'Out of context' milestone prompts writer's reflection.

Nearly ten years, two churches, and four computers later, the 500th meditation in my weekly feature "Out of Context" will appear in the June 27 lesson of the Brethren Press curriculum "A Guide for Biblical Studies," in the issue for June, July, and August 2004.

The feature has appeared without a break as I moved from Indiana to Pennsylvania, traded in my Atari 800XL word processor for the first in a series of PCs and laptops, and said goodbye to my children and hello to the empty nest I share with my spouse, Jennie.

Each week, "Out of Context" hones in on a Bible verse to provide a second focus to complement the lesson. The result is a meditation built around a personal experience, a figure from Brethren history, an observation about the natural universe, or a reminiscence about a friend or place. In some I have written about my travels (always on the cheap). In others I've given a glimpse of my personal life (usually at my expense). Often I uncover some facet of the lesson I was pretty sure was too odd for the writer assigned to the quarter. Some are poignant, some funny, and most, I hope, are thought provoking. All, I pray, give glory to God.

The idea for "Out of Context" was loosely based on the work of a friend and fellow writer, Bob Baker, of Elkhart, Ind. Bob wrote a short weekly feature called "If I Taught the Lesson" for the Mennonite publication "The Builder." The more I thought about Bob's feature, the more I realized I'd like to try something like it. Julie Garber, then editor of Brethren Press, sounded intrigued. She asked me what I wanted to call the feature. I hadn't given it a lot of thought, but I blurted the words, "Out of Context." The name stuck.

I do a lot of writing, but nothing is as much fun as "Out of Context." Originally the meaning of the title was my belief that out of context comes meaning. In other words, look at the context of a Bible verse and you'll have a better idea what the writer—and God—was trying to say. In the end I liked the title for itself. I was taking verses out of context and seeing where they led me.

In an interesting coincidence, both the first and the 500th "Out of Context" accompanied lessons written by Nancy Heishman. The first "Out of Context" was based on Matthew 3:4 and the odd appearance of John the Baptist. I tied the verse to the theft of part of an outdoor nativity set at the Elkhart City (Ind.) Church of the Brethren, and how pastor David Bibbee made lemonade out of lemons by putting a sign out front promoting an upcoming service with the saying "The Manger Is Empty! Find Out Why!"

The 500th meditation includes a memory of a meal shared with a poor family in Guatemala, and the reference to Melchizedek in Hebrews 5:6. The hosts of the meal were survivors of a brutal civil war and both had lost spouses who had been murdered during the conflict. Over a meal of black beans, rice, and corn tortillas in a cramped, smoke-stained kitchen, I pointed out that just as Melchizedek's lone encounter with Abraham echoed over the centuries, so our brief encounter made a lasting impression and sharpened our desire for ministry and service in the name of Jesus. That simple meal prefigured the common meal we all will share at the heavenly banquet table.

—Frank Ramirez is pastor of Everett (Pa.) Church of the Brethren and frequently writes for Brethren publications.

Source: 6/18/2004 Newsline
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