Once we intend to become saturated in the Word, where do we turn? In bygone centuries this was an easy question. You went to church. There were no written manuscripts of the Bible available; anyway, chances were you couldn’t read. So communities gathered to hear the Word presented in the liturgy—weekly, or even daily.
They had a certain advantage—there was nothing else to hear. They did not have cell phones buzzing, newspapers proclaiming current events, televisions blaring advertisements. Mostly they had quiet. So the Bible was the only word they had to consider.
But we have a certain advantage—the words of Scripture are readily available to us, in a multitude of translations and presentations. We can pull up passages on our phones, listen to recordings, read in the most comfortable language.
The work comes in choosing to listen, every day—and really listen. This requires a plan, for unlike our forebears we have plenty of media demanding our attention. To give undivided, quiet attention to the Word takes a certain amount of effort—but not strain. Strain, in fact, is exactly what we must avoid.
The particulars will vary from person to person, but in general we will each need to consider a few factors: time, place, pace, and margin.
Time: when will you read, and for how long? Some of us are most alert upon waking, and others need some very strong stimulants to get our brain working in the morning. Those with small children may have a hard time snatching more than a few brief instants of time to themselves, while others may enjoy leisurely stretches to savor the Word. The point here is that longer is not necessarily better; whatever helps us pay attention is best.
It is unwise to assume you will read without a scheduled time. If we intend to be familiar with the Word, we must give it a secure place in our day—and treat that time as we would treat any other appointment. We would never simply stand up a friend, except in the most dire of emergencies; neither should we lightly miss our time with the Word. It is not a matter of guilt; it is a matter of relationship. One does not grow close to those one does not make time for and treat with honor.
If we find ourselves regularly missing our time with the Word, we may need to ask ourselves if we truly mean to be shaped by it, or if we simply admire the idea. If we find that we do not truly intend to grow familiar with the Bible, that is not a cause for shame; it is an invitation to ask ourselves some searching questions. What do we intend to be shaped by? What are we being shaped by incidentally? Is it best to let our formation happen at random? If we prayerfully and honestly consider these, we will generally and without shame come to the place where we do intend to make time for the Word. There is no need to compare to those who already so intend. Simply discuss it openly with God, and he will surely take care of the rest.
Place: Perhaps this will not be true for everyone, but I find that if I have a regular place, along with time, to meet God in the Word I am more likely to do so. This does not have to be elaborate. A chair turned toward the window may suffice. But we are physical, and habitual, creatures. A regular place serves to remind me of why I am there, and usher me more quickly into a frame of mind to pay attention to God.
Pace: Walk into a Christian bookstore, cast a stone and you will surely strike at least one book promising to help you read the Bible in a year. There are dozens of these on the market, and they can be helpful. Having a plan helps us consistently and rhythmically listen to the Word.
However, we need to pick a pace that is right for us. Reading through in a year may be unrealistic, given our time, attention, or desires. And many of the plans feel a bit scattered: a Psalm here, an Epistle there, and some Old Testament and Gospel for good measure. I have found this often makes me unable to consider any one of these passages.
So maybe your pace is, three chapters a day. Or three pages.
Or maybe you will take a page out of our forebear’s book and read along with the Church calendar in a lectionary. There are many good lectionaries (selected readings for each day or week) that follow the cycle of the church year—Advent to Christmas, Lent to Easter, and then the long ordinary season. A great advantage to this is the chance to feel your entire year as a cycle centering on Christ’s life.
The most common lectionaries are the Revised Common Lectionary (weekly, 3 years) and the Book of Common Prayer (daily, 2 years). These are available free online; in fact, the ESV Online will quickly dish up today’s reading for you, or any of a number of other plans.
Margin: This is the most overlooked, but most essential, part of reading the Word. It is fully possible to read without listening. We run our eyes over the Words, comprehend but retain nothing. Usually, this is because our minds are stocked full of trivia and worries and refuse to absorb anything more.
There is a certain whole pace of life that helps us approach the Word to listen. If we are rushed, hurried, and frantic we will not hear well; we will be composing lists of to-dos and solving problems with 3/4 of our brain while the Word passes by in the background.
So, over time, the Lord leads us to simplify and quiet down, and restore healthy margins. This does not mean we become hermits and refuse to participate in the daily grind of life. Instead, it means we reserve sufficient space within our lives to pay attention.
This is a very personal matter and I hesitate to make any clear instruction about it, because we quickly become legalistic. You will know if you are too harried to hear the Word. And, with prayer and time, the Lord will help you find a proper balance. Jesus often simply wandered away into the wilderness to restore his soul; I believe the Spirit usually beckoned him there. Similarly I think the Lord teaches us each when it is time to say that powerful word: “No.”
But a good place to begin is to have a simple five to ten minutes of quiet someplace in our day, where we simply sit and enjoy being still with God. There is no agenda here; there is no strain. It is simply time to remember that God is in control, you are not, and there is just no need to worry. This is the start of a life with appropriate margin, a mindset that allows us to put down our business and listen when it is time to read the Word.
