Христос посеред нас! Christ is amongst us!
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As I am beginning to write this month’s pastoral message I find myself at a crossroads. The month of April this year consists of three full weeks of Great Lent and Holy Week at the end of which we celebrate the Holy and Awesome Resurrection of our Lord, and God, and Saviour Jesus Christ. So the question I am asking myself is this: Do I write an article regarding the Fast or simply a greeting for the Resurrection? I have decided to include both!
Last month I spoke on the misconceptions of fasting and how we should and shouldn’t approach the Great Lenten fast. One other misconception is that abstaining from food is the only way to honour and grow in the fast. Besides fasting, another major way we grow throughout Great Lent is by reading the Holy Bible. Great Lent is the perfect time to begin a Bible reading plan if we have never started one, or to expand on the plan we are already following. Here are some tips to help you read the bible:
1. First and Foremost, you have to open the Bible and read – This may sound obvious but it can also be the hardest part. Actually finding time in the day to sit and take a moment to read a part of the bible.
2. It is important to find a good translation – The Bibles that will be of great assistance to you are the “Orthodox Study Bibles”. They use New King James Version and have explanations at the bottom of each page to help understand what you are reading. Of course, reading ANY Bible is better than none at all – Read what you own and feel free to speak to me if you have any questions!
3. You need to prepare yourself for reading the Bible – There are several ways that we can do this:
a. You need to want to read the Bible. (It shouldn’t be a chore.)
b. Start with a short prayer and have nothing around to distract you.
c. Read whole sections at a time -You cannot pick and choose your favourite verses and only read those. The whole book should be taken in context. Heresies arise from people who only read one verse and try to find meaning from it.
d. Begin a Reading schedule – There are many reading plans one can start to help them read the Bible a little bit everyday. Some are very intense, “Read the Bible in 90 Days”, and others are more relaxed, “Read the Bible in a Year”. Regardless of which plan you follow, it is important to read at least one psalm a day.
4. Through our faith we must want to understand what we are reading – Sometimes we get frustrated that some verses do not make sense to us at first. It has been often said by many Christians that verses confounded them until the approached the Bible through love and faith in Christ. By learning more and more about Christ and His life, and the life he has prescribed for us, we can begin to see the Bible differently.
If you have any questions regarding on how to read the Bible, or reading schedules, please feel free to contact me.
With that said, On behalf of Dobrodiyka Erin, Noah and myself, I embrace and greet all of you during this glorious celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord and God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our fervent prayer is that all of your shadows will be transformed in the light of Christ’s Resurrection and that the peace of God the Father will help you safely all the way through whatever may come.
Христос Воскрес! Воістину Воскрес!
Yours In Christ,
Rev. Fr. Peter Haugen
