Proclaim It Loud and Proud

Tuesday before class we were told to go read the Book of Joel. Now I don't know about you but Joel is one of those books where you just pass along when your flipping through the minor prophets. I thought that the book was average and I really didn't think much of it. However when I got to class, Professor Corrigan told us that for 20 minutes we were to read sections of Joel. Out loud. At first I thought he was kidding, but after he shooed us out I made a beeline for the concrete dock overlooking Lake Bonny. (I think it's Lake Bonny but whatever). After getting to the dock and mustering up some courage I began to speak under my breath feeling ridiculous. But after awhile I began to gather more courage and spoke louder. then I just started proclaiming loud and proud, hand, motions and all. After I finished my favorite sections, I wondered what the book would sound like if I spoke in a Russian accent, so I began speaking in said accent and replaced the word Zion with Mother Russia every time it appeared. I had a complete blast. But there in lies my point. I said earlier that I thought nothing of the Book of Joel when I read it. That opinion changed almost immediately after I began to speak it out loud. Sometimes when we feel that a certain passage of scripture doesn't feel powerful when we read it we feel that it doesn't apply to our lives. My suggestion to you the reader is that you speak it out loud and see how you feel after. As I read the Book of Joel out loud I began to feel the same tang of pain when it called the people of Israel to repent and turn back to the Lord. I also felt great triumph when I read the passages of when the Lord would come and the nations at the Valley of Decision. So next time you feel that a certain passage of scripture doesn't come alive to you, read it aloud and see how you feel afterwords.