Research has shown that Christians struggle to read the Bible regularly, so this is a good starting point for Biblefresh. By ‘reading’ we don’t just mean looking at the words on the page, but whatever it takes for you to ingest the Word of God, whether that’s listening to a podcast or watching a dramatic reading.
Whilst we want to encourage personal Bible reading, we recognise that the Bible was written to be read in community. When we study the Bible together rather than alone, we are less likely to skew the message, as each person brings a different perspective.
Why not make 2011 a year to read through the whole Bible as a church? There are plenty of schemes to help you, several with online commentary and forums. Or you could focus in on some books that you’ve never really read before. Have a look at some of these resources to help you decide.
And of course, if we study the Bible together, an ecumenical group is likely to benefit from a wider range of approaches and insights. To take this line of thought a step forward, it might be worth exploring scriptural reasoning. They write: 'Scriptural Reasoning is the communal practice of reading sacred scriptures, in small groups, together. Normally the passages of scripture chosen are Jewish, Christian and Muslim and are linked together by a particular issue, theme, story or image. When read together in this way participants – or “reasoners” - have found that astonishing, powerful and, at times, quite surprising, new conversations and relationships may open up.'
No comments:
Post a Comment