Taking in all sorts of things

This was a part of my sermon two weeks ago. “When someone good-naturedly asked me the other day if a pastor can see a movie with an R rating other than “The Passion of the Christ” (we were planning to see '“Killers of the Flower Moon”) I somewhat facetiously responded that I need to know what the church is up against: what are the other things people are taking into their lives. For the very same reason I read “This Present Darkness,” the initial “Left Behind” book, and “The DaVinci Code” ages ago.”

Dr. Dale Meyer had a devotion, yesterday, which had much the same point. He was talking about reading some daily newspapers. “Why do I need old-style physical papers? Why do I need hundreds of non-religious books? If I presume to teach what the precious little we can know about God, I must try to know what’s going on outside my Christian life. Seminary professor Martin Scharlemann once said, ‘A pastor’s job is to interpret reality theologically.’ The 20th century theologian Karl Barth put it this way. ‘Take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both. But interpret newspapers from your Bible.’

Thank you for the input many of you have provided! That helps point out to me the ways in which I might better be a help to you in the living of a life of a child of God.