Week of December 27 Readings

Merry Christmas. Here are our readings for the upcoming week.

Dec 27: 1Sam 25-26; Luke 12:32-59
Dec 28: 1Sam 27-29; Luke 13:1-22
Dec 29: 1Sam 30-31; Luke 13:23-35
Dec 30: 2Sam 1-2; Luke 14:1-24
Dec 31: 2Sam 3-5; Luke 14:25-35
Jan 1: 2Sam 6-8; Luke 15:1-10
Jan 2: 2Sam 9-11; Luke 15:11-32

Peace on earth.

Week of December 20 Readings

Merry Christmas!

Here are our readings for the upcoming week:

Dec 20: 1Sam 7-9; Luke 9:18-36
Dec 21: 1Sam 10-12; Luke 9:37-62
Dec 22: 1Sam 13-14; Luke 10:1-24
Dec 23: 1Sam 15-16; Luke 10:25-42
Dec 24: 1Sam 17-18; Luke 11:1-28
Dec 25: 1Sam 19-21; Luke 11:29-54
Dec 26: 1Sam 22-24; Luke 12:1-31

We are in 1 Samuel and the Gospel of Luke.

Some comments about 1 Samuel. The book is set geographically in the territory of Canaan or Israel. Occasionally the action moves into coastal Philistia or east of the Jordan River. Chronologically, the book covers the last years of Israel's tribal confederacy and the reigns of Israel's first and second kings -- Saul [1020-1000 BC] and David [1000-961 BC].

1 Samuel adheres to what is known as the Deuteronomic History. Namely, if the nation is faithful to God, it will prosper. If the nation is unfaithful to God, the nation will suffer military defeats. If the nation does not repent of its unfaithfulness, it will cease to exist. 1 Samuel shares this understanding of history with the other books of the Former Prophets -- Joshua, Judges, 2 Samuel, and Kings.

Biblical scholar Carol Grizzard notes that 1 Samuel has two interlocking themes. One, the importance of good government. Two, the complexity of relationships -- between people and God and among people.

Happy reading.

Week of December 13 Readings

Here are the readings for the upcoming week:

Dec 13: Jud 11-12; Luke 6:1-26
Dec 14: Jud 13-15; Luke 6:27-49
Dec 15: Jud 16-18; Luke 7:1-30
Dec 16: Jud 19-21; Luke 7:31-50
Dec 17: Ruth 1-4; Luke 8:1-25
Dec 18: 1Sam 1-3; Luke 8:26-56
Dec 19: 1Sam 4-6; Luke 9:1-17

We will be finishing up Judges, reading all of Ruth in a day, continuing in Luke, and beginning 1 Samuel.

Ruth is a story about redemption. It tells the story of a woman named Naomi who lived in Bethlehem during the time of the judges. When famine strikes, Naomi and her sons take refuge in Moab. Her sons marry Moabite women. In turn, Naomi's husband and sons die.

Grief-stricken and bitter, Naomi returns to Bethlehem. She is accompanied by her Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth -- an outsider who is shunned by Israelites. Ruth, who proves extraordinarily faithful to her mother-in-law, becomes the instrument of God's redemption through the birth of a son, Obed. One of Obed's descendants will be David, the ancestor of Judah's messianic line of kings.

On the surface, Ruth is about the restoration of family property and the healing of a break in the family tree. But the author of the book uses symbolic names, word plays, and purposeful repetition of significant phrases to tell the story as an extended parable. Obed's birth, which represents redemption for Naomi, foreshadows David's birth, who begins the line of kings that promises redemption for all God's people.

Happy reading.

Peace.

Week of December 6 Readings

Keep reading . . . We are nearing the 25% mark.

Dec 6: Josh 16-18; Luke 2:1-24
Dec 7: Josh 19-21; Luke 2:25-52
Dec 8: Josh 22-24; Luke 3
Dec 9: Jud 1-3; Luke 4:1-30
Dec 10: Jud 4-6; Luke 4:31-44
Dec 11: Jud 7-8; Luke 5:1-16
Dec 12: Jud 9-10; Luke 5:17-39

Week of November 29 Readings

Well, well, well. You are about to complete Deuteronomy and Mark. Job well done. But, keep reading.

In the coming week you will begin reading Joshua and Luke.

Joshua is a turning point. The Israelites will no longer be landless wanderers. They will be a people with a place to be, the promised land. Joshua tells the story of this transition.

Luke is the perfect gospel to be reading as we approach Christmas. One of portions unique to Luke's gospel is the narrative of Jesus' birth. Other distinguishing marks of Luke are his lengthy travel accounts and his deep concern for the marginalized and the dispossessed.

Luke's message is salvation. Jesus has come to restore Israel as a light to the nations so that all may be saved by grace through Abraham-like faithfulness..

Peace.

Here we go . . .

Nov 30: Deut 32-34; Mark 15:26-47
Dec 1: Josh 1-3; Mark 16
Dec 2: Josh 4-6; Luke 1:1-20
Dec 3: Josh 7-9; Luke 1:21-38
Dec 4: Josh 10-12; Luke 1:39-56
Dec 5: Josh 13-15; Luke 1:57-80

Week of November 22 Readings

Here are our readings for next week:

Nov 22: Deut 10-12; Mark 12:1-27
Nov 23: Deut 13-15; Mark 12:28-44
Nov 24: Deut 16-18; Mark 13:1-20
Nov 25: Deut 19-21; Mark 13:21-37
Nov 26: Deut 22-24; Mark 14:1-26
Nov 27: Deut 25-27; Mark 14:27-53
Nov 28: Deut 28-29; Mark 14:54-72

Keep up the important work and happy reading.

Peace.

Week of November 15 Readings

Week of November 15 Readings:

Nov 15: Num 26-28; Mark 8
Nov 16: Num 29-31; Mark 9:1-29
Nov 17: Num 32-34; Mark 9:30-50
Nov 18: Num 35-36; Mark 10:1-31
Nov 19: Deut 1-3; Mark 10:32-52
Nov 20: Deut 4-6; Mark 11:1-18
Nov 21: Deut 7-9; Mark 11:19-33

You have completed Numbers. Congratulations!

In the coming week you will continue reading the gospel of Mark and begin reading Deuteronomy [deutero = second; nomos = law].

Deuteronomy means "second law". Deuteronomy lists the laws given to Israel when they had arrived at the edge of the Jordan River just prior to entering the Promised Land of Canaan. The laws are accompanied by a series of sermons by Moses explaining the origin of the laws as well as their importance for Israel.

The central themes of Deuteronomy focus on Israel's nature and unique status. Israel is to be one nation, living under one law in one land, devoted to the one and only true and living God. Israel risks its national life by neglecting its nature and status. Gross failures on Israel's part to live as God's people will result in punishment.

Moses reminds Israel of its covenant with God. There are but two choices related to the covenant: obedience or disobedience; blessing or curse. Moses admonishes obedience and blessing. He warns against disobedience and curse.

Happy reading. Peace.

Week of November 8 Readings

Here are next week's readings:

Nov 8: Num 7-8; Mark 4:21-41
Nov 9: Num 9-11; Mark 5:1-20
Nov 10: Num 12-14; Mark 5:21-43
Nov 11: Num 15-16; Mark 6:1-29
Nov 12: Num 17-19; Mark 6:30-56
Nov 13: Num 20-22; Mark 7:1-13
Nov 14: Num 23-25; Mark 7:14-37

Here is a "fun fact" about Mark's gospel. It is the only gospel that calls itself a gospel. Gospel has three possible meanings: gospel as literary genre; gospel as theological message; and gospel as authoritative canonical writing for a religious community. Mark is all three.

According to biblical scholar Lamar Williamson, the gospel of Mark is "a collection of traditions about Jesus presented in story form, a narrative constituting good news about God and his kingdom, and a writing which occupies a place of fundamental importance in the Scriptures of the church. The purpose of Mark's Gospel is to bear witness to Jesus Christ as proclaimer and embodiment of the Kingdom of God, and to challenge readers to follow him in anticipation of his final coming as Son of Man." [Mark by Lamar Williamson, John Knox Press, 1983]

Happy reading and keep up the important work.

Peace.

Weeks of Oct 25 and Nov 1 Readings

I've posted two weeks of readings.

Keep up the good work. You are almost through Leviticus. I know, I know. It's tough reading, but you are almost there. At least you have Matthew.

Soon, you will be reading Mark. Mark is the earliest of the four gospels of the New Testament. Mark was a source used by Matthew and Luke as they composed their gospels.

Jesus' identity in Mark is announced early in the gospel. He is God's Son. However, this information is kept secret until Jesus' crucifixion. Throughout the gospel, everyone fails to comprehend who Jesus is and the nature of his mission.

The key to understanding Jesus in Mark is the Cross and Resurrection. Jesus' death on the cross for the sins of the world is God's will. God's resurrection of Jesus vindicates Jesus' life and death.

The readings:

Oct 25: Lev 8-10; Matt 25:31-46
Oct 26: Lev 11-12; Matt 26:1-25
Oct 27: Lev 13; Matt 26:26-50
Oct 28: Lev 14; Matt 26:51-75
Oct 29: Lev 15-16; Matt 27:1-26
Oct 30: Lev 17-18; Matt 27:27-50
Oct 31: Lev 19-20; Matt 27:51-66
Nov 1: Lev 21-22; Matt 28
Nov 2: Lev 23-24; Mark 1:1-22
Nov 3: Lev 25; Mark 1:23-45
Nov 4: Lev 26-27; Mark 2
Nov 5: Num 1-2; Mark 3:1-19
Nov 6: Num 3-4; Mark 3:20-35
Nov 7: Num 5-6; Mark 4:1-20

Week of Oct 18 Readings

Here are our readings for the upcoming week:

Oct 18: Ex 31-33; Matt 22: 1-22
Oct 19: Ex 34-35; Matt 22:23-46
Oct 20: Ex 36-38; Matt 23:1-22
Oct 21: Ex 39-40; Matt 23:23-39
Oct 22: Lev 1-3; Matt 24:1-28
Oct 23: Lev 4-5; Matt 24:29-51
Oct 24: Lev 6-7; Matt 25:1-30

Congratulations! You are about to complete your second full book of the Bible, Exodus.

Also, hang in there. You will be embarking on the book of Leviticus. Leviticus is filled with regulations designed to insure a holy life. Since God is holy, God's people are to be holy.

Leviticus provides instructions for the Israelites regarding religious sacrifices, what is clean and unclean, diet, religious festivals, ethics, sexual relations, blasphemy, Sabbath, jubilee years, blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.

Leviticus takes its name from the priestly tribe of Levi. Originally, the book was designated by rabbis as the manual for priests.

Leviticus forms the heart of the Jewish law, Torah. It is often used to introduce Jewish children to the basic elements of Judaism.

Week of Oct 11 Readings

Here are our readings for the week of October 11. Keep up the great work.

Oct 11: Ex 16-18; Matt 18:1-20
Oct 12: Ex 19-20; Matt 18:21-35
Oct 13: Ex 21-22; Matt 19
Oct 14: Ex 23-24; Matt 20:1-16
Oct 15: Ex 25-26; Matt 20:17-34
Oct 16: Ex 27-28; Matt 21:1-22
Oct 17: Ex 29-30; Matt 21:23-46

Happy reading.

Significance of the Exodus

The single most important event in the New Testament is the resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ. The New Testament doesn’t make sense apart from God liberating us from the bondage of sin and death through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The single most important event in the Old Testament is the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. The Old Testament doesn’t make sense apart from God liberating the Israelites from the bondage of slavery in Egypt through the exodus led by Moses.

Both the resurrection and the exodus tell us an awful lot about God. They tell us that God loves us deeply, hears our cries, and acts decisively to deliver us from bondage to freedom.

Peace.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Gospel

Gospel means simply "good news." Many of us have probably been asked whether we believe the gospel. The better question would be do we live it. Let me explain.

I belong to a Christian tradition -- Presbyterian -- that has equated gospel with the watch words of the 16th Protestant Reformation, namely "justification by grace through faith." Those are good watch words. They are true. They are right out of Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome. But they don't equate with the gospel.

According to Jesus, the gospel is embodied in his words "The kingdom of God is at hand." Jesus says these words repeatedly right before very important things happen in the gospels of the New Testament. In other words, the kingdom is in and through him. The kingdom announced by Jesus is a new way of life, that looks and sounds and feels like the life Jesus lived.

Affirming theological truths has its place, but it's only one patch on the quilt. Living in the way of Jesus, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, is the quilt's border that gives meaning to each and every patch within the quilt.

The God of the Bible

If we are candid, there are depictions of God in the Bible that are troublesome. God comes off as tribal and militaristic in places, even violent. It is difficult to reconcile such depictions with the God revealed to us in Jesus Christ.

Brian McLaren, as well others, suggest that we understand less than savory depictions of God in scripture as particular ways in which our ancestor perceived God in their given time in geography and place in history.

In A New Kind of Christianity, McLaren writes: ". . . [H]uman beings can't do better than their very best at any given moment to communicate about God as they understand God, and the Scripture faithfully reveals the evolution of our ancestor's best attempts to communicate their successive best understandings of God. As human capacity grows to conceive of a higher and wiser view of God, each new vision is faithfully preserved in Scripture like fossils in layers of sediment."

Peace.

The Bible's Story Line, III

In the previous post I called attention to the predominant way in which the Bible has been read, namely as an account of a perfected creation marred by human sinfulness but rescued by God that resulted in salvation/heaven or damnation/hell.

In this post, I wish to suggest another reading, a reading articulated by Brian McLaren in A New Kind of Christianity.

According to McLaren, the biblical narrative is "a story of human foolishness and God's faithfulness, the human turn toward rebellion and God's turn toward reconciliation, the human intention toward evil and God's intention to overcome evil with good. It begins with God creating a good world, continues with human beings creating evil, and concludes with God creating good outcomes that overcome human evil."

The Bible's Story Line, II

According to Brian McLaren, since the fifth or sixth century Christians in the West have read the Bible from the perspective of one particular story line -- paradise, fall, condemnation, and salvation/heaven or damnation/hell.

I believe McLaren is on to something. That story line is doubtlessly there. But it is not the only one. In large part, it is the result of a "backwards" reading of the Bible; backwards in the sense of reading back across centuries and centuries of interpretation to Jesus. McLaren suggests a "forwards" reading of the Bible; forwards in the sense of reading forward through centuries and centuries of interpretation to Jesus.

This sounds rather semantic and perhaps even esoteric. But, really, it is not. A backwards reading allows one set of sources to interpret the Bible for us, for example Pope Benedict, Billy Graham, Jerry Falwell, John Calvin, John Wesley, Martin Luther, Erasmus, Aquinas, Augustine, St. Paul to mention a few. A forwards reading allows another set of sources to interpret the Bible for us, for example Abraham, Moses, King David, Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, again to name a few.

Peace.

The Bible's Story Line

Currently, I am reading Brian McLaren's A New Kind of Christianity. In his book, McLaren identifies what he believes are central questions for the new kind of Christianity that is emerging. One of those questions has to do with the biblical narrative.

According to McLaren, formerly persons read the Bible "as a series of disconnected quotes and episodes yielding maxims, rules, formulas, anecdotes, propositions, and wise sayings . . . [with] little or no sense of the larger story into which the statements fit and in which their meaning took shape." McLaren notes that reading the Bible is such a way shrinks the text and in doing so shrinks us as well. He suggests exploring whether there is a discernable plotline of the biblical library. [By the way, there is one -- that will be another post.] What might the deep problems the original Christian story was trying to solve have been? According to the Bible, what is the big picture, like where did we come from and where are we going and where are we now?

Paine on the Bible

Here is a challenge to undertake not only reading the Bible through in a year, but also seeking to better understand it. Eighteenth century revolutionary pamphleteer Thomas Paine, best known for Common Sense, wrote: "The Bible is a book that has been read more and examined less than any book that ever existed."

Twain on the Bible

Many of you who know me are aware that one of my favorite authors is Mark Twain. By many accounts, including his own, Twain was a Presbyterian. He ruminated often and at length on religious topics.

On more than one occasion, I have quoted Twain in a sermon. I am fond of what he had to say about the Bible. Twain wrote: "Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand." Something to consider as we embark on our reading adventure in the fall.

Peace.

Begin Here: Welcome

Christians in a Presbyterian way value the Bible. That is a understatement. The Bible is a means of grace through which God reveals God and declares to the world God's will. The Westminster Confession of Faith of 1647 calls the Bible "most necessary."

Beginning September 15, 2010, First Presbyterian Church of Winchester, Virginia is launching a Bible in a Year reading program. By reading four chapters a day, three from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament, a person can complete the Bible in 365 days.

This blog will post the weekly readings and allow for questions and comments regarding the readings. The following link provides the readings for the entire year. Simply copy and paste it to your address bar: http://www.ewordtoday.com/year/31/osep15.htm

Pledge now to read the Bible in a year. Use the blog for support in accomplishing the task.

Of course, reading the Bible is for more than informational purposes. It is also for transformational purposes. Listen for the word God has for you as you seek to be faithful to God.

Peace,
Dan McCoig