A bucket list item:
the first week of readings.
Probably most of us have bucket lists of some kind, and this year I am hoping to knock one off my list. Beginning at the beginning of both Old and New Testament, I am trying to complete a reading of the entire Bible this year.
It is the wee hours of January 2nd as I write this, but I wanted to share this bucket list item I hope to accomplish with whoever might like to join me in 2026. I’ve always wanted to read through the entire Bible in one year with other people. In 2026, I’m hopeful a few people will join me in this adventure.
One of my favourite translations for just reading out loud is The Message, and this is the edition I am going to use, but if you are joining me, feel free to use whatever edition you like, or even move between various editions as you read. So far, I have a small group in Wiarton who might be joining, and a new friend, Raylene, who is also going to try.
For the first week in January, these are the readings based on The One Year Bible edition I am using.
January 1st - Genesis chapters 1 & 2, Matthew 1:1 - 2:12, Psalm 1, Proverbs 1:1-6
January 2nd - Genesis chapters 3 & 4, Matthew 2:13 -3:6, Psalm 2, Proverbs 1:7-19
January 3rd - Genesis 5:1 - 7:24, Matthew 3:7-4:11, Psalm 3, Proverbs 1:20-24
January 4th - Genesis 8:1-10:32, Matthew 4:12-25, Psalm 4, Proverbs 1:25-28
January 5th - Genesis 11:1-13:4, Matthew 5:1-26, Psalm 5, Proverbs 1:29-33
January 6th - Genesis 13:5-15:21, Matthew 5:27-48, Psalm 6, Proverbs 2:1-5
January 7th - Genesis 16:1-18:15, Matthew 6:1-24, Psalm 7, Proverbs 2:6-8.
A few lines from the January 1st readings which really captured my imagination:
In Genesis 2:1 “Heaven and Earth were finished, down to the last detail.”
In the Gospel of Matthew reading, when Joseph finds out Mary is pregnant:
“(It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn’t know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced. While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream.”
I can relate to all three of these experiences ….
being chagrined by the state of affairs,
trying (often with frustratingly little success) to figure things out, and
getting ideas from my dreams (especially when I pray and ask for help in the figuring things out in my dreams department)!
From Psalm 1 “you chew on Scripture day and night” nom nom nom nom
and the introductory chapter of Proverbs tells us that the advice given within this book is “To teach the inexperienced the ropes and give our young people a grasp on reality.” I could use some learning the ropes, that’s for sure!
Maybe, if you decide to join, even for a day or a week, you could put in the comments a phrase or line that stood out for you.
Happy New Year everyone - and may this year bring revelation through scripture, helping us to navigate this beautiful and complex world.
cardinal - Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash
reading the Bible - Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash