Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Decisions, decisions

I'm finishing up my latest journey through Psalms. I've noticed this last time through that I'm much more prone to write specific notes about daily circumstances or reflections that apply to each psalm I read, so the margins of my Bible are becoming a commentary on God's faithfulness and my own prayerful perspectives on my history and current circumstances. I suppose that's the natural product of a life lived with less judgment and more privacy than in the past? I don't know.

While it's tempting just to launch into the Psalms again -- Bonhoeffer might advocate such a choice -- I'm debating these days where to go next. I've been feeling a tug for some months now to go back through the books of Samuel and Kings. Someone made a comment to me a while back how impactful it was to read absolutely all of Genesis, to see the less-than-stellar conduct and character of each of the individual people involved and all their bad behavior, lack of faith, etc. It points out how much hope there is for all of us in spite of our imperfections. That at least in part is what draws me to those particular books -- the stories of Eli and Samuel, Saul and David, Michal and Bathsheba, Ahab and Jezebel, Elijah and Elisha. None of them comes out looking like the hero -- because God is the hero.

I know I need to stay rooted in Jesus, and I'll continue to slowly (ever so slowly) write my way through Luke. That's been a good writing discipline, and (sadly) one of the few places I'm consistently writing these days. But those Old Testament stories provide context and counterpoint for the gospels.

What scripture are you reading these days? It is so good to be part of a community that is reading the Bible and talking about it. Do you have that? That, I suppose, is part of why I have continued to comment my way through Luke -- those who take the time to read this blog have at least this sliver of scripture-based conversation. And as always, you're more than welcome to comment, email, etc!

2 comments:

  1. I vote for Samuel & Kings. I am working through them -- truthfully, I have never read them myself before and am wondering why I waited so long!

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  2. Samuel and Kings it is! I just started a couple days ago, a chapter a day (more or less). I always find these stories fascinating and disturbing and comforting. They're so vivid!

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