The Prayerbook of the Church

I am deep into Psalms these days.  It is a good place to be.  To be able to join in the songs and prayers that God's people have been lifting up for generations is a blessing.

What is your prayerbook?  Where do you go time and again for inspiration and consolation?

Where do you hear the voice of God most clearly?

33% Through

It has been quite a while since I've checked in, but while I haven't written, I have been reading.  I am currently in 2 Chronicles and this has been an amazing journey.

When you read huge chunks of the Bible at a time it is almost like flying over a landscape.  Some things are difficult to see.  You sometimes miss the detail.  What you get instead is a view from the mountaintop. You can see the sweeping themes and changes that are occurring.  You get an idea of the scope of God's plan for God's people.

A real struggle has been with the killing.  There is a lot of killing in the Old Testament.  This was not a surprise to me, but when you are going through 10 chapters a day it can be a bit overwhelming.  What is God trying to say in these passages?  Is it relevant for me today?  How would I preach about entire cities being wiped out?

This is all part of wrestling with the Bible.  The Bible is God's word written down by human hands.  You cannot separate the words on the page from the knowledge that humans wrote this down, collected it, translated it and now we try to comprehend it.  What are the parts of the Bible that are the hardest for you?  (If there isn't a part of scripture that troubles you, then you probably aren't reading closely enough.)

As I'm reading now, the people are rapidly approaching exile.  This is a terrible time brought on by their disobedience.  As I read this I also think about my own disobedience.  Talk about terrifying.

Keep reading and let me know where you are at.

Peace,
Will

Genesis Into Exodus

The amazing thing about reading the Bible in 90 days is just how fast you go through a book.  Genesis took 4 days and Exodus will take three.  Whew!

What also amazed me was what wasn't in the text.  Do you remember all those neighbors of Noah who mocked him for building the ark?  Me too.  And yet, they aren't there.  Why did I insert them?

I love the word of God and it is thrilling to undertake this challenge, and I also look forward to going back to a more leisurely pace of reading. 

What is your favorite part of the Bible?  Today I read the first 15 chapters of Exodus and the promise of freedom that is proclaimed again and again is better than any Tom Cruise action film. 

Peace,
Will

Eat This Book!

One of my favorite authors is Eugene Peterson.  (You may know him as the guy behind the Message translation of the Bible.)  One of his books is called "Eat this Book" and it is about devouring scripture.  I highly recommend it.  

I was thinking about Peterson's book when I decided to take a Bible reading challenge.  I'm going to read the entire Bible in 90 days.  The plan says this works out to about 12 pages a day, which is definitely a chunk and entirely doable.  What is even cooler is my wife has agreed to join me.  I'm going to be using this space to reflect some on what hits me as I read.  

(I'll be reading the Message translation.)

The first day (Feb. 8) we read the first 16 chapters of Genesis.  To go from creation to Abram in one setting was kind of a blur, but there were so many little details that I noticed and even more interesting were the details that I had added over the years.  For some reason I clearly remember Noah's neighbors making fun of the ark construction.  Not in there.  

Even in these first 16 chapters I see the efforts God is making on our behalf.  God created us.  God loves us.  God wants the best for us.  I know I'll be seeing even more of those themes as I journey.

Peace,

Will

The Time is Now!

Mark 1:15 - Jesus said, The time is come, the kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe in the good news.


I am a natural born procrastinator.  If something can wait till tomorrow, I usually let it.  I'm not someone to  miss deadlines or be late for appointments, but I do push the limits quite often.  Unfortunately for my lazy tendencies, Mark 1:15 has been convicting me lately.


If Jesus said, "The time is come, the kingdom of God is near" shouldn't I pay attention?  My natural inclination may be to procrastinate, but I've notice that God is not a procrastinator.  I've  noticed that God constantly surprises me with kingdom opportunities if I'm ready for them.


What kingdom opportunities do you see today?  The time is now!

A New Song For 2012

The Bible is full of songs and people singing.  I think of the psalmist crying out, "how long must I sing this song" to the joy of "sing to the Lord a new song."


So as we enter a new year, what kind of song are you singing?  Is it a song of lament or a song of praise?


A dear friend shared with me Shawn McDonald's song "Rise" and I think it is a great one for a new year. (You can check it out here  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WroRx8vqy8  on youtube.)


I would love to hear what your songs for 2012 are.

Peace,
Will

Advent!

The greatest gift we have is a relationship with our God.  In this season of Advent we prepare our hearts for the celebration of Christ's birth.  How do we do that?  Here is a start.  Follow the link below and get started on the journey.

http://www.montanasynod.org/newsletters/1111/AdventDevotionBooklet.pdf

Blessings!