A word of encouragement

Where are you in your reading? Several of you have told me that you feel really, really behind. Are you farther along in your reading than you were June 6? Then you are reading more Scripture than most of the world!

Today. Open your Bible to the place you last read. Read one chapter. Just one. Good job!

One verse at a time. One chapter at a time. You will, yes you will, read the Bible through!

Meanwhile, keep coming to class. Keep reading at least one chapter each day. Keep asking God to help you find the time and the desire to read the Bible through. If reading isn't working, try listening.

Is it God's will for you to read the Bible? Of course it is! We'll all be praying for each other (we already are, you know, each time St. Mary's gathers for worship).

What God has started in your heart, God will bring to fruition. Thanks be to God.

A week to catch up?

The Sunday Morning Bible/90 class realized that our next class is on July 4 and that the parish is having a breakfast to welcome our new curate, The Rev. Meredith Holt (bring a dish to share and join us at 9!). They took a vote and decided that rather than miss one of the excellent videos, that they would like to have a week of grace to catch up, and then watch the video for Week 5 on July 11. So the Bible in 90 will be the Bible in 97 for the Sunday groups. The Wednesday group will stay on schedule, and we're waiting to hear from the Thursday group.

The Bible in However Many Days it Takes Challenge

Several of you have expresses concerned that you are getting way far behind in the reading plan. What we have said to each of you is that on Labor Day weekend, we will begin to celebrate those who have read the Bible in 90 Days and will continue to celebrate each week as others finish reading the Bible from Genesis through Revelation, whether it takes you 97 days or 180 days or 365 days. The important thing is that we finish….eventually.

This means that it is not too late for you to begin reading the Bible through! You can also attend the discussion groups even if you are not on the same week as the videos. They videos contain great information whether you are ahead of the topic or behind.

Will you take the challenge? Sign your name on our Commitment Wall in the Nave today!

What does it mean?

The most frequent question I'm asked is whether or not the video or the group discussion is going to explain one idea or specific verse or another. Not likely. In one of the recent daily emails from Bible in 90 Days they said it so well:

Stay engaged by remembering that we are READING, not STUDYING. You won't remember many of the names, but you may recall new insights, answers and questions. You can write these down in the back of the Participant's Guide, but don't let this activity overcome your reading. There will be plenty of time for study and reflection LATER.

(Have you subscribed to the daily email yet? They are great daily encouragers and remind you of the chapters and verses you are to read for the day. Go to the Bible 90 Days and sign up.)

How is it going?

Wednesday Morning Bible Study is a Bible in 90 Days group for the summer. We actually started the Wednesday before everyone else so we will be doing lesson two in the morning.

As I've been trying to read this week's lessons attentively, the down side to listening to the readings as I drive is that I find myself going off on a mental rabbit trail and come back to find out I've missed some of the reading. It made me wonder, "How is it going for you?"

Please give us your comments on the link at the end of this post (or any of the posts, for that matter).

Here's some feedback I've received:

Those reading aloud to Ruth have found that the 12 pages is too much for her. They will be reading a few less pages each day, so Ruth will be taking a little longer than 90 days.

A married couple is reading out loud to one another; the wife reported that it's taking longer than they expected because they find themselves stopping to talk about interesting bits.

The woman reading as she doing the treadmill finds that it makes her exercise time go by so much faster.

A group of you are getting up at 5 AM and reading your 12 pages (this challenge started by a mom of four young children).

A woman is surprised how quickly the reading is going; it's easier for her reading the Bible chapter by chapter rather than skipping around.

Another way to read and a chance to serve

One of our Pastoral Partners is planning to do some of his Bible in 90 Days daily readings while visiting one of our homebound parishioners in Tomball and reading aloud to her. He thought some of you might enjoy joining him on the schedule. He's creating a reading calendar, and if you'd like to read to Ruth one day (or more), please contact Ken at kmon4958@mail.com.

Four More Days

We got fifteen additional copies of the Essential Bible Companion in today. Thanks, Pete, for fetching them for us. They are on the table in the welcoming area. The cost is $12. (Oops! Now there's fourteen; someone just came by and picked one up).

We've also posted a baner on the "commitment wall" in the nave (worship area) for each of us to sign that we've accepted the challenge to read the Bible in 90 Days.

Five days to go and a preview

Some of us started the Bible in 90 Days today. Actually, in our class this morning, one member admitted she'd started about a month ago and was over half way through. She'd taken the time after lunch when she usually read a novel and was using it to read the Bible.

I've decided to try the listening method. I downloaded week one from audible.com and listened to it driving to and from a meeting. I not only listened my way through the first day, I'm into the second. Listening to those genealogies is not a bad thing.

Did you notice that we've added a third class on Sunday evenings after the 5.30 Eucharist?

Only six more days!

Are your ready to begin? Subscribe to the daily email from the Bible in 90 days.

The Bible in 90 Days

On June 6, for those of us who accept the challenge, we will begin our summer journey of reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Why are we reading the Bible in 90 Days (actually 88 days; we get two days off)? Pete P., a member of our parish, introduced the possibility to us last January. Hear what he has to say about his personal experience of reading the Bible from beginning to end:

I completed the task in February of this year. It is a phenomenal eye-opening experience. The concentrated effort to read 12 pages a day is challenging.
The knowledge gained by this concentrated effort has been a marvelous revelation to me. To see God’s Love through his Covenant lived out in history… to see His forgiveness as man ignores His Commandments, then returns and becomes obedient…to read the words of the Prophets… and then enjoy the fulfillment of their prophecy in the life of Christ is awesome. Knowing Christ through the Gospels and writings of Paul and other Apostles completes the journey. I look back with pride for having completed the task, but also with renewed faith in our Triune God.

For what it’s worth, my testimony is filled with stories of 45 years of participating in church and related tasks such as Lay Reader, Choir member, Youth group sponsor, Sunday school teacher, Superintendent of Sunday School etc…in summary “doing church”. I accepted Christ as Savior and Lord of my life as a result of the inspiration of the Bible Study group of men that is now in it’s 27th year of regular Friday morning meetings. I have been part of it continuously for 26 years. My life changed. Before, I had to understand things in order to believe. Now because I believe, I understand. I approached reading the Bible with the fundamental philosophy that… “God said it…I believe it… That settles it.” Reading the Bible in 90 days became an eye opening, mind filling experience because of my belief that what I was reading was what God wants me to know.

As for the logistics of study:

• Before I started each day, I would pray. I chose Proper 28 (p. 184 of the Book of Common Prayer) “Blessed Lord, who has caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them; that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou has given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN”
• As I began a new book in the Bible, I studied the appropriate pages in The Essential Bible Companion. This gave me insight to the time, geography and purpose of the writing. I might reread this each day as I started so that I was connected.
• When I finished each book, I would reread the companion again. (Keep in mind that you are reading 12 pages a day regardless of when a book begins and ends.)
• I would read in a quiet place.
• Usually it would take an hour to an hour and 15 minutes to complete each day’s reading. I am a slow reader, but found that the NIV is pretty easy to get through. There are some places that can slow a reader down. At that point I tried to determine will it really make a difference if I know who is related to whom or do I really need to know how to build a temple. I tried to avoid becoming bogged down in relatively insignificant details. New Testament reading is much more familiar, but also “heavier”. It takes more time to inwardly digest how Christ is calling us to live. Having an “accountability group” (the class of 4 that I met with weekly) kept things moving and did not permit the procrastinator in me to surface.

Pete concludes:

In summary, it’s like drinking from a fire hydrant. It can be overwhelming, but it can be done. I am living proof. If I can do it, anybody can do it.