I am always a bit wary about writing anything that suggests that being a Christian is primarily about doing things rather than about a relationship. Especially when we are on the verge of a new year and we are often contemplating our failures in the year just gone, and looking to improve in the year to come.
If you're anything like me, then topics like Bible reading and prayer, are always fairly close to the top of the list of things I could do better.
There is no doubt that 2020 has been very challenging and whilst there is the hope that successful vaccines are going to finally see an end to the disruption caused by Tiers and Lockdowns - it is also clear that the next few months are going to be really challenging. The NHS is already experiencing pressures that are greater than they were back in March and April - and we haven't even seen the impact of the Christmas relaxation of measures start to come through in the figures yet. The start of term for secondary schools has been delayed. And other stricter measures may well need to be announced in the next few days.
Within this sort of context, there are going to be times when we will need to be reminded of God's promises. Times when, if we were to go just on how things looked or how we felt, we might find ourselves lacking the hope or the joy or the peace that God wants us to know.
Although we can be reminded of these things at church or by a friend, one of the primary ways in which God speaks to us is through the Bible. So I would encourage us all to make the time and space to read the Bible and pray in the new year - not so that we can tick a box each day, or feel that we are somehow a better Christian than last year - but so that we deliberately put ourselves in a place where God can speak to us. So that when it is hard, and dark, God can remind us of those things that are true - even when it doesn't look like it or feel like it.
Maybe daily Bible reading is something that you are familiar with and you've been thinking about the challenge of reading through the whole Bible in a Year. There are lots of different schemes out there - you will need to read about 3 chapters a day. Some simply start at the beginning with Genesis 1-3, Genesis 4-6 etc. Others follow an Old Testament, Psalm and New Testament pattern (Genesis 1, Psalm 1, Matthew 1...).
Another programme that I have followed in the past is from the Bible Project. Alongside the daily readings their short videos help you to understand the big picture of each book, or biblical theme. To find out more click here. Or you can visit your app store.
Of course, there is no need to commit to a year-long programme - there are plenty of shorter schemes out there. Maybe rather than the whole Bible in a year, you could tackle the New Testament in a year.
Many (printed) Bibles have a range of reading ideas as do most Bible reading apps - such as YouVersion.
Also, organisations like the Bible Society and Scripture Union have daily readings and reflections on their websites and phone apps.
If you can't decide where to start then how about John's gospel - which we're going to be looking at on our Sunday mornings this term - maybe starting with a section a day. Or else what about the Psalms? Start by asking God to speak to you through his word.
