The 2012 Bible Challenge

Dear friends,

I am forwarding the Diocese of Connecticut eNews for this week because of the first full article: 2012: Make it the year to read the entire Bible - Take the Bible Challenge.

I shared this with the Holy Needles knitting and crocheting people this past Saturday, and again yesterday in Practicing Prayer. Some of us are taking up the challenge.

There are various ways to read the entire Bible. Some of them are available through one of the links in the eNews article, at http://www.thecenterforbiblicalstudies.org/ - the live link is in the article. I'm choosing to begin at the beginning and keep going until I am done. It may take me more than a year, it may take my less. Doesn't matter. The main think is to read mindfully - paying attention. You will not like everything you read. Not everything you read will be instructive. And lots of surprises await you as well.

Here's what I'm doing. I am in the habit of reading Morning Prayer every day, or at least some version of doing prayers in the morning. Beginning today I will read as much of scripture as I want to, then read a psalm (I'm taking them in order), than say the Lord's Prayer and sit in silence for the rest of my prayers. I will finish with walking the Labyrinth painted on the parking lot at Grace. Today I read the first 10 chapters of Genesis and the first section of chapter 11 (the tower of Babel).

I am pondering ways we can share what we see, hear, feel, as we read, each of us on, most likely, a different program but all committed to the same spiritual discipline. First, there is Holy Needles on the first and third Saturdays at 10:30 in the Memorial Room. This is as much a conversation group as it is a working group. No one has to be knitting or crocheting. You can just drop by for a chat. That's one place where we could check in with one another. Second, there is Practicing Prayer, on the second Sunday of each month at 11:30 in the Parlor. There is also Facebook. Grace has a Facebook page. We could set up a discussion group on that page. It does mean you have to be on Facebook, I think. So what about everyone else.

This email is also printed and sent to 22 households that do not have computers. What about those people?If there is enough interest, we might have a multitude of opportunities to share, including Sunday mornings at 8:30?

If you are going to take up the challenge to read the entire Bible this year and let it work on you, please reply to this email so we can pray for and support one another, and find ways to share our insights.

God bless you all,
Lois Keen
(revlois1@yahoo.com, 203-866-8426)

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From the Web Master:

Here are some resources for reading the Bible in one year:

• One Year Bible Online


• Bible Gateway's Comprehensive Bible Reading Plan (365 Days) You can also subscribe to one of their reading plans via email here.


• Bible Reading Calendar from Gideons International. There is a printable checklist version available here.

If you have other resources, please share them in a comment.