Why Does the Bible Matter

From the Pastor

Psalm 119:2-3 Happy are those who keep his decrees, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong but walk in his ways.

Why Does the Bible Matter

Summary: The Bible matters because it is a living, sacred conversation that shapes us, challenges us, and calls us into deeper love and faith.

St. Augustine is especially blessed this week—we now have a newly restored Gospel Book. Its pages are beautifully re-bound, its gold cover gleams, and soon it will once again be carried with reverence in our Sunday procession. But the true beauty of the Gospel is not in the gold or the binding. It’s in what the Scriptures do in us.

The Bible is not a relic; it is a living conversation between God and God’s people. It holds our sacred stories—stories of liberation and love, of struggle and hope. These stories shape our identity, challenge our assumptions, and call us into deeper relationship with God, one another, and the world.

The Bible is not meant to be read passively. We are invited to question, to wrestle, and to wonder. Faith grows not in blind certainty but in the sacred tension of asking, “What is God saying to us here and now?” Some passages comfort us; others disturb us. Both are holy.

Most of all, the Bible centers us in the life and teachings of Jesus. Through his words and actions, we are called to love fiercely, to include widely, and to seek justice boldly.

So yes, our Gospel Book is beautiful—but its truest beauty is found when we open it together and listen for the voice of the Spirit.

Pastor Anny+

The Rev. Dr. Anny Genato+

Rector, St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church