Gracious Lord, when the song of the angels is stilled; when the star in the sky is gone; when the kings and princes are home; when the shepherds are back with the flocks; then the work of Christmas begins! Help me to find the lost; to heal those broken in spirit; to feed the hungry; to release the oppressed; to rebuild the nations; to bring peace among all peoples; to make a little music within the heart…and to radiate the Light of Christ, every day, in every way, in all that I do and in all that I say. Amen (Howard Thurman)
So how exactly do we do the work of Christmas? As with any activity, preparation and training are important steps in the process. The Soul Feast Advent book groups spent December learning how to strengthen their foundation. They were invited to better connect with God through reading scripture, prayer, and engaging in worship.
It’s not too late to take the next step on your journey. In 2013 members and friends of PPC will join together in a commitment to read through the Bible in a year. You choose which version of the Bible to use and a reading plan that you think will work best for you. We will encourage each other and share what God is saying to us.
This is a practice I started in 2006, reading through a different translation each year to more fully develop what these texts mean. In 2011, I slowed the pace down, beginning a 3 year plan that is now nearly 2/3 complete.
Here are some of the steps to consider if you want to join us:
- Select a mode – book, audio CD, MP3 or even email: http://ewordtoday.com/year/
- Select a version of the Bible to read
- Select an order of reading – about 3 chapters/day
- Select a partner – just like an exercise buddy, we are more likely to stick with it if we are accountable to another
- Select a time and space – give God the best time of your day
- Get added to our email list – email me to join us!
Come learn about this and more at our orientation meeting on Sunday, December 30th at 11:15 am in the Chapel Parlor.
A few other thoughts:
- Treat the Bible as God’s 66 love letters to YOU – see yourself in the story
- Read scripture out loud – perhaps to a child or spouse or back to God
- Come with anticipation and expect God to show up
- Don’t read just for information; read for formation, even transformation
“Christians feed on Scripture. Holy Scripture nurtures the holy community as food nurtures the human body. Christians don’t simply learn or study or use Scripture; we assimilate it, take it into our lives in such a way that it gets metabolized into acts of love, cups of cold water, missions into all the world, healing and evangelism and justice in Jesus’ name, hands raised in adoration of the Father, feet washed in company with the Son.”
Eugene Peterson,
Eat This Book
Let the work of Christmas begin – beginning with the Word!
