Tuesday, May 11, 2021
Diane Harvey
Ministries of SJC—Reading Between the Lines
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
Beyond worship, the primary way my husband John and I are involved in the life of St. John’s is through participating in Reading Between the Lines. If you are not familiar with Reading Between the Lines, it is a group of people who gather weekly for a discussion of one of the lessons for the coming Sunday using a wonderful resource that offers scriptural background and reflection questions along with art, poetry and prose excerpts to help ponder the text. And while Nathan, Anne and Rob often joke about how we are there to help them come up with a sermon for Sunday, Reading Between the Lines is really an opportunity to be curious about how the biblical story interacts with our personal stories; and how the dialogue between scripture and one other can help us explore both our questions and our faith.
Now I have always loved to be part of a group that studies scripture. It is how John and I met 38 years ago! Yet of all the Bible study groups of which I’ve been a part, Reading Between the Lines has touched me more deeply than all the others. Some of that has to do with where I am in my life right now; but mostly it has everything to do with the nature of the discussions and the group itself. When we look at a particular text, we don’t just focus on what it means; but more importantly on whether it resonates with us or not. How do the words draw us in; how do they challenge us? How does this passage open us up to a different way of experiencing the world; how might we understand God/life/faith in a new way? How might the text call us to live so that we might help create Beloved Community? Each week our conversations often raise as many questions as answers. And given the diversity of life experiences and backgrounds in the group, the different perspectives stretch our understandings and open us to ideas we might never have considered.
And this is the real gift of Reading Between the Lines – the deep sharing, the sense of trust and respect for one another, the willingness to be vulnerable, the lived wisdom, the openness to be changed. The welcome to newcomers and the sense of connection that is palpable even on Zoom.
When the pandemic first began and John and I were feeling fearful and isolated, Reading Between the Lines brought great hope and joy into our week. It continues to do so in a way I had not expected. All my life I have allowed scripture to challenge and shape me intellectually; but now I find it also transforming my heart. The movement of God through this community of seekers willing to share their lives and stories has opened me to a more constant and ever fuller awareness of divine presence; and it continues to call forth from me a more compassionate response to the world. I have become a better version of myself. I will be forever grateful to St. John’s and Reading Between the Lines for this deepened journey of faith. If your schedule allows, please think about joining us.