On the Ordinary Grace and Spiritual Discipline of Reading Holy Scripture
We live in a dark and dying world characterized by criticism, cynicism, and disillusionment, but as Christians we are called to be faithful witnesses to our Lord Jesus Christ, to be salt and light in this same world. Some in our day seek the transformation of culture through politics, while others seek personal solace in religious rituals, but what we really need is to return to the ordinary means of grace our Lord has provided for us. The Word, the sacraments, and prayer will be the things that make a genuine transformation in our lives, and of these, the Word is foundational for everything else. It is through the Word that God reveals Himself to us and it is through the Word that He shapes the contours of our worldview and the content of our devotion, our worship, and our prayers. The Protestant Reformers rightly restored the primacy of this means of grace to the Christian life in the Reformation. We as Christ’s disciples need to view the reading of Scripture as a spiritual discipline to be continually and intentionally cultivated if we are to develop a truly Christian heart and mind.
As a spiritual discipline, to read Scripture rightly requires more than simply reading a few verses for devotional purposes on a daily basis or studying some biblical books in random order in Bible study. Rather, we need to read Scripture systematically, comprehensively, and consistently to capture the overarching narrative and comprehend the myriad connections throughout the Old and New Testaments. To assist to this end, some use one of the plethora of Bible reading plans which aim to go through the entire Bible in year. Such plans are systematic and by using them to read through the entire Bible in a short span of time, one can capture the overarching narrative of Scripture and grow in familiarity with the Bible. On the other hand, they require a significant amount of Scripture to be read on a daily basis, leaving little time for reflection and creating a challenge to catch up if one misses a few days. This approach risks making Scripture reading a chore rather than a delight. Moreover, they often are not set up to help one capture the overarching narrative of Scripture, following the canonical order of biblical books rather than a more chronological one.
As an alternative, this website presents the Reformed Covenantal Lectionary. In church history, a regular program of Scripture reading is called a lectionary. A lectionary is simply a list of Scripture readings, often used in a liturgical setting. Historically, there have been two kinds of lectionaries, the lectio selecta and thelectio continua. A lectio selecta, like the Revised Common Lectionary used by many mainline Christian denominations for just Sunday liturgical readings, is simply a compilation of selected passages. The lectio continua, however, aims to read through all Scripture on a continuous basis, which is better for grasping the narrative flow of a book or of Scripture as a whole. This Lectionary consists of a three-year program of reading through Bible, with both lectio continua and lectio selecta readings, set up on a weekly basis. This allows flexibility to read more or less on a given day than what is assigned, and thus better maintains a pace that is more adaptable to daily life. Consistency in building the discipline and habit of regular Scripture reading is more important than the speed through which one can read through the Bible.
The lectio continua readings amount to roughly a chapter from the Old Testament, a chapter from the New Testament and a Psalm each day. In a year, one will get through one-third of the Old Testament, all of the New Testament, and the Psalms twice. These readings have been arranged in a chronological, not canonical, order, so that one can better grasp the overarching narrative of Scripture. God’s covenantal plans unfolded in history, and thus the historical sections like Kings or Acts are interwoven with the prophetic writings (in the Old Testament) or the epistles (in the New Testament) to show how these prophecies or epistles speak to the times in which they were written.
The lectio selecta readings are woven into the schedule in different ways. At the beginning and end of the calendar year are mediative readings of key selected passages on the three Persons of the Trinity, which include readings of the historical ecumenical creeds (i.e., the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed, and the Symbol of Chalcedon). There are readings in the week prior to Resurrection Sunday (Easter), harmonizing the Gospel accounts of our Lord’s Passion. On a weekly basis are Lord’s Day readings from the Westminster Standards (i.e., the Confession of Faith and the Larger Catechism and Shorter Catechisms) and the Three Forms of Unity (i.e., the Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dort, and the Heidelberg Catechism).
No lectionary or Bible reading plan is perfect, including this one, but if it helps you make a regular habit of Scripture reading then it will have achieved its purpose. May you be edified and God glorified as you use this lectionary and its associated materials as a help in pursuing the spiritual discipline of reading through Holy Scripture.
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