Accountability in Fellowship:
and our week 6 readings.
A small group of four from the Read the Bible in One Year project met on zoom on Tuesday this week. We shared things that stood out for us in the readings since our last meeting. We also noticed that, for most if not all of us, knowing that we were:
a) doing this together
b) going to gather to discuss and check in
served as points of accountability. For my part, I observed that I had gotten past the point where new years resolutions often fail for me, because I was committed to doing this reading project with a group of friends. There is accountability in our fellowship - and for all of us, this accountability is an encouragement.
Not that anyone is punished or chastised if they are behind, or have decided to focus on reading, for example, primarily the New Testament selection. But knowing we are in this boat together is an encouragement for each of us. This is a gracious kind of accountability, not a punitive brand of accountability.
As we settled into month two of our daily readings, we have found editions we prefer, sometimes reading from Bibles belonging to loved ones, with notes in the margin - layering on a whole other generation of insight.
We noticed segments of scripture we had not remembered or noticed before, like Matthew 17:24-27
Jesus and the Temple Tax
24 When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, ‘Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?’ 25 He said, ‘Yes, he does.’ And when he came home, Jesus spoke of it first, asking, ‘What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their children or from others?’ 26 When Peter said, ‘From others’, Jesus said to him, ‘Then the children are free. 27 However, so that we do not give offence to them, go to the lake and cast a hook; take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a coin; take that and give it to them for you and me.’
How is it so many of us had not noticed this scripture before? Fish with a coin in it’s mouth? Notice the children are still free (for isn’t it the fish who paid?).
And so we look with some anticipation towards what we might notice anew in the coming week.
Week 6 readings:
Thursday February 5th: Exodus 21:22 to Exodus 23:13, Matthew 24:1-28, Psalm 29:1-11 and Proverbs 7:6-23
Friday February 6th: Exodus 23:14 to Exodus 25:40, Matthew 24:29-51, Psalm 30:1-12 and Proverbs 7:24-27
Saturday February 7th: Exodus 26:1 to Exodus 27:21, Matthew 25:1-30, Psalm 31:1-5 and Proverbs 8:1-11
Sunday February 8th: Exodus 28:1-43, Matthew 25:31 to Matthew 26:13, Psalm 31:6-18 and Proverbs 8:12-21
Monday February 9th: Exodus 29:1 to Exodus 30:10, Matthew 26:14-46, Psalm 31:19-24 and Proverbs 8:22-31
Tuesday February 10th: Exodus 30:11 to Exodus 31:18, Matthew 26:47-68, Psalm 32:1-11 and Proverbs 8:32-36
Wednesday February 11th: Exodus 32:1 to Exodus 33:23, Matthew 26:69 to Matthew 27:14, Psalm 33:1-12 and Proverbs 9:1-6.
mug and book Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
winter sunrise Photo by Tobias Mockenhaupt on Unsplash