Lorrie Spinney

Category: Scripture

  • That other blog

    Years ago.

    Literally. Years ago, I started a second blog called “Dancing in the story”. It was going to be a chummy, chatty sort of guide through the story of the bible which, really, is the story of Life.

    It ended abruptly in December of 2015. There were good reasons, I started a new job for one. The other was that in November of 2015 my 21 year old daughter, suffering depression, overdosed.

    She survived and so did I, but I’ve been a long time coming back to either of these two blogs. I just didn’t have the energy or courage for public writing.

    But recently I read Gretchen Rubin’s “Better than Before”. I created a chart and gave myself a check-mark for every time I added a page to the blog and now at long last I have all of Genesis up. It’s not all published yet, but it’s there and I plan (hope?) to publish a page a day, but not on weekends.

    After that, who knows?

    Join me? Again? Dancing in the Story

     

  • Oh no, another blog

    Okay.

    I’m doing this.

    I’m telling you, my faithful readers, about a new blog that I have just started.

    Well, it’s in the form of a blog, but really, I’m rolling out a book that I’ve been working at for years.

    I need feedback.

    The book is a kind of running commentary on the story of the bible. It’s purpose is to give company and help to people who want to read the whole bible but find it intimidating or off-putting for whatever reason.

    I don’t think it needs to be intimidating or off-putting for any reason – at least, not if a person wants to read it.

    So I act as a kind of tour guide. I tell you what to read in your bible, and then point out things of interest and highlight what matters to the story as a whole.

    It’s by no means comprehensive and I don’t pretend to be a scholar.

    I am an enthusiast.

    I think that for some people, an enthusiast has a better chance of carrying them along than a scholar would. It’s for them that I write.

    I’m asking you to go visit the site and if you know someone who you think would enjoy it – share the link with them.

    Here’s the link: Dancing in the Story

    Thanks.

  • The smallness of me

    “Everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues His people, but NOT with sword and spear.” I Sam. 17:47

    No, he uses a shepherd with a sling and a stone.

    Here stands young David, neck bent back to look up at the soldiers, way up at Saul. He wears no armour, carries no sword, no spear. His skin looks like it could snag and tear on a branch. He’s got a few smooth stones and a sling and he’s going to bring down the giant whose mocking laughter scatters warriors.

    And he does.

    And Jonathan and his armour bearer take down a Philistine troop. And Gideon and a few men with clay jars chase off an entire army.

    And Joshua walks around a wall a bunch of times, then shouts. The wall turns to dust and the city is his.

    You do rescue your people, but not with sword and spear. You like to do it unconventionally. You especially like to use small things, weak things, things that shouldn’t work.

    You positively delight in weakness.

    Like you used the broken Israelites, wrecked by abusive slavery, to overthrow the entire Egyptian Empire – just walked them out one night leaving it shattered and wailing.

    Like you used a bloodied, exhausted Jesus … a dead Jesus! … to save the whole entire world: people, animals, and earth itself.

    So, my weakness?  The smallness of me?

    It’s no hindrance to you.

    It’s an opportunity.