25 words or less

I asked the students in my "Scripture Unscripted" class to complete this sentence in 25 words or less: "Scripture is ..."

Here are their answers, with links to the blogs where they are chronicling their reactions to the class. If you're intrigued by any of the approaches or definitions you see below, visit that student's blog, read, and leave a comment. It'll do 'em good to know that they are being read by interested strangers in farflung places.

Scripture is ...

• "…words on a page until you believe it’s something more, then I think it’s our most direct access to God’s desires for his people." (artgirl)


• "... a divine, historical work which people of all kinds look to for knowledge, advice, and answers." (cmoore)


• "...important...and not only for Christians and Jews. Why would so many people trouble to understand its origins and interpretations? It's kinda a big deal!!!" (ashleybear)


• "... a compilation of religious texts by many authors all trying to convey a message which pertained to their own time and community." (kate)


• "... according to the writings of man, it is words inspired by God. " (lindsay)


• "... man's attempt to connect with God and interpret God's word, but the connection seems a bit blurred and fuzzy sometimes, which is why we're just people and God is divine." (nat)


• "... humanity’s attempt to preserve the spirit in concrete form. It is our physical link to the spiritual world." (elizabeth)


• "... where some search for truth, others search for purpose, and I search for understanding." (arizonasky)


• "... the inspired word of God, a guidebook for how we should live, and currently ... a little confusing." (ehester)


• "... something to ponder; it can be puzzling or completely invigorating. It is a bridge that aims to connect individuals to the higher power." (imizell)


• "... God's divinely inspired message to his people that has been interpreted differently and modified for many centuries." (madreid)


• "... the written record of personal, theological, historical, prayerful, experiential, and scholarly revelations of God, the Father, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit." (subumbrafloreo)


• "... an ancient yet remarkable and relevant compilation of beautiful thoughts and stories which opens human eyes to the heart of God." (nuancedreligion)


• "... God's expectations for humankind, best understood, in my opinion, through a nonliteral Biblical interpretation and with an eager heart." (lburton)


• "... a written representation of God’s ideas and man’s guidelines that act as a comfort to the down-hearted and an inspiration to the discouraged." (jerene)