Starting to Read Your Bible

Probably the most common response people initially have to reading the Bible for themselves is being overwhelmed with where to start. This is a natural response when presented with a book that’s over an inch thick, printed on very thin pages, and with a page count of over 1,800 pages long.

Part of being overwhelmed can also be the assumption that one needs to start by picking up the Bible and reading it from cover to cover like any other book. Instead, it should be thought of as a companion who will be a constant part of your life from here on out. As with any new “friend,” your initial steps should be introductory, becoming acquainted with the Bible and its contents.

1. Purchase your own copy of the complete Orthodox Study Bible. It’s not enough for your household to have a family copy; you should have your own personal copy.
2. Pick a quiet time when you have no distractions and 15-30 minutes uninterrupted time. Sit down with your Orthodox Study Bible and browse through the contents. Don’t worry about jumping in and reading. Simply skim through to familiarize yourself with the various contents and features.
3. After this initial session, pick another quiet time with the Orthodox Study Bible. Read Bishop KALLISTOS’ article “How to Read Your Bible” (pgs. 1757-1766) for a treatment of the Orthodox approach to studying the Bible.
4. After this second session, pick another quiet time with the Orthodox Study Bible. Read Bishop BASIL’s article “Overview of the Books of the Bible” (pgs. xv-xx). This article will give you an overview of each specific book and the entire scope of the Bible.
5. Each week, use your church calendar and spend the week reading and re-reading the two lessons prescribed for the upcoming Sunday’s Liturgy. Read the study notes associated with the reading. This will prepare you for hearing Sunday’s homily.
6. Once you’ve started, speak with the priest for advice on a next step in reading and studying the Bible.

(Originally posted August 31, 2010)

St. Nicholas the Wonderworker: Day 22: 40 Days of Blogging

December 6

Memory of our Father among the Saints, Nicholas the Wonderworker,

Archbishop of Myra in Lycia. (Fourth century)

This holy bishop lived in the time of Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. After having led the monastic life for a while, he was promoted to the episcopal dignity for his exceptional and eminent virtue. Because he defended the interests of Christians and courageously preached the true religion, he was seized by the city’s magistrates and thrown into prison in company with other Christians, after he was overpowered by assaults and inflicted with all kinds of tortures. When the great and pious Constantine took possession of the Roman Empire by a Providential decree, all the prisoners in fetters were released. Thus set at liberty, Saint Nicholas returned to Myra and took part in the Council of Nicaea held sometime after by Emperor Constantine in 325.

He died at a very old age leaving his holy body to the faithful as a source of balm and healing. He remains as if living after his death, having received from heaven the gift of miracles. His relics are preserved in Bari, Italy. His power as a wonderworker gave birth to a marvelous legend which is the origin of traditional children’s festivals in the East as well as the West.

–From the Synaxarion

At Myra, which is the metropolis of Lycia, the birthday of St. Nicholas, bishop and confessor, of whom it is related, among other miracles, that, while at a great distance from Emperor Constantine, he appeared to him in a vision and moved him to mercy so as to deter him from putting to death some persons who had implored his assistance.

–From the Roman Martyrology

One in Christ: Day 19: 40 Days of Blogging

Came across this quote in reference to tomorrow’s Epistle reading from Galatians:

Do you see how insatiable his soul is? For having said that we have become sons of God through faith, he does not stop here but seeks out something more to say, which can make still more plain our closer unity with Christ. And having said, “You have put him on,” he is not content with this, but interpreting it he speaks of something more intimate than this association and says, “You are all one in Christ”—that is, you have one form, one character, that of Christ. What words could inspire more awe than these? The former Jew or slave is clothed in the form not of an angel or archangel but of the Lord himself and in himself displays Christ.

St. John Chrysostom–Homily on Galatians 3.28.

Next Step in Reading your Bible: Day 18: 40 Days of Blogging

In yesterday’s blog entry, I suggested the Sunday Gospel & Epistle readings (with the notes in the Orthodox Study Bible) as a starting place for regularly reading your Bible. This does provide a place to start and become familiar with what we hear most often, but it doesn’t provide us with an overview of what the Bible is all about. There are stories we may have heard of or be familiar with in passing, but we aren’t certain with where they fit into the Bible itself. One resource I learned about this past Summer is the “Essential 100” (or “E100”) readings of the Bible. Available from the Greek Archdiocese’s Department of Youth & Young Adult Ministries, this convenient list can be downloaded here.

Unlike other Bible reading programs, this does not follow the “calendar” approach of attempting to read the entire Bible in one year or anything like that. The readings consist of 20 groups of 5 readings associated with major stories of the Bible. For example, the first set of readings for the Old Testament explore the topic “In the Beginning” and consist of the following stories:

1. Creation
2. The Fall
3. The Flood
4. God’s Covenant with Noah
5. Tower of Babel

And here’s an example of the set of readings for “The Teachings of Jesus”:

1. Sermon on the Mount – Part 1
2. Sermon on the Mount – Part 2
3. The Kingdom of Heaven
4. The Good Samaritan
5. Lost and Found

One possible way of approaching this is to do one reading each weekday (taking the weekends to rest/catch up). In approximately five months, you can have a good overview of all of the major teachings/readings of the entire Bible.

Starting to Read Your Bible: Day 17: 40 Days of Blogging

Probably the most common response people initially have to reading the Bible for themselves is being overwhelmed where to start. This is a natural response when presented with a book that’s over an inch thick, printed on very thin pages, and (in the case of the Orthodox Study Bible) with a page count of over 1,800 pages long.

Part of being overwhelmed can also be the assumption that one needs to start by picking up the Bible and reading it from cover to cover like any other book. Instead, it should be thought of as a companion who will be a constant part of your life from here on out. As with any new “friend,” your initial steps should be introductory, becoming acquainted with the Bible and its contents. The more time you spend with it, the more familiar you will become with its depth and breadth. A few recommendations on getting started:

1. Purchase your own copy of the complete Orthodox Study Bible. It’s not enough to have a family copy; you should have your own personal copy to refer to whenever you want.
2. Pick a quiet time when you have no distractions and 15-30 minutes uninterrupted time. Sit down with your Orthodox Study Bible and browse through the contents. Don’t worry about jumping in and reading. Simply skim through to familiarize yourself with the various contents and features.
3. After this initial session, pick another quite time with the Orthodox Study Bible. Read Bishop KALLISTOS’ article “How to Read the Bible” (pgs. 1757-1766) for a general treatment of an overall approach to your Bible reading.
4. After this second session, pick another quiet time with the Orthodox Study Bible. Read Bishop BASIL’s article “Overview of the Books of the Bible” (pgs. xv-xx). This article will give you an overview of each specific book and the entire scope of the Bible.
5. Each week, use your church calendar and spend the week reading and re-reading the two lessons prescribed for the upcoming Sunday’s Liturgy. Read the study notes associated with the reading. This will prepare you for hearing Sunday’s homily.
6. Once you’ve taken these initial steps, speak with the priest for advice on a next step in reading and studying the Bible.

There’s an App for That!: Day 15: 40 Days of Blogging

One of the most basic devotional practices in the Orthodox Church is to follow the Church’s cycles of fasting/feasting, saints’ days, and prescribed daily readings of the Church. There are many print and digital resources to help the faithful in following these cycles, but a personal favorite of mine is the Daily Reading Mobile app. Prepared by the Department of Internet Ministries of the Greek Archdiocese, this app allows iPhone, Android, and Nokia users to access on the go the fasting rules, readings, and saints for a given day. No more need to consult calendars, look things up in books, search the Internet, etc.!

Thanksgiving: The National Holy Day – Day 12: 40 Days of Blogging

Thanksgiving: The National Holy-Day
Chaplain’s Corner

by Fr. George Morelli

For all practical purposes, Thanksgiving Day is the closest we come to a National Holyday in the United States. Historically, it has been celebrated with everything from religious thankfulness, food, frolic and of course modern commercialism. Despite this, it is still a time for many Americans to ‘count their blessings’ and get together with family and/or friends.

Sometimes our approach to life stops us from ‘counting our blessings and giving thanksgiving to God. Psychologists call this pessimism. It is the belief that “bad events will undermine everything they do.” (Seligman, 1990). It is like always seeing the cup ‘half empty’. Those with optimism, confronted with “hard knocks” approach them as a challenge and try harder. Optimists tend to see the cup ‘half full’. They are thankful for what they have and work harder.

Common to our American national heritage is the action of our first president, George Washington who in 1789 declared a national thanksgiving holiday honoring the newly ratified Constitution, proclaiming: the people could thank God for “affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

Thanksgiving is part of many religious traditions: St. Paul told the Romans (14:5-6): ”One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike. Let every one be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. He also who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God;” The psalmist tells us: “All thy works shall give thanks to thee, O Lord, and all thy saints shall bless thee! (Ps 145:10). The Koran states: “And He gives you all that ye ask for. But if you count the favors of God, never would you be able to number them” (14:34). A Native American Iroquois thanksgiving prayer ends with the words: “we return thanks to the Great Spirit, in whom is embodied all goodness, and who directs all things for the good of his children.”

Some have taken the words of Deuteronomy (26:10) “I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which thou, O Lord, hast given me. And you shall set it down before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord your God”, and applied this as an offering to God of themselves. They forgo being with family and friends and give themselves to others in need, serving in food kitchens and the like.

However we commemorate this Holyday, let us see the fullness of the cup of gifts God has given us, and be thankful praying: “Glory to thee, who hast called me to life, … revealed to us the beauty of the universe … Glory to thee O God in ages!” (Akathist of Thanksgiving, Metropolitan Tryphon of Turkestan).

REFERENCES

Seligman, M.E.P. (1990). Learned Optimism. NY: Pocket Books.

St. Clement of Rome – Day 11: 40 Days of Blogging

As we noted in yesterday’s entry, St. Catherine of Alexandria may be celebrated on either November 24 or 25, depending upon whether the church calendar is in one of the Slavic or Greek traditions–November 24 as the more ancient practice still observed in Slavic liturgical traditions and November 25 in more contemporary Greek/Byzantine traditions.

This begs a question–who is the saint on the other day that gets shifted around as well? St. Clement of Rome, who is commemorated on November 25 in Slavic traditions and November 24 in Byzantine traditions.

For the life of St. Clement of Rome, see here.

St. Catherine of Alexandria – Day 10: 40 Days of Blogging

This question came up this past weekend. I remembered that there were two ways we commemorate St. Catherine in the Orthodox Church. The more ancient practice is to commemorate her on November 24, which is still done according to Slavic practice. The more contemporary practice is to celebrate her feast on November 25, which is done in Greek (and by extension, Antiochian) churches. So, depending upon who publishes your church calendar, you might find different dates.

For an excellent treatment of this, as well as St. Catherine’s life, look here.

Thanksgiving as Eucharist – Day 9: 40 Days of Blogging

(I’m posting a day in advance…)

Looking at some resources on the Orthodox Christian understanding of our Thanksgiving Day holiday, I found this brief sermon, preached by the late Fr. Alexander Schmemann at the last Divine Liturgy he served, which was on Thanksgiving Day.