I went to a state college and "The Bible as Literature" was a class offered somewhere along the way. Though intrigued, the thought "why would you take that view that?" kept me from taking it. A few years wiser now, wish I would have done it- just to see what "they" saw as literature... and to have met the people in the class who would have never cracked a Bible for other reasons. Movies also capture an audience that won't crack open a Bible : )

Think for a minute about the stories of the Bible... Clearly book material and most definitely screenplay material. They really have all the elements of an action film (slaying giants, getting swallowed by a whale) or a drama (think of all the family misadventures), maybe even reality television (any Old Testament patriarch) and most certainly a Marvel comic superhero film (parting the Red Sea, walking on water). There might even be a musical in there..."Horse And Rider Thrown Into The Sea" (Exodus 15). And of all things- even poetry written by a warrior king!

In the last several years, movies have told some these stories from a big Hollywood point of view, which inspire conversations about the actual stories. A couple of times, people have asked, "Is that really in the Bible?" Don't you love that question? It makes us dig in and be sure of what God's Word says and it gives us a chance to open a Bible passage and show someone where the details are.

This week, let's review the Scripture account of one of our favorite Bible as "Literature" moment or "Hollywood" moment... and ask God to put someone in front of us to spin the story with.