The PG-13 Scriptures

Author: Marvin Lindsay
June 08, 2023

 A Utah parent perturbed by book bans found a cheeky way to strike back. The parent, citing a 2022 law banning books from Utah schools that contain “indecent” or “pornographic” material, brought a complaint against the so-called Holy Bible. According to the complaint, the Bible is “one of the most sex-ridden books around.” The school district agreed! The book formerly known as The Good Book was removed from elementary and middle schools, but not high schools. In effect, the district gave God’s Holy Word a PG-13 rating.

 You may find this ridiculous. At the same time, many Christians have voiced complaints to me about the Bible, the Old Testament in particular. A violent God for a violent people! That’s who you’ll meet in the Old Testament. I beg to differ. Both testaments have a far more nuanced portrait of God than we might assume. There are 174 instances of the word hesed, meaning “steadfast love,” in the Old Testament, and nearly all the references to hell in the Bible occur in the New Testament.

This summer, we are going to take a trip through the first few books of the Old Testament. In Genesis, we will meet Abraham and Sarah, blessed by God with children in their old age, and chosen by God to bring a blessing to the whole world. Abraham and Sarah’s extended family is as dysfunctional as any family you’d meet in a soap opera. There are betrayals. There are love triangles. There are sibling rivalries. There are also touching scenes of reconciliation. Being chosen by God is both a gift and a task. It is a blessing and in some sense a curse. The good news is that if God can work through this family, God can work through yours as well. 

In Exodus the family chosen by God has grown into a nation, but they are an oppressed nation. The Egyptians have enslaved them. God hears their cries and appoints Moses to lead them to freedom. Afterward, they spend 40 long years wandering in a desert wilderness. There, God gives them the Ten Commandments and teaches them to live one day at a time. In Exodus there are battles, environmental catastrophes, mass movements for change, and crises of faith. God is mixed up in all of it.

I enjoy the Old Testament because it is real life, and that’s where we meet God, not just in moments of silent prayer or beautiful music in Sunday worship, but at the bedside of dying loved ones, on the battlefield, in fearful cries and tears of rage. So, worship with us this summer! If you’re out of town, join us online. Don’t be afraid to bring the children; it is possible to preach these stories in age-appropriate ways. And check out Rev. Nikki’s Thursday evening Bible study. She is covering some of the same material that we’ll be interacting with on Sunday mornings.

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