Scripture Engagement

We often think we can leave Scripture engagement until our product is finished in its entirety. We translate the whole Bible or New Testament, then about six months before it is published we hit a large panic button, which connects us to the Scripture engagement department. 'Please come and make sure our Bible is used!' It's as if we still think there is a cavalry that might come over the hill any minute armed with magic Scripture engagement advice and techniques to rescue us! Instead it's better to plan SE into the project from the beginning: Make sure you are engaging with the whole community, or at least key members of it (church leaders, linguists, journalists, good speakers, elders, elder women, parents, the youth, children... ) Try to use participatory methods if possible. You can use appreciate enquiry ('What do you like about your community?') and also find out what the needs are. Involve a wide spectrum of community members Include arts in y...

Do you know the Tim Hughes song Holding Nothing Back . It goes like this, 'I am chosen I am free'? It should really be, 'We are chosen, we are free.' Why? Because all those verses saying we're chosen are plural . Here are some examples: What joy for the nation whose God is the LORD, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance. Psalm 33:22 You did not choose me, but I chose you [plural] and appointed you to go and bear fruit–fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you [plural] whatever you [plural] ask in my name. John 15:16  Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesian 1:4-5 Since God chose you [plural] to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humili...