Camp fire stories

I love the thought that before it was ever written down,  the bible stories were shared round a fire by people who had worked hard all day and were relaxing around a fire before sleep.

I don't mean they were gentle bedtime stories, but the stories of adventure, action and trust were shared under the stars, around the safety of a fire.

Once printed, restrained inside a book, captured within respectability, we lost that sense of God watching out for us. We are tiny specs huddled round a fire under a huge starry sky.

So on Easter Saturday, while waiting for the excellent news of the resurrection, I called my congregations to experience stories of hope and bravery once again.
We heard of Moses creating the path across the Red Sea, of Gideon's army which went into battle armed with trumpets and torches,  of Elijah challenging the prophets of Baal to show what their God was capable of, of Noah and of Mary Magdalene's grief after watching her dear teacher be executed.