By CBF field personnel Kim and Marc Wyatt
The Introduction to the New Testament of The Message, states its “contemporary idiom keeps the language of the Message (Bible) current and fresh and understandable.” Eugene Peterson notes that during the project, he realized this was exactly what he had been doing in his 35 years as a pastor, “always looking for an English way to make the biblical text relevant to the conditions of the people.”
This has been our experience too. The words from The Message have given us a
fresh look at familiar scriptures these past 30 years as we live our lives and serve
cross-culturally.
What I (Kim) have come to think of as my life verse, Romans 12:1-2, just jumped off the
page as I read it from The Message:
“So, here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—
your sleeping, eating, going-to-work and walking-around life—and place it before
God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do
for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without
even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside
out. Readily recognize what he wants from you and quickly respond to it. Unlike the
culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings
the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.“
And the verses that Marc has found especially meaningful from The Message are also
from Romans 12, verses 12-16:
“Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all
the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. Bless your enemies; no
cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share
tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends
with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.“
The Message continues to be a spiritual guide to us as we seek to become more like
Christ.
PRAY, PRACTICE, PONDER
As a spiritual practice, choose a favorite Scripture passage or two and look
them up in The Message translation (online, if you do not own a hard copy).
Notice what strikes you about the different wording Peterson offers. What
resonates? What challenges? Choose one passage to write out on a piece of
paper and leave it in a place you will see it regularly in the week ahead.