Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Week of Oct 4 Readings

Well, we are three weeks in. Genesis, almost completed. Matthew, half-way point. Keep up the good work. Remember, a spiritual reading diet of four chapters of the Bible daily and in a year's time you will have read all sixty-six books of the Bible.

Hopefully, you are finding the project transformational as well as informational. I am enjoying all the questions and comments so many of you are sharing with me on Sunday mornings.

Here are the next week's readings:

Oct 4: Gen 49-50; Matt 13:31-58
Oct 5: Ex 1-3; Matt 14:1-21
Oct 6: Ex 4-6; Matt 14:22-36
Oct 7: Ex 7-8; Matt 15:1-20
Oct 8: Ex 9-11; Matt 15:21-39
Oct 9: Ex 12-13; Matt 16
Oct 10: Ex 14-15; Matt 17

Happy reading.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Week of Sept 27 Readings

Here they are:

Sep 27: Gen 31-32; Matt 9:18-38
Sep 28: Gen 33-35; Matt 10:1-20
Sep 29: Gen 36-38; Matt 10:21-42
Sep 30: Gen 39-40; Matt 11
Oct 1: Gen 41-42; Matt 12:1-23
Oct 2: Gen 43-45; Matt 12:24-50
Oct 3: Gen 46-48; Matt 13:1-30

At the end of next week, we will have nearly completed Genesis. Note that beginning with Genesis 36 we are in the Joseph cycle of stories, which reads like a novella. The Joseph stories can be a bit surprising and perhaps even disturbing to someone reading them for the first time. There is family strife, deceit, favoritism, jealousy, and violence. But there is also reconciliation and restoration.

Happy reading.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

One Week Down

We are one week into our Bible in a Year reading program, meaning you have read 19 chapters in Genesis and six chapters in Matthew. Remember, four chapters a day means that in 365 days you will have read the entire Bible.

More than sixty persons are participating, that we know of. Some folks have said they are reading along, but have not registered their participation. Also, to date our blog has received more than 1000 visits. The visits are mostly by way of the church's website and the church's Facebook page. Other visits come from the Internet in general by way of a search engine.

In our Genesis readings, we have moved from the primeval history into the patriarchal history. The patriarchs of Israel are Abraham [Gen. 12-24], Isaac [Gen. 25-36], and Jacob [Gen. 25-36]. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are the pioneers of biblical faith. According to biblical scholar Albrecht Alt, the religion of the patriarchs is a religion of God's guiding promise. In the patriarchal history, we read about God leading, guiding, and guarding the patriarchs and their community.

In our Matthew readings, we are in the middle of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount [Matt. 5-7]. Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is one of five major discourses in Matthew's Gospel. Each discourse instructs and shapes the identity and lifestyle of Jesus' followers.

Happy reading.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Walter Brueggemann on Genesis 1-11

Walter Brueggemann is an Old Testament scholar and theologian of some note. In the early 1980s, he published what has become the standard commentary on Genesis.

In his Genesis commentary, Brueggemann writes: "The first eleven chapters of Genesis are among the most important in Scripture. They are among the best known (in a stereotyped way). And they are frequently the most misunderstood. Misunderstandings of substance likely occur because the style and character of the literature is misunderstood. A faithful understanding of these materials requires that interpreters be clear about the nature of the material presented and the relationship it has to the remainder of Scripture."

Brueggemann goes on to assert that Genesis 1-11, known as the primeval history among biblical scholars, is neither history nor myth. It is proclamation. The writers, most likely two -- one writing as early as the 10th century BCE, the J source, and the other writing during the 6th century BCE Babylonian exile, the P source -- are proclaiming God's decisive dealing with God's creation.

[Note: J = the first Latin letter of Yahweh/Jehovah, which is the preferred name for God of this source; P = stands for the priestly source because of its very formal, well educated style of writing and emphasis on matters related to cultic observances and worship. BCE = Before Common or Christian Era.]

Happy reading.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Week of Sept 20 Readings

We begin our year-long reading program today. My goal is to post a week's readings in advance. The readings will be from a Monday through a Sunday. So, there is a little overlap between last week's readings post and this week's readings post. Next week, we will be on schedule.

Week of September 20 Readings:

Sep 20: Gen 16-17; Matt 5:27-48
Sep 21: Gen 18-19; Matt 6:1-18
Sep 22: Gen 20-22; Matt 6:19-34
Sep 23: Gen 23-24; Matt 7
Sep 24: Gen 25-26; Matt 8:1-17
Sep 25: Gen 27-28; Matt 8:18-34
Sep 26: Gen 29-30; Matt 9:1-17

Keep up the good work. Four chapters a day is more than doable. In less than two weeks, you will have completed more than half of the book of Genesis and nearly a third of Matthew's Gospel.

Peace.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Some Thoughts on Genesis

By nature, humans are curious. We want to know things. We like to know things. We become agitated when we don't know things.

The creation stories in Genesis are, in part, a product of curiosity. The very early Israelites wondered where it call came from and why it is here. With a little imagination, one can envision the Israelites in exile in 6th century BCE Babylon singing or chanting the creation story to affirm that their God -- and not the Babylonian god, Marduk -- spoke the cosmos into existence, ordered it, and declared it very, very good.

Too often, we get stuck on the details of creation and lose sight of the big picture. Did creation come to be in six 24 hour days? Quite frankly, that's the wrong question. From whence came creation and what are we to make of it all? That's a better question. God made it. And, it is good.

Happy reading.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Week of Sept 14 Readings

Well, friends, our reading program is exactly one week away. Ready?

Here are the readings for Week #1:

Sept 15: Gen 1-3; Matt 1
Sept 16: Gen 4-6; Matt 2
Sept 17: Gen 7-9; Matt 3
Sept 18: Gen 10-12; Matt 4
Sept 19: Gen 13-15; Matt 5:1-26
Sept 20: Gen 16-17; Matt 5:27-48
Sept 21: Gen 18-19; Matt 6:1-18

As you will recall, by reading three chapters from the Old Testament and one chapter from New Testament daily you can read the entire Bible in a year's time. So, let's do it.

We are beginning our journey in Genesis and Matthew.

Genesis, the first book of the Bible, is a story of beginnings -- the beginning of the world, the beginning of Israel, the beginning of faith. Theologically, Genesis affirms everything that is begins by the purpose and speech of God.

Matthew, though not the earliest gospel, is the first book of the New Testament. Matthew tells the story of God drawing near to humanity in Jesus to dwell with us. Matthew summons us to see God uniquely at work in Jesus and to trust Jesus. Through trust we become God's children and citizen's of God's rule and way in the world.

Happy reading! I look forward to hearing about your journey.

Peace.