Please don’t take this in the wrong way…but I decided that I am not going to read the Bible in 90 days or a year for that matter. Let me explain – the church that I attend is pushing for this new study that claims you can read the whole bible in 90 days. I was also presented with the opportunity to meet with a group of guys (outside of this community) who were going to read the bible in a year. We were going to meet weekly to hold each other accountable to our reading and all that stuff. I had to back out for fear of adding another night out and away from the family would burn me out.
When I was in college, my average load per semester was 18 hours. One of the classes that I loved and hated at the same time was History of Architecture. I loved the great lectures and slides, but my professor assigned tons of reading and was really proud of his ‘pop’ quizzes and very difficult test. I had this class for three semesters, and Professor Michel piled on the reading. At the beginning of every semester I had good intentions with keeping up with the reading assignments, but as soon as my studio projects kicked into gear along with Structures and all my others classes, my reading for Architectural History soon slipped. It came to the point where I realized at midterms that I had to read X amount of pages to be prepared to take the test. I would try to read, to catch up. I tried to read fast, but I soon realized that I wasn’t retaining anything and I was just reading for the sake of trying to catch up and stay on assignment. I gave up reading. It wasn’t doing me any good and it was a waste of time. I had learned that by studying class notes and bluffing my way through the essays could easily give me a ‘B.’ That is what I did. I had other classes to study for too.
I tell that story, because that is the same reason why I don’t want to read the Bible on a time-line. I don’t want reading the Bible to be something that I check off of the list. I have tried many times on the one year plan. Just like my History of Architecture class I start off strong, but then lag behind and fail miserably. I quit. I find my self reading or looking over the words quickly to catch up, but I don’t get anything out of it. I also find that my daily reading is something that I do out of duty (to check off the list) so that I can keep up with the plan and not a time of reading where I allow God to speak to me. (…besides, I can get to Heaven on a B, right!)
I am going to try a different approach.
My dad was teaching a class last Wednesday. (I always enjoy his classes. He makes things seem so simple.) He told a story of how he meets with a group of students and they study the Bible or something. One of the guys exclaimed that he feels that he doesn’t get anything out of the Bible when reading it. (I love that honesty.) My dad then went on to explain an easy way to study the Bible and he also shared those ideas with us. This is what he explained as best that I can remember:
How to Study the Bible
- Understand that it requires discipline. Discipline is work - it takes work.
- Read the same book of the Bible (or section or chapters) once a day for a week (or for a month.) This will allow you to become very familiar with the text, its location, etc.
- Make a list of key verses in each chapter.
- Make a list of key words from each chapter.
- Make a list of key verses to memorize – then do it. These might be the same verses from number 3.
(This, I believe is a way to study and not the only way and is just advice and not a formula on how to change your life. After reading Searching for God Knows What by Don Miller, I am very cautious of the appearance of a formula.)
Anyway, I think I’ll try this or at least number 2 to begin with. I like the part about reading the same passage over and over until you are pretty intimate with its text. I think I could get something out of reading this way rather than the duty of keeping up with the plan. My dad went on to claim that “your whole attitude and understanding of scripture will change.”
[P.S.]
Here is some good advice from Dust who left the following in the comments:
- The historical portions go better when you read large chunks at a time and don't get too bogged down in details. All the begats should just be skimmed.
- Proverbs should be read in small pieces.
- Song of Solomon and Ecclesiastes should be read in one sitting initially at least.
- The purpose and audience of each Gospel writer should be understood before reading them (using a study Bible).
- Acts should be read quickly.
- The Epistles need to be read multiple times first for context then for concepts.
- Revelation should only be read by mature Christians who aren't going to be susceptible to loony theories about what Babylon is or who the horns on the dragon represent.
7 comments:
Truthfully, I think that one of the biggest problems of the "Read the Bible in X amount of time" plans is that it assumes that the Bible is one book with a singular style, thesis, and direction. I personally also get burned out in the books of history and the prophets. I am certainly not the history buff that Dash is.
What I have found is that the historical portions go better when you read large chunks at a time and don't get too bogged down in details. All the begats should just be skimmed. Proverbs should be read in small pieces. Song of Solomon and Ecclesiastes should be read in one sitting initially at least. The purpose and audience of each Gospel writer should be understood before reading them (using a study Bible). Acts should be read quickly. The Epistles need to be read multiple times first for context then for concepts. Revelation should only be read by mature Christians who aren't going to be susceptable to loony theories about what Babylon is or who the horns on the dragon represent. I haven't figured out how to read the law or prophetic books yet.
fyi. I did comment, I just did it in the form of a blog on dirt-road.
I totally agree with the fact that the formula doesn't work. It just leaves me feeling guilty, which is totally what I don't need. I really like the advice your dad and dust gave.
Yes, they are both smart people.
I like what all of you have to say. A program named "read the Bible in 90 days" will obviously focus on just getting it read without much retention.
Dust and I are reading through the Bible together at our own pace. We have been doing this for about 2 years. We haven't completed reading the entire Bible yet.
90 DAYS??? Wow! That's a new one by me...it used to be 365 days...lol!
I can appreciate your honesty about becoming burned out. I remember becoming that way about Sunday School back in college. The class that was more an open forum was much more challenging to me than listening to another lesson out of a SS Quarterly.
BTW, I have read The Picture Bible all the way through...does that count? LOL! It's all in comic strips! =D (and no begats)
Discipline....perhaps. I think we lack creativity...that or we read that same stories the same way but somehow are disappointed that we get the same results.
An artist friend of mine explained something to me that has given me fresh perspectives whenever I get in a rut. He told me that in his classes they taught struggling sketchers (hope you like this Forrest) to take their picture and turn it upside down and try to draw it that way. He said he found out that the right side of the brain tends to pick up details that get minimized when you are looking at something from the same perspective. SO....
When I get bored or it seems that I am failing to grasp a passage, I try to rewrite it with the intent of saying the opposite of what it is saying. Often, I am wrong, even in doing this, but it is an amazing amount of stuff that pops out to me that I was missing before.
I also try to "filter" the text throught the eyes of another culture or subculture and see if my interpretation would fly with this group. Not that this is my final determination of meaning (sometimes the Bible is intended to shock), but it keeps me honest and away from reading into the Bible what I want to see.
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