 Dear Fellow Disciples,
Last year was a year of prayer. 2019 will be a year of Scripture. As part of this year of Scripture, there is one simple goal:
For 70 (or more) members and friends of Bethlehem to develop the habit of reading and reflecting on Scripture daily.
Habits are a challenge to develop. Those who study the science of habit formation used to say it that it takes 21 days to develop a new habit. The truth is that it’s closer to 66 days. In 2019, let’s commit to a developing (or continuing) a habit of daily Bible reading.
To develop the habit of reading and reflecting on Scripture, it’s important to set aside a set time each day when you’re most likely to stick with the habit. For me, that’s early in the morning. (Early in the morning is also when Jesus spent time with his heavenly Father.)
Here is a link to the five-day-a-week Bible reading plan we will be using in 2019.
We have intentionally chosen this plan for several reasons:
- It has built-in margin. If you miss a day’s reading during the week, you have the weekend to catch up. On the other hand, if you keep up with the readings during the week, Saturday is a good day to reflect on what you have read during the week and memorize a few verses. Sunday you can reflect on the readings from worship. Be sure to bring your bulletin home with you.
- It leaves room for reflection. You might want to consider keeping a Scripture journal in 2019. What do you hear God saying through the Scriptures? How is God calling you to respond?
- It keeps us in both Testaments. Each day there is an Old Testament reading and a New Testament reading. Both covenants (testaments) are part of God’s story.
I did some experimenting and you should be able to complete this plan by setting aside 15 minutes each day, five days a week.
Reading and Reflecting on Scripture,
Pastor Matt Musteric
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
220 Cedar ST.
Pemberville, OH
419-287-4182
bethlehempemberville.org |
