iCrucified

Posts Tagged ‘Spiritual Disciplines’

Further Meditations in Genesis 15

^{My Comments (jb)} …this week has concentrated on dependence upon God, trusting God, and following Jesus. I started the week with Genesis…it just seems fitting to end the week with it as well.

God makes an incredible covenant promise to Abram that included protection, an heir, descendants numbering as many as the stars, “great” reward, land, and a long healthy life… Awesome stuff indeed! But wait; what about the process of getting there, to all those awesome blessings? Abram = Yay! Descendants = not so much. God also assures Abram his descendants will be “slaves” in a foreign land where they will be oppressed for 400 years. Wait for it… Let that sink in a bit… 400 Years.

Sure, they (the slave descendants) had Abraham’s covenant promise conveyed upon them…but people were born, lived, and died without seeing anything but slavery and oppression. I can’t help but wonder if Abraham’s knowledge of the 400 years was passed along to his descendants as part of their “blessing.” In other words, did they know they were going to be enslaved for this long?

400 Years…

Their emancipation was no cakewalk either… chased by an Egyptian army into the desert wilderness, they failed to trust God. An entire generation was “blessed” to die in their “desert of distrust” as part of their reward. Fortunately, we finally see the privileged inheritors of God’s promise walk across the river into land God had given to Abraham… YAY! But wait; these “people of the blessing” who were unskilled in the art of war, knew little in the ways of societal governance, and had little in the way of supply-line resourcing… were going to have to fight/war for every square foot of land that had been “promised” to them.

There’s more to this story, and these long periods of silence from God and oppression of His people have a disconcerting manner of repeating themselves… “Yeah, but that was the Old Testament, back when God was mean and people were primitive and ignorant” Right? Jesus ushered in an era of blessing and brilliance… Right? Of course he did, but not in the context most of us like to think about. Remember, all but one of the “Twelve of Jesus’ Disciples” met violent deaths. Most, if not all, followers of Christ were ostracized, oppressed, persecuted, and often killed because of their “blessed” status. It wasn’t until the fourth century before this level of oppression began to let up.

“Anyone who talks about spiritual things without any experience in them is like a person who is lost in the desert, dying with thirst… If you try to tell me about the Christian life without any personal involvement in it, you will mislead me. You will tell me fictional things, mistaken things.” ~Pseudo-Macarius

…the story continues, but we’re talking about trust, dependence, and following Jesus. What really is the cost, and what really is the blessing? How are these really measured? Can I trust God…? Am I willing to release my own self-reliance and independence to follow the unseen future led by the Invisible God?

“Deliverance can come to us only by the defeat of our old life… God rescues us by breaking us, by shattering our strength and wiping out our resistance. Then he invades our natures with that ancient and eternal life which is from the beginning.” ~A.W. Tozer

The picture I painted of the plight of “God’s people” is pretty terrifying and doesn’t look all too inviting to us from our perspective, but what if we glimpse how God looks at this:

I was always on your side. I destroyed the Amorites who confronted you, Amorites with the stature of great cedars, tough as thick oaks. I destroyed them from the top branches down. I destroyed them from the roots up. And yes, I’m the One who delivered you from Egypt, led you safely through the wilderness for forty years And then handed you the country of the Amorites like a piece of cake on a platter. I raised up some of your young men to be prophets, set aside your best youth for training in holiness. (Amos 2:8-10)

“God who is everywhere never leaves us… Yet He may be more present to us when He is absent than when He is present.” ~Thomas Merton

What if I’m one of those “400 year” people? What if I’m one of the persecuted, poverty stricken, disease-infested, natural disaster called Christians? Will I follow Him? Will I trust Him? Am I willing to depend upon Him?

“To live for the lesser things of life is to risk not really living at all.” ~Joan Chittister

“God says, when I toss My children into the air, terror comes before delight. Put yourself in the place of My people in Daniel’s day. They felt thrown into the air with no safety net beneath them. They couldn’t see their God ready to catch them.” (from 66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God that Invites You into His Story by Dr. Larry Crabb, ©2009.)

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I am following the Revised Common Lectionary (Cycle C) as my primary Scripture reading for this Lenten Season. This week my concentration has been on passages from Psalms, Genesis, Philippians and Luke. This morning’s meditation was reflecting on the following passages again and the thoughts that Holy Spirit had brought to me during the week.

Remembering –Luke 9:28-36

And –Philippians 3:12-17

^{LUKE 9:32-35} “Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’ glory… Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, ‘Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials.’  Then a Voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to Him.’”

_{MY COMMENTS (JB)} “When they woke up, they saw Jesus’ glory…” This is the case with us as well. When we “wake up” from our spiritual slumber, we see Jesus’ glory. Unfortunately, we don’t always respond in the fashion that is most beneficial for our development as Jesus’ followers. A cursory look around us indicates that our favorite response is that of Peter. We love our “church experience.” We go to great lengths to create an “experience” in our congregational gatherings… it is as if the thing we venerate is the “experience” over the God of the experience… just like Peter (Master, it’s wonderful here…let’s make shelters as memorials). Our churches have become more “sheltered memorials” than houses of worship and spiritual development centers. If we are truly worshiping the God of our memorial shelters, we will be hearing Him say, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to Him.” The evidence of our hearing will manifest itself in changed—transformed lives. If the fruit of our worship does not manifest itself in producing lasting fruit for the kingdom of God, it only stands to reason that we are worshiping something other than the Chosen One. In all likelihood, we are probably worshiping our memorial…and that equates to worshiping something we have created, and ultimately, worshiping ourselves.

^{PHILIPPIANS 3:12-17} “I have not attained perfection, but I press on to posses that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me… No, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the heavenly prize for which God, through Jesus is calling us… Let the spiritually mature agree on these things… If you disagree, I believe God will make it plain to you… Pattern your lives after mine…”

_{MY COMMENTS (JB)} The vast majority of “professing Christians” are exactly that; professing Christians… not practicing Christians (1 John 2:4-6). The work of “attaining perfection” is loathsome to most people. Everything about the life of following after Jesus rails against our nature… and this is the problem. We have not willingly crucified our nature in order that we might follow after Jesus. Therefore, we balk…we put up excuses…we forgive and accept our failure…and we give up striving for the prize and settle on worshiping the experience and our “sheltered memorials.” This is immaturity exalted in the highest and it leads not only to failure, but most likely to separation from God for eternity (Matthew 7:21). If we refuse to grow, and listen to God’s Chosen One, we have to answer the question; “to who then are we listening?”

We listen to ourselves, our true god.

We cannot arrive in the Promised Land unless we are willing to leave Egypt.

“We must be prepared to give up some things if we intend to get things that are even more important… The life of Jesus is not a monument to the past; it is an invitation to the fullness of our own futures.” ~~Joan Chittister

It seems absurd to us looking back at the ancient Israelites as they complained in the desert wishing to return to their Egyptian captivity. We might be want to think, “I would never willingly go back into the oppression and bondage of slavery…” But people have done exactly that repeatedly. Take for instance, the emancipation of slaves following the American Civil War, many slaves willingly chose to stay with their owners. I realize that some people will say that the reasoning was the slave owners were benevolent and caring for their slaves, and that might be true. I am willing to bet the majority of slaves (who stayed) did so out of the terrifying fear of the unknown…freedom can be terrifying; “what if I make a mistake?” “What lies ahead in my future?” “How do I plan for the unknown?” A “known” that is terrifying is still less terrifying than an “un-known.” How about another example; we hear the profile over and over again of the “repeat criminal” who cannot break away from the prison system. There have been multiple confessions from these career criminals who have stated the reason for their return to the prison institution is their lack of ability to cope with freedom. My guess is there are many more who fall into this category who might not be able to articulate this sentiment openly, but find themselves repeating their crimes for the same reason subconsciously…because there is safety and comfort in the “known” of their incarceration (food, shelter, community) with their most primal needs being met.

The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you. ~~Deuteronomy 7:22

Ok…one last example; this one because there are those of us who will say, “I’m not a criminal or slave or ancient Hebrew…how does that apply to me?” Sin. Same difference. We return to our sins, or stay in our sin, because of fear, discomfort, and disbelief. Primarily, the same reasons the Israelites wanted to return to Egypt, slaves wanted to stay with their masters, and criminals return to prison. The path of change and freedom takes courage, tenacity, perseverance, and faith. The path of the slave simply requires one to “stay put.”

“My Lord God… I do not see the road ahead of me… Therefore I will trust You always.” ~~Thomas Merton

The path to the Promised Land leads through the Desert. There is no other way. This is the path of spiritual maturity; forgetting the past and forging ahead to what God has destined for us. Jesus offers us the promise of walking in His steps; we must lay aside ourselves for the promise of something better and strive will all our heart, soul, mind, and strength to attain it…no matter that the path to attaining it runs through the place of desolation and deprivation for it is here that we learn to depend upon God. “Let the spiritually mature agree on these things… If you disagree, I believe God will make it plain to you… Pattern your lives after mine.”

“Darkness is not driven away immediately. Light comes in small increments, moment by moment…purging the souls is a lifetime effort.” ~~Francis of Sales

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Engaged in this season of Lent, I am sharing the journey with some friends. I challenged them this week to put pen to paper and share a poem, song, or psalm as they meditate and reflect upon the season and their Savior.

(Note – Technically it is only day thirteen, but for the sake of this reflection I have included the two Sundays that have passed in my counting of days).

I have tried to “practice what I preach” leading with example the following piece entered into my journal this morning:

Day 15 (A Lenten Reflection)   ~~by Jeff Borden

Fifteen days…

I feel the tag-team nemesis of complacency and apathy plotting against me;

Fasting and early mornings are an inconvenience and burgeoning nuisance.

So easily annoyed in my self-denial this saint I am;

So easily distracted from my nearness to Him, in my focus on me.

Fifteen days…and sadness surrounds

In the darkness of me I examine my weakness; the frail flesh that always disappoints,

Driven by awareness of my own deceptions, the mirror of my soul screams at me:

Self-Righteous! Sinner! Idolater! Guilty!

And my spirit is poor.

Fifteen days…repentance resounds

The purpose of the fast evidences itself as a searing light exposes the macabre me

Echoes of the Apostle call from the recesses of my memory, “Who will deliver me?”

The promise of rest looms in the distance

Hope is the fuel for a weary sojourner

The desert is wild and relentless; loneliness, doubt, uncertainty, and fear surround

“Who will deliver me?”

Fifteen days…weakened and tempted

Hungry for redemption I call out to my Lord; “Draw near to me as I draw near to you!”

He replies, “I am here”

Fifteen days…renewed and remembering

With prayer and fasting my soul is refreshed;

Strengthened for the journey, Savior removes the blindness of my sin

Eternity’s hope, the promise of never-ending union with the Trinity,

And my wandering heart is set back to task

Complacency and apathy defeated this day, Day Fifteen.

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Pneuma-Somnambulism by Jeff Borden

(Spiritual – Sleepwalking)

As we journey this life, how many are sleepwalking through it?

How many of us live in a Matrix existence created by the media and the moguls of consumerism?

How many of us live in the nightmarish dream of our own individualism and ambition?

Are our thoughts of things that matter eternally… kept at bay with slight-of-hand distractions by the enemy of our soul?

Every time you attempt to awaken from your slumber of soul… are you rendered again, unconscious by the pied-piper of the American Dream?

We groan in the pangs of our own rebirth; terrified of what lies on the other side

We are strangled with anxiety and fear at the thought of losing control…as if we ever were in control in the first place; crippled with the illusion of our own self-sustaining power

We wrestle with shaking the slumber and cobwebs of confusion from our Intellect, the Master-mind of man, who with steely grip and maniacal tyranny controls the passions of our heart

Will we ever awaken?

Can we break free from the narco-hallucinogenic bondage of the adamic self?

A Rescuer beckons us; with kerygmatic boldness, His Spirit calls:

“Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Awaken O Sleeper, Awaken.

“..everything exposed by the light becomes visible,  for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is…” Ephesians 5:13-17

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“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” (Matthew 4:1-2)

We are led to believe by Matthew (as well as the other synoptic gospels), that immediately following the baptism of Jesus he was led into the desert by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil. My immediate first response to this information is; “hold on”! “Jesus is led into the desert by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil?” The Holy Spirit is doing this??? Yes, it is true. The Holy Spirit is indeed leading Jesus to the place that is harsh and barren; the place that is often associated with devils and demonic activity (Isa 13:21; 34:14; Matt 12:43; Rev 18:2). However, according to the teaching of Deuteronomy (chapters 6-8) the desert is also the place where Israel experienced some of her greatest tests and trials. But what about the verse quoted from James, the brother of Jesus in our New Testament scriptures; “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone…”? Note carefully, that the Holy Spirit is not the tempter; the devil is the tempter. God allows, and quite possibly, even orchestrates the events as a test. Consider some of our earlier examples from the Old Testament; Job or King David from the accounts of 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles (2 Samuel 24:1; 1 Chron 21:1). The usage of the word temptation is interpreted in a number of ways; primarily used to denote “testing”, “trials”, and “search”, these are used in a positive manner by God to develop and teach His children. The measure by which James refers to “tempt” is within the understanding of “enticement” or “solicitation” to do evil…clearly not of God.

Considering the condition of Jesus after 40 days of fasting leads to a number of questions…it is easy to think that he must have been famished as well as physically weakened, and his mental condition strained from lack of proper nutrients; however, this was not a fast without purpose. One must assume or believe that Jesus understood that the journey into the desert was a test. As he had no companions with him, it may be implied that the account to Matthew might have been told by Jesus himself who reveals an awareness of the purpose for the trip into the desert. So then, the fast had purpose…to seek God and “feed” upon His strength and counsel. With a new understanding of the fast and its purpose, I propose that Jesus was as fit physically, mentally and spiritually for the “show-down” with Satan as he could have possibly been. I would consider Matthew’s illustration of the first temptation to be support for this proposal. When Satan tempted Jesus to provide food for himself, Jesus rejected the notion and submitted that Man is not to rely on or be subject to his own needs, but rather he is to rely upon the word and provision of God alone.

More on the desert…

What can we glean from this desert experience; what does it mean to me and what does the desert hold for me…if I go there? And, is it a literal place?

I’m giving thought to this for several reasons. On one hand, I continue to explore and practice the development of my own spirituality and the spiritual disciplines of Christian history and tradition play a big part; solitude, silence, fasting, and the “desert” places are one of the streams of this exploration and thought. On another hand, it is the season of Lent and it parallels the desert experience of Jesus (among some other accounts from the Biblical narrative). So, this is some of what is fueling my thoughts in this direction… but…I want to answer my questions. What about the desert and me…or us?

Larry Crabb reminds us in his book 66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God that Invites You into His Story of God’s intent for the desert places. He writes the following:

“God says, I can and I will detach you from everything that numbs your sacred hunger for Me and makes you feel hungrier for something other than Me.”

Dr. Crabb draws our attention to, and reminds us of, the Exodus of Israel and their experience of “learning dependence upon God.” during their 40 years…hmmmm.

The “desert” trims us down. The desert makes us lean. The desert weakens us and strengthens us in the same stroke. The desert breaks us, and if we allow it, remakes us more into the image of God. The desert reveals to us the areas we might not have been so quick to notice in the comforts and protected spaces we create for ourselves. While the desert can be refreshing, it most often does not bring relief until after the strain and torment of the time in testing. Most often, it is not a place that is eagerly entered into…and often it is entered into by gentle and constant spiritual pressing (orchestration) by God. Consider, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert…” My reading may be in error, but I don’t think I discern this text to imply the desert experience was something Jesus had personally planned and thought out for a long time. It seems to imply (to me) that it was a moment of response to the Spirit following his baptism. He was spiritually pressed; the experience was orchestrated by God the Holy Spirit.

The desert experience is often referenced in the same conversations as the “dark night” of the soul. While the experiences and orchestrations leading to the “dark night” might be different than the “desert” experiences, they often have the same purpose or intent for our spiritual development. The big picture view is for our affections to be removed from ourselves and our affinity for the material things of this life and to realign our affections on our God and the things of His Kingdom. John of the Cross writes about the season and purpose of these encounters in the wilderness. He describes two distinctive aspects of these dark and desert experiences; one is an active experience and the other is a passive activity. The active points us deliberately toward God by surrendering the fleshy self and intentionally avoiding such sins as selfishness, pride and anger. The passive experience involves God’s purifying actions when we deprive our soul the comforts that cause spiritual complacency. Our goal is to free ourselves from the idols we make of possessions, provision, relationships, feelings, behaviors and more.

Through the Spirit, the Father, leads His prepared (1 Corinthians 10:13) children into the desert or dark night where false images of God, false beliefs, and our fixations upon religious feelings and experiences are uncovered and exposed. Here is the place where we “draw near to God and He draws near to us” (James 4:8). Here is the place we learn to see Him as He is and learn the depth of our relationship with Him. There is much to uncover on this subject and much has been written about it. A wonderful primer can be found in Seasons of the Soul by Bruce Demarest from whom I have borrowed some thoughts that I have shared in this post.

Lent can be a powerful season of the soul. I hope you might consider it and ask the Spirit if He might be leading you into the desert.

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Ash Wednesday and 40 Days

My journey “living the liturgical year” continues with our arrival on Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the season of Lent. This will be my second full immersion into this tradition of the church; last year was my first time to fully embrace this season of reflection, remembrance, fasting, prayer, and drawing nearer to the heart and purpose of our God. With utmost sincerity I can say it was a season that ushered in considerable change and spiritual growth in my life. I expect that this year’s observation and engagement will be no less gratifying (James 4:8)

My blogging has been somewhat sporadic over the past few weeks; living, observing, and reflecting during the season of Epiphany. I have spent this time preparing for and looking forward to this next season of the great traditions of the Church. My intentions are to offer meditations, reflective thoughts, and my own experience through these next 40 + days as we journey together to Resurrection Sunday. Beginning today, I will post some of these devotional thoughts. Additionally, I will include links to resources and other helpful sites that I am being inspired, encouraged, and challenged by. I hope you will join me and interact here on the blog.

If you’d like to receive daily updates through your email, you can sign-up for the notifications in the window to your left where it says “subscribe” and asks for your email address.

God’s grace and peace be yours as you draw near to Him. Amen.

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Here is a collection of quotes that I have read over the past few weeks.

“God is a clever designer of crosses. Some are heavy as iron or lead. Others are as light as straw…In spite of their great variety, crosses have two things in common. They are hard to carry and they crucify.” ~Francois Fenelon

“Blessed are those whom God corrects; …For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal.” (Job 5:17-18) “He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; He has injured us but he will bind up our wounds.” (Hosea 6:1)

Then I read this “jaw-dropper” from Martin Luther today…

“When God wants to build people up, He first tears them down. When God wants to heal, He first breaks in pieces. Whom God wants to bring to life, He first kills.” ~Martin Luther

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Book Review: The Tangible Kingdom

The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community by Hugh Halter & Matt Smay

Hmmm…what to say, what to say…

LOVED IT.

A book like this requires some degree of back-story, and it was provided, so it was a little long for me to get to the nitty gritty of what I was searching for in the story. It was around chapters nine and ten that I found myself getting “sucked in” to the heart of what Hugh Halter was driving at. I am incredibly excited about the community described in the tangible kingdom. It brings great joy to me to hear that people are living the life that Jesus taught…and not some cheaply interpreted facsimile of it.

Chapters ten through around fourteen were mostly about deconstruction from the “way we have always done things.” I appreciated that Halter was not overly critical toward the methods he was deconstructing; in fact, he seemed very sensitive to the people entrenched in those systems.

Chapters fifteen through eighteen were rebuilding chapters; teaching the foundational elements of this “incarnational community.” Everything that was shared in these chapters just seemed to make such beautiful sense… I found myself saying over and over; “yes, yes, yes, yes…!!!”

The final chapters, nineteen through twenty-one, were about the focus and outcome of the three primary components of the community once people decide to “join” the community. This focus hinges on togetherness, oneness, and otherness…and I’ll stop there. The teaching and the illustrations used by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay are very clear and easy to understand. It would be my great desire to see this community with my own eyes. I would love to get some one-on-one leadership development from an existing-healthy-functioning community.

In my opinion, this is another 5-star book and another must read for those people and leaders desiring to live missionally and incarnationally (buzzwordsy I know, but I don’t know how else to describe it). Personally, I don’t know that I’d follow everything from this book… I have some personal convictions that differ from the authors, but I understand the heart of his passion and with that I agree 100%. I recommend this book very highly. I’m glad to kickoff my 2010 reading year with this one; a great way to start it out.

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As I spend time in Scripture reading and prayerful meditation this morning, I am moved to pray for Haiti this passage from the writings of the Prophet Isaiah (chapter 62). God has promised healing and blessing to the nations from Abraham through Messiah Jesus. May it be so for our brothers and sisters in Haiti as the world watches. Spirit of the Most High God, help us to be revealing Light to the world for the glory of Your Name and Kingdom. Amen.

¹ Because I love Zion (Haiti),
I will not keep still.
Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem (Haiti),
I cannot remain silent.
I will not stop praying for her
until her righteousness shines like the dawn,
and her salvation blazes like a burning torch.
² The nations will see your righteousness.
World leaders will be blinded by your glory.
And you will be given a new name
by the Lord’s own mouth.
³ The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—
a splendid crown in the hand of God.
⁴ Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City”
or “The Desolate Land.”
Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight”
and “The Bride of God,”
for the Lord delights in you
and will claim you as his bride.
⁵ Your children will commit themselves to you, O Jerusalem (Haiti),
just as a young man commits himself to his bride.
Then God will rejoice over you
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.

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Bible Reading 2010

“Bible Reading 2010” almost sounds like a title for a sci-fi thriller…at least to my “40-something” brain. Nonetheless, I thought I’d share my “high-tech” plan for Bible reading this year. My approach might be a little unorthodox and might even seem like overload to some personalities, but it works for me. I am a somewhat choleric (high-task) personality and I find that I work best with multiple goals, filters, and systems in my daily routine; it helps me focus and maintain a forward progress.  Multiple layers (my filters) help to ensure that I stay on track with my daily reading too. If I miss one “filter” there are other layers to keep me connected to the daily word.  My personal rule of life follows this structure and Bible reading is part of my rule of life, and so…

Bible Reading Plan 2010:

Revised Common Lectionary – Cycle C: I’m actually using two tools to follow the Lectionary. I’m using a book I enjoyed last year, Ancient Christian Devotional, as well as Living the Christian Year. Both of these books utilize the Lectionary which also tracks the cycle of the church calendar drawing from Old Testament, Psalms, Epistle, and Gospel readings through the week. The Ancient Christian Devotional also brings with it excerpts from the writings of the church fathers. These writings are among the classic Christian writings of church and Christian history. I am using the Lectionary readings as my lectio divina style of contemplative-meditative reading.

One Year Chronological Bible – NLT: This Bible seems to be one of our “family preferred” methods of reading the Bible. As part of our morning family devotions (Mon.-Fri.) we read chronologically. I love to read the Bible chronologically. It helps me (and us as a family) stay in the thick of the Biblical narrative…the story that is God and man; ultimately the story that is God and us. If you noticed, we join in family reading Monday thru Friday; we are responsible to “stay up with the story” reading the weekend texts individually.

The Wesley Study Bible – NSRV: I purchased this Bible last year with the plans to use it as my primary “reader” this year. I used the NLT (New Living Translation) Bible last year as my primary reader and prefer to change translation versions year-to-year in order to keep my brain confused (insert self-deprecating joke here).  Personally, I think we can get used to a preferred version very quickly and our reading can become “lazy” or complacent. I don’t want this to happen to me, so I shake up my yearly reading with alternating translation versions. Another pleasant by-product of this approach is that it helps me with memorization. I remember where passages are by book, chapter, and verse because I am forced to by virtue of changing Bibles. When I was using one Bible as my primary tool, I got used to turning to a “certain page.” I’d look for a certain passage in a certain corner of a page or think, “it’s somewhere in this section…” Reading from multiple translations and Bibles helps me to overcome this deficiency. Another helpful aspect of this approach is that it keeps the language and interpretation fresh…which ultimately, helps me to be a better story-teller and communicator.

I continue to use a number of other tools for my reading and study, but these are my BIG THREE approach for this year. So, what plan or approach are you following? And, what versions or tools will you be using? Please feel free to share here in the comments section of my blog; I’d love to hear from you!

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