"Vital and Faithful: Engaging Sacred Stories and Traditions"
Acts 16:6-15
Rev. Emily Labrecque, Westmoreland UCC
July 5, 2026

I want to start with a question this morning: when you think about engaging in a bible study or trying to understand scripture, what words or feelings come to mind?

As progressive Protestant Christians, we tend to have a fraught relationship with the Bible. We understand that the stories are important and are used to guide our living and being in the world. We also know that these stories were written millennia ago, and have been translated multiple times since then. We also know that the people writing knew a far different world than we do in 2026.

Being that yesterday we celebrated America’s 250th anniversary of Independence from England, we also may think about the stories and secular texts that are a part of that history too. The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights. We have to reckon with much of the same issues. The late 18th century in America was much different than today and so we must grapple with what these texts mean – the good and the challenging; the relevant and the less relevant. So as we turn back to our theme for today, what are we to do with our sacred texts? Well, let’s start here. Here are the characterizing statements for this Faithful and Vital mark about engaging scripture. You can follow along in your bulletin.

  • Exhibiting knowledge, understanding, and continuing study of Scriptures.
  • Making relevant the sacred stories and traditions of the Gospel and the Local Church community in worship, proclamation, and witness.
  • Embracing risk-taking and a spirit of innovation as exemplified in the Gospels.
  • Understanding the history of the Christian Church and approaching the future of the Christian Church with curiosity and wonder.
  • Creating faith formation opportunities across generations and learning styles.
  • Shaping practices and liturgies so that all may experience love, belonging, and dignity.

See how engaging sacred scripture and traditions is about so much more than just understanding a parable, for example?

So today, instead of me explaining to you how we do this, we are going to do it together. We are going to do a bible study method called Dwelling In The Word.

Here’s how it’s going to work- this usually takes about 30 minutes so we will do a shortened version of it for the sake of time. We will have two people read the scripture. Between readings, I will give you questions to ponder. We will take one minute of silence to ponder the questions. Then you’re going to turn to groups of three with the folks next to you (if you’re sitting alone you’ll need to go sit near others) and each share for one minute about how you responded to one of the questions. Be sure to listen- this is about listening to the scripture as much as it is the individual. Then after those few minutes, we will come back and as a large group, you will be invited to share what someone else shared. Not what YOU thought about the passage, but about what someone else in your triad shared. Is that all clear?

The first step is to pray, so let us pray.

Acts 16:6-15: They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

We therefore set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. On the Sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us.

Before the scripture is read a second time be open to the Spirit and consider these questions- they are listed in the bulletin under the sermon title:

  • As the text is read a second time, where do you stop?
  • Are there words, phrases, ideas which grasp you?
  • How do you think the Spirit of God might be nudging you?

Let’s take a minute to ponder the questions.

Now let’s turn to a couple of people next to you. Each of you have one

to share about one of the questions. Make sure you listen to one another.

Now, let’s share out. What did you hear one of your conversation partners say? Not what did you think, what did you hear someone else say?

[Share out from the pews.]

For all of the insights shared and wisdom in the room, we give thanks.

Amen.