luggage, unpacking, laundering, repacking, shifting. We throw out some of

muck that's there -- some of the soiled underwear and maybe those bellbottom

jeans from the '70s. And we exchange or share some of our finer articles with

others. In the end, we try to make everything fit a little better. But we won't

get anywhere, with any integrity at least, if we don't see how much we are

shaped by all of these other factors, and to a certain extent accept the impact

of those other shaping influences.

7. We hope students can learn to live with the tension of not having one

right answer for every question, or realize that several people or churches

who "take the Bible seriously" may come to different conclusions on a given

passage or issue.That doesn't mean we stop talking with each other, but that

we continue to sort out why there are differences in our perspectives or

interpretations. In a paper one student wrote for my Religious History class

last spring, she said, "The Bible has become a place where warring factions go

for ammunition."The same student acknowledged, though, that the Bible is

tremendously important in helping us improve our relationship with God.

My hope is that, as professors and congregational leaders, we can model

for this student an ability to talk with each other about Scripture humanely,

respectfully and, with a spirit that trusts that our conversation partners seek

to know God's will just as we do. We all need to learn to call each other to

faithfulness. But we need to do so with humility. I need to humbly admit that

my interpretations may be out of whack. And we need to be comfortable with

some flexibility in understanding and application of the Bible.

8. We hope to help students discover in the Bible some clear directions

for daily life and practice. This is the ethical dimension of Scripture. One

student in Religious History wrote last spring, "I find that I turn to the Bible

often if not regularly for encouragement, guidance, and answers for daily