When I'm reading my Bible, I often come across a passage that speaks to me in a powerful way. On those occasions I'll often reach for a highlighter to mark the verses for future reference. At other times, I'll read a section that bores me or makes me uncomfortable. In those cases, I'll grab my black Sharpie marker and block out the offensive verses so that I won't have to deal with them in the future.
I hope you realize that I'm joking about the Sharpie! However, most of us are guilty of virtually "redacting" portions of Scripture for any number of reasons. Some parts just seem boring. Some appear irrelevant to us. And there are the passages that make us uncomfortable. So we just skip over those portions of the Bible and stick with our favorites. The problem is that we end up missing part of what God has to say to us - and we're the lesser for it!
This Sunday, September 29th, we'll be kicking off our next IMMERSE Bible reading experience as we read through the books of the prophets together over the next 8 weeks. You can pick up a copy of the volume "IMMERSE: PROPHETS" at church for $10 or you can purchase a copy through Amazon (there's also a Kindle version available if you prefer). The benefit of using the IMMERSE volume is that it contains the books in the order that we will be reading them (different from the order they are in your Bible) which reflects their chronological order. In addition, all chapter and verse breaks have been removed so that our reading experience becomes more fluid and similar to the books' original form. IMMERSE volumes also contain informative and helpful introductions to each book which helps to set the context for each prophet's message. Each Sunday I'll be selecting the sermon text from within the previous week's reading.
There are lots of resources available at www.immerse.covchurch.org/prophets
I hope you realize that I'm joking about the Sharpie! However, most of us are guilty of virtually "redacting" portions of Scripture for any number of reasons. Some parts just seem boring. Some appear irrelevant to us. And there are the passages that make us uncomfortable. So we just skip over those portions of the Bible and stick with our favorites. The problem is that we end up missing part of what God has to say to us - and we're the lesser for it!
This Sunday, September 29th, we'll be kicking off our next IMMERSE Bible reading experience as we read through the books of the prophets together over the next 8 weeks. You can pick up a copy of the volume "IMMERSE: PROPHETS" at church for $10 or you can purchase a copy through Amazon (there's also a Kindle version available if you prefer). The benefit of using the IMMERSE volume is that it contains the books in the order that we will be reading them (different from the order they are in your Bible) which reflects their chronological order. In addition, all chapter and verse breaks have been removed so that our reading experience becomes more fluid and similar to the books' original form. IMMERSE volumes also contain informative and helpful introductions to each book which helps to set the context for each prophet's message. Each Sunday I'll be selecting the sermon text from within the previous week's reading.
There are lots of resources available at www.immerse.covchurch.org/prophets
We'll finishing off September with a BBQ Potluck this Sunday following worship. The meat and drinks will be provided while you can bring a side dish, salad, or dessert to share. Even though the forecast looks to be chilly, we'll adjust as needed, so plan on being a part of the fellowship!
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