First marks

It’s always traumatic for me to make the first marks in a  new Bible.

Actually, the first mark I made in my new Dagger (NT and Psalms) was to line through the words repeated at 1 Cor 7.18, which I have written about before.

Such errors persuaded me as a teenager that the Bible available to me could not be inerrant, a sound theological conclusion but on a very weak basis.

For me, it still took a deep breath, however,  to be able to cross out words in the Bible. Some I profoundly want to, Paul’s waxing ignorant about women and homosexuals, to cite one example.

But I don’t. At least, not with ink.

It’s good to remember that even the best of us aren’t always at our best.

The next marks, I made today. Using the rubric in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), I marked the psalms to be read AM and PM in 30 days.

Also, psalm 119 to be read two sections at a time after every 10 psalms. I find my mind wanders if I try to read 119 all at once. Sixteen verses at a time is much better for me.

I haven’t been successful at pasting a copy of my chart. Just look for the words “First Day: Morning Prayer” and “First Day: Evening Prayer” etc. at the head of every few psalms in the BCP, which is online.

Links for Daily readings following the Revised Common Lectionary and the BCP (near bottom of page) are here. Actually, this page makes all the paper and ink stuff I did today obsolete.

Somehow, it’s more satisfying for me to read from a printed page than a computer screen.

Reading the psalms through each month is very beneficial for me. It gives me a link to monasticism, which I love in principle. (They read the psalter through every week!) It also helps focus my heart and mind every day on the Lord.

May God grace each of you with light and peace.