“Is it a Bible-based church?”
That’s what a member of the community wanted to know about the congregation I serve as pastor. The question was asked in a half-accusatory, somewhat suspicious “let’s-cut-to-the-chase” tone, as though no other question truly matters in determining the legitimacy of a Christian church.
It’s certainly not the first time I’ve heard the question, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Nor is it unusual for members of my church to report that they’ve gotten the same query from a friend or family member and weren’t sure how to answer.
We teach the Bible to all ages in our Christian Education program. We regularly offer Bible studies. The reading of Scripture always features prominently in our worship services. And I don’t think anyone would argue the point that all the sermons delivered from the pulpit of the United Church of Christ in Bayberry are squarely rooted in scripture. Whether I or someone else is preaching, the goal of every sermon is to relate the text of the Bible to our everyday lives and our world.
Our commitment to scripture is not just a matter of practice, but also of theology. As part of the Reformed tradition in Christianity, we affirm the principle of Sola Scriptura. We believe that the “scriptures alone” – not any person or group of people – are authoritative in all matters of faith and practice. To use the language of our denomination’s constitution, “We look to the Word of God in the Scriptures.” We believe that the words of the Bible are divinely inspired and are given that we may know God, God’s design for creation, and the values by which God seeks for us to live.
So doesn’t all of this make us a “Bible-based” church? Without question, we are biblically oriented. As our website says, we are “rooted in Christian scripture.” But there are two reasons why I am uncomfortable calling us a “Bible-based” church.