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Last fall we entered in to the adventure of reading the whole of the new Testament together as a church family. We used Bibles that had removed the verse and chapter numbers as well as the subject headings. We read each book of the New Testament in a format much truer to the original intent. The Gospels told the story of Jesus, from birth to death and resurrection, and Paul’s letters we read as letters. It was amazing the things we noticed with these simple changes. Each of us read stories or passages that we had never noticed before. Phrasing and structure seemed to come more to life. And through all that we gained a greater appreciation for God’s living word.
Equally exciting and influential was the time we spent in groups discussing our daily/weekly readings. We had two regular groups at the church that met, and a number of other informal groups all over. Each group asked one another the same 5 questions. “What is something you noticed for the first time? What questions did you have? Was there anything that bothered you? What did you learn about loving God? and What did you learn about loving others?” Basic and straightforward questions that helped us engage with God’s word in a freer way. We weren’t looking for a specific word or phrase, we weren’t filling in the blanks on a worksheet. We were simply reading, together, God’s Word. And through our interactions with each other we grew a fuller appreciation for the breadth and depth of God’s word.
This fall we’re adventuring together again. This year we’re starting in the Old Testament. We’ll be looking at the 5 books of the Torah, the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy). And we’ll be gathering together to discuss what we’ve read. We fully expect to again be transformed by reading God’s word in this way, and are excited to journey together.
If you have any questions or want to learn how you can join us, please feel free to contact Pastor Eric, and he’ll get you all set up!
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