The Bible Challenge
Read the Bible in One Year!
I invite you to join with me and Episcopalians across the country in reading the Bible in the course of a year. The plan is quite simple: read 3 chapters of the Old Testament, 1 Psalm, and 1 chapter of the New Testament each day (feel free to skip Old Testament genealogies and lists). Take Sundays off to listen to Scripture read and preached in church. Here is a sample schedule of what this looks like.
If the plan seems too ambitious, try reading just the New Testament or the Psalter over the course of a year, reading one chapter or one psalm a day.
To make this challenge a bit more exciting, I recommend reading the Bible in a translation new to you, or one of the popular paraphrases such as The Message by Eugene Peterson (published by Navpress Publishers). The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) is one of the most accessible translations and the annotated edition has helpful footnotes. Other translations are The Jerusalem Bible, the New English Bible, New International Version, The Good News, New King James Version, and the favorite for many, the King James (or Authorized) Version. There are many, many fine translations available. And, as we are in the 21st century, try reading the Bible on a Nook, Kindle, iPad, or listen on an iPod, CD or cassette.
I also invite you to share your thoughts as you read by adding your comments to the St. John's blog, or join me for a brief meeting the first Sunday of the month after coffee hour to share insights, comments and questions.
The idea of reading the Bible in a year is the brainchild of a colleague and old friend, Marek Zabriskie, rector of St. Thomas Church Whitemarsh (near Philadelphia). St. John's is one of the founding partners in The Center for Biblical Studies. Their web site offers exceptional resources as you read through Holy Scripture in the course of this year.
A prayer before reading Scripture:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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