By The Rev. Dr. Carl Grosse

We did it! Well, not exactly yet. Denise and I made a New Year’s resolution last year to read the Bible cover-to-cover in one year. As I write this, we’re indeed finishing Revelation and honestly read everything before it. So, by the time you actually read this, we’ll have completed our resolution. Quite frankly, I’m humbly proud of the accomplishment.

What did we get out of it? First, there is SO much benefit to having a reading buddy! You really need someone else to ask questions and make you think, as well as hear your questions and give you feedback. Having a buddy also helps you keep each other going. To me, this is one of the most game-changing features of how we went about reading the Bible. It’s different than a Sunday School class or Bible Study group because in those you have to be careful. Denise and I have reached a point after 40 years where we can share just about anything related to the Bible, and there were some surprises. One thing I will work on in 2025 is trying to keep straight what’s God’s job and what’s my job, so I don’t go out of my swim lane and try to do His job. 

Denise and I recommend trying this resolution yourself. Partner up with someone you can be honest with and who can be honest with you. Go from Genesis to Revelation, not the lectionary or a chronological Bible or something that mixes it up. The order matters. Most days you read 3 chapters and it takes 15-30 minutes. Yep, that’s not a misprint. Leave out commentaries, notes, and Sunday School teachers. Just read the text and talk about what you think it’s telling you. Stick with simple questions, like who are the good guys and bad guys and how you can tell. We like “What was important to the writer in this episode?”  When you’re in the Old Testament, stay in the Old Testament and don’t jump ahead. If you happen to stay with it long enough to get to the New Testament, then you can use a Bible that shows Old Testament quotes. Look them up and try to remember what you talked about when you read them. 

I can think of no better advice or guidance or words of wisdom for the new year.