describes its contents and our story as Christians, too. All too often we allow the here and now to dominate our lives and define who we are. But as Christians, we are part of something much larger than simply the here and now. We are part of a mosaic – a patchwork of people, places, times and cultures – that depicts one person: Jesus Christ.”

So exactly how does Mosaic accomplish this?

Mosaic is NOT a study bible. It contains the entire text of the Bible (NLT) with no interruptions or study notes. However, at the front of the Bible is an “EXTENSIVE block of weekly meditations” organized around the Church year (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost). These meditations offer extensive Scripture readings taken from the lectionaries of different traditions around the world. In addition to the Scripture readings there is a vast array of “reflective content” taken from “every continent and every century of Christian history.” In this “reflective content” one will meet the likes of Polycarp (1^st Century), Augustine (Africa), Abelard (12^th Century), Isaac Watts (England), as well as contemporary poets like Wendell Berry and Christian artwork from places like Guatemala, Italy, China, Japan, and Cameroon.

This bible is truly a remarkable accomplishment. The meditations are informative, diverse, and do a wonderful job of exposing us to the depth and breadth of Christ’s Body.

On a side note I must say that I was VERY PLEASED to see an aggressive cross-reference system in place! I am so thankful I was introduced to cross-referencing when I was a student, and have lamented its discontinuance in so many contemporary bibles. This bible hits the mark with its cross-referencing system.  In addition to the cross-reference system, there is also a very valuable and extensive word study system and concordance included in the back.

I confess I am not a fan of new bibles. The endless release of “new bibles” wearies me. This bible, however, is different. I receive it with enthusiasm not because it’s new, but because it seeks to connect us with something very old, and yet, still very much alive.