Engaging Scripture
To give up our fear of scripture is potentially a very scary thing.
For then it may have a whole new power and calling in our lives.
To be intimate with scripture means that we can no longer be casual observers.
We have to enter into the messy business of wrestling with God
and daring to claim some authority as a translator of the text
into the language of our own experience.
For then it may have a whole new power and calling in our lives.
To be intimate with scripture means that we can no longer be casual observers.
We have to enter into the messy business of wrestling with God
and daring to claim some authority as a translator of the text
into the language of our own experience.
"By your words
I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path." --Psalm 119:105, The Message "Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it's written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next." --Romans 15:4, The Message |
How do you interpret the Bible?
Is it difficult to find time to read the Bible because you struggle with its Origins, Authority, or Interpretation? Marcus Borg has some important thoughts on how to Reclaim the Bible.
Watch the video below and see if it helps you take the Bible seriously again.
Find someone to share your thoughts with at church or at home.
Watch the video below and see if it helps you take the Bible seriously again.
Find someone to share your thoughts with at church or at home.
A Place to Begin
Instead of thinking the only question is, “What do I make of the Bible?”
consider this alternative,
“What does the Bible make of me and of us together?”
consider this alternative,
“What does the Bible make of me and of us together?”
Lectio DivinaLectio Divina literally means "divine reading." This holy reading is a
way of praying the words of the Bible. Early Christians used lectio divina as a meditative tool to go deeper with God and these holy texts. |
Using the Lectionary
The lectionary is a pre-selected collection of scriptural readings from the Bible that can be used for worship, study or other theological uses. Some congregations of the United Church of Christ use the Revised Common Lectionary which follows the liturgical year in a 3-year cycle and provides scriptural recommendations that compliment
the current season of the liturgical year.
Wikipedia Article on The Revised Common Lectionary
Vanderbilt University Library Resource on the Lectionary
the current season of the liturgical year.
Wikipedia Article on The Revised Common Lectionary
Vanderbilt University Library Resource on the Lectionary
Weekly SeedsWeekly Seeds is a weekly email summary of our popular resource from the UCC for
lectionary-based Bible study. It includes next Sunday's Bible reading, a brief meditation, and reflections from ancient or contemporary sources. Sign up and you will receive one each week by email. |
Different Versions of the BibleReading the Bible devotionally, or for study, is enhanced by comparing Scripture from several versions. This is made easier from online sites that offer over 20 versions. Just type in the verses you are interested in and gain new insight.
|
Bible Odyssey: People, Places, and Passages
Explore the fascinating origins of the Bible and its eventful history. On Bible Odyssey, the world’s leading scholars share the latest historical and literary research on key people, places, and passages of the Bible.
A PRAYER BEFORE READING THE BIBLE
Gracious God, open the windows of my soul
to the power and presence to be found in the holy words of Scripture.
There are times when what I read seems confusing or unreasonable,
and times when what I read softens and soothes the raggedness of my life with quiet joy. Help me be receptive to both.
When the complexity of human life and the wonder of divine life meet in the words of Scripture, help me to trust that meaning lies within my soul, where you dwell.
May what I read lead me to grow more and more into your likeness.
I ask this for the sake of your love. Amen.
Gracious God, open the windows of my soul
to the power and presence to be found in the holy words of Scripture.
There are times when what I read seems confusing or unreasonable,
and times when what I read softens and soothes the raggedness of my life with quiet joy. Help me be receptive to both.
When the complexity of human life and the wonder of divine life meet in the words of Scripture, help me to trust that meaning lies within my soul, where you dwell.
May what I read lead me to grow more and more into your likeness.
I ask this for the sake of your love. Amen.
Bible Reading Plans
The formation of scriptural imaginationLearning to read the Bible well and developing a scriptural way of living
requires slow reading, sustained attention and community, writes the New Testament scholar. |