Re-Post: "BIBLE-READING BIBLE CHURCH"
Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. -Jesus, Matthew 6:33
PRACTICAL BITS FOR NEW YEAR BIBLE-READING
Around this time last year I encouraged us to consider an intentional Bible-reading course for the year:
BIBLE-READING BIBLE CHURCH.
It's a good word for this moment in our year. It also contains a link to the Bible-Reading "plan" that I follow.
Two extra bits:
1. Encouragement: I can't find who said this, but it went something like this: "I've never met a strong Christian who didn't read their Bible almost daily, and I've never met a weak Christian who did."
Bible reading is not the only thing that matters, but it's a big part of a healthy relationship with the Lord. It's sort of like flossing: flossing is something that people who are concerned about their health do. Flossing by itself won't reduce your blood pressure or lower your risk of diabetes, but it seems to correlate with other behaviors that, taken together, kind of do. So it is with Bible reading.
2. Guidance: many people want to read their Bible... but where do you start!? It can seem like a big scary book with thin pages, fine print, strange names, and embarrassing stories.
For starters: read a Psalm, and a "chunk" of one of the Gospels (E.g. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
The Psalms are extremely, practically, theologically and spiritually, nutrient-dense. That was a lot of adverbs!
Here's why, in a nutshell: in the Psalms, the Holy Spirit lets us know what a normal Christian life will feel like, and what to do with those feelings--lament, confession, thanksgiving, praise, and prayer, in regular proportions. The Psalms described the lived-experience of faith.
Similarly, read some bit of one of the Gospels. This is because, well, they star Jesus! And after all, we love Jesus.
Read the Psalms so you stay less-lost; read the Gospels because they're where we get to watch Jesus, and that's really fun. (And is it so bad for Bible reading to be fun a little!)
PRO-TIP: Every day, in each Psalm (or Gospel), force yourself to "find" a phrase, line, or verse that resonates with you. Grab hold of something! And then, use it in your prayers for your day.
Example: "I will increase the power of the godly," (Psa 75:10). "Lord, I want power and I want to be godly! And this is also what I want for my family! And for my friends at church!"
Because: if you don't use it, it's like you didn't grab anything; and if you don't grab something, it's like you didn't read it. ("Did I read my Bible today?") READ-GRAB-USE
What next? Go on. We'll be studying 2 Corinthians soon. Reading 1-2 Corinthians would be helpful. The book of Acts would give you more context. But also Paul uses a lot of images and themes from Genesis-Leviticus, so you could review those books too...
It's a big book and it's beautiful, cover to cover. The more I get to know the Bible, the more I'm in awe of the wisdom of God poured out by the Spirit in Scripture.
This is not a surprise, really. But it's constantly surprising.
So don't be afraid. Keep going.
Happy New Year, friends!
Further up; further in.
BONUS Reads:
Expecting Less from Church. Ed Welch shares a healthy perspective on church-life and the Sunday gathering. I appreciated it. And then Tony emailed it to me too! Worthy read.
Every end-of-year various websites send out their "Most read articles." This year, in addition, the Gospel Coalition sent out its "Most significant article": Are Churches Losing the Battle to Form Christians? Despite its click-bait title, it discusses things that all the pastors in our area regularly lament too. It might be worth your consideration.
Photo by Samantha Sophia on Unsplash
