Stained Glass Theology

We have this great stained glass window at the front of our church with a glittering bible ensconced at the very center point and the words "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" arrayed around it.  And while is is beautiful to look at and makes the best use of the prevailing sunlight, I wondered how the Bible became the central focal point of our Protestant worship?  Why has the written word of God displaced the living word of God, Jesus?

I think that if we were Jesus centered rather than word centered (and I know that there are some who would accuse me of splitting hairs), our churches would look different in practice.  Our prayers might have a real power to them as we prayed to and with Jesus, rather than praying theologically correct "in the name of Jesus."  I don't think we would spend much pulpit time expounding deep theological mysteries, or the relationship of law to grace, or correct doctrine.  I think we would spend most of our time in the gospels, telling again the marvelous story of Jesus and His love. And I think we would spend much more time contemplatively, listening at His feet as Mary did, rather than making much ado about nothing as Martha did.

I get the sense that this is the right thing to do.  It says in Hebrews that God spoke to us in many times and ways, but in these last days spoke by His Son.  Jesus said that if we have seen Him, we have seen the Father, and warned that we search the scriptures because we think that in them we have life, but it is the scriptures that bear witness to Him.  I already have significant heartburn about how evangelicals have taken the word of God and put it in the place of God Himself.  If that printed bible was so vital to the life of the church, I wonder how Christianity survived that first 1500 years when people did not have access to a printed bible, when even if they did many might not be able to read and understand the archaic languages.  I would tend to think that their faith was placed in a person, not a page, that right relationship was more important than right doctrine, and that made all the difference in their lives.