During our vestry retreat this fall, we came to a prayerful conclusion that the best thing our church can be doing on a daily basis is reading God’s Word. The first installment to this end was the Advent devotionals you all have been reading and writing. These have been so enjoyable for me as a glimpse into your faith, which is more precious than gold, and also a chance to reflect on Scripture daily. With Advent past and the coming of the New Year and Epiphany, there is no better time to jump into another challenge as a congregation.

 

People approach daily personal Bible reading in many ways. We’ve realized that this is true even within the vestry. Some folks use variations on the one year Bible, the daily office, specific devotionals written by favorite authors, or reading through books of the Bible over the course of days or weeks (not necessarily in the order they appear in the canon). I fall in the latter category.

 

So here is how it will work. If you want to join me this year, we will start with the Gospel of John, and will also include a daily Psalm. It will be 10-20 minutes of reading, which can be followed by 10-20 minutes of quiet reflection, praying, journaling, etc. I will send out a weekly email detailing what you should read within the week, maybe some historical context, maybe some outside resources, and we can use that email as a jumping board for discussion, reflection, or encouragement throughout the week.

 

Many people have already established a routine of daily personal time in the Scriptures, but many of you are probably like me, and can’t seem to find that 15-30 minutes every day despite finding it for other things. The reason for that, based on the survey we gathered from you all, has most to do with a lack of a plan. So here is one plan that’s available to you guys this year. If you’d like to join me you can email me at ServantReadingGroup1@gmail.com. I will also post on a private Facebook group called Servants of Christ Anglican Reading Group #1. If you would like to be added to this group please let me know in your email. I want to add a final note, that we will not likely make it through the entire Bible in one year, but my hope in going through less text is that we will have room to “read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest” that which we read every day.

 

In Christ,

Ethan Stonerook