My grandson is studying interpersonal communication as a precursor to a career in ministry. Since high school he has led a youth group each week and facilitates Sunday morning gatherings for youth. He has been vested in this calling for quite some time and his enthusiasm is unwavering. Prior to getting married this past February, he lived with me, as my home is less than a ten-minute drive to the parking lot at his college. So that I may get my facts straight when we discuss religion, I decided it was time to reread the Bible*. Frankly, it has been a very long time since I sat down and went through the entire Bible and I don’t think I’ve ever completed the reading within a year.
I visited Mardel, the Christian Bookstore that is owned by the Greenes who also own Hobby Lobby. I was in search of Christian leadership books for my grandson. During my visit I decided to look at Bibles, too. Admittedly, I was overwhelmed by the selections and, frankly, surprised by the price tags. In addition to Bibles and related books I searched for Read-the-Bible-in-a-Year plans. Back at home, I continued my search online.
For Christmas, my grandson gave me an Amazon gift card to apply to the purchase of a new television in the family room. The one I had was having trouble with all the streaming. I was not ready to expend the money for a new television, but I wanted a new Bible for accomplishing this year’s quest. I asked him if he would mind that I use the gift card to purchase a new Bible. I have several but the most-read ones also have highlights and notes from days gone by. This goal would be approached in a different manner. Needless to say, he was thrilled!
I purchased an artfully covered Bible and matching tabs which I painstakingly applied. Then I settled on the plan that I would begin on January 1. The plan is called “The Bible Recap” (TBR) and is published by founder Tara-Leigh Cobble. The approach is reading the Bible in a year in biblical chronological order. It is a delightful way to accomplish my goal.
Each day I open the app on my smart phone. The day-of-the-year and the date are highlighted in a box. The reading for the day is listed by book and chapters to be read for the day. Ahead of the list is a “devotional.” Multiple methods exist towards the same outcome. The passage may be read in a hard copy Bible or the selection can be read on the phone. Yet I discovered after a few days that I can listen and follow along. The gentleman’s voice is soothing and his pronunciation of difficult names is delightful. I don’t have to struggle through those unfamiliar sounds.
Upon completion of each day’s readings, I go back to the devotional where Tara-Leigh Cobble recaps the day’s readings. Her seven-minute review highlights important passages as she talks about the culture of the times in which the scrolls were recorded. On Wednesday’s she does a “check in” with additional information. During this review I take notes and sometimes highlight passages with my fancy new Bible markers, which are designed not to bleed through the thin pages.
Each time a new book of the Bible is begun, a video from The Bible Project does an overview of the book. These videos are fun as the author/narrator draws while explaining. I have found these invaluable in understanding the totality of the book, so much so that I am recording the day that a book is introduced so I can refer to the videos again if necessary. (See https://bibleproject.com/ )
Honestly, when I set this lofty goal, I feared I would fizzle out. But The Bible Recap is an excellent guidepost and makes reading even the challenging stories more palpable. To date I can boast I am on target!
Whether or not you are religious or Christian, if you want to explore the Bible in its totality, I highly recommend The Bible Recap. https://www.thebiblerecap.com/
*The author has read other religious and spiritual texts over the years. It is the author’s philosophy that to understand humanity it is helpful to have a broad knowledge of various teachings.
Silver Sage Sisters 