This post is written by Pastor Robbie Schmidtberger, our Church Planting Resident.
There is something special about a new year that dares us to dream of how we can be better people. Not only is it a new day, new week, or new month—it is a new year. The past, which we cannot change, is behind us; and the future ahead seems promising. So we make resolutions, commitments to eat better, exercise and lose weight; or we plan to do something than we’ve never done before: travel, journal, write a book… the lists are endless.
Frankly, I am awful at resolutions. I haven’t done this yet, but if I would open up my journals I would find an entry at the beginning of each year of the things I planned to accomplish. The reason why I have not done that yet, is because I am purposefully avoiding my failures.
Can you relate?
2017 is pretty different for me. I’ve become a father. It is much more intimidating than I ever thought. There is a little infant that I’ve been entrusted to love, raise and teach to be a man. I am the one to teach him how to ride a bike, shoot a basketball, treat women with respect, value others, to love God with every ounce of his energy. Some of those things are down the road. But even now as he learns to laugh and smile, I still get to teach him how to love God with every fiber of his being.
How I plan on doing this is by reading the Bible.
Reading the Bible is a very good thing. Through the psalms you learn how to process your emotions in a God-honoring way; as you read the gospels your heart is drawn to the person of Jesus, and you find yourself wanting to learn more about him in order to become more like him. As you read the Bible, you’ll find that it helps you make sense of the world.
Thankfully there are many good reading plans to help you work your way through the Bible. Even though I am not following either this year, I highly recommend a "Bible Reading Plan for Shirkers and Slackers" or spending money on an annual devotional plan (my grandfather did that one.) Pastor Jason is using the Bible Project. If you’re into a more visual medium, then this is for you.
I am following the lectionary, a Bible reading plan used by many Christians across the globe. Each day consists of reading psalms, an Old Testament and New Testament reading, along with a gospel lesson. All in all, that is 5 chapters of Scripture a day.
It. is. intimidating.
So why am I doing this Bible reading plan as opposed to something that I can easily do?
- The lectionary is divided into two major sections: morning and evening prayer. So it enables me to read the bible privately for myself, then later in the day, I have the opportunity to read Scripture with my wife as we put my little boy down to bed (apparently, pediatricians say that the best way to sleep train an infant is to create a bedtime routine for them! So because I want my kid to sleep through the night, giving us more sleep, I have another reason to keep my resolution.) I am reading the lectionary as it enables me to tend to my own soul as well as my family.
- The lectionary anticipates failure. Say you pick another ambitious Bible reading plan, like reading the Bible chronologically (in the order the books were written). If you don’t read the Bible for a whole week, then you have a lot to catch up on. The lectionary is not like that. If I miss a day or a week, I just pick up on whatever day it is. The grace of God is that we always begin again.
As you find yourself dreaming of life in the new year, looking to grow and become more like Jesus, pick something that is not only manageable to you but also helps you to be kind to yourself.