Last night my wife and I gathered with about 20 other believers to read through the book of Luke together. A family we have recently come to know has been doing this for several years now. It was our first time gathering with them. Reading through a whole gospel at one time was extremely encouraging to me.
Everyone chose a chapter number at random to read. We read eight chapters at a time and then would take a 15 minute break to talk and have some food. When we got the chapter 22 we celebrated the Lord's supper together. Throughout the night, there were great conversations going on about what God was teaching people while we were reading His Word. As I reflect on our time together last night, I can't help but think about how beautiful it is to see the church built up and encouraged in such a simple way. May God build you up and encourage you as you spend time in His Word today.
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2 comments:
Theron,
It sounds like a great way to spend an evening! I wish I could have been there. So, what was God teaching you while you all were reading Luke?
-Alan
Alan,
We wish you could have been there as well. I hope your family is feeling better. One thing that stuck out to me was how much Jesus taught about possessions, money, and stewardship. This seems to be a large theme throughout the book. Luke 6:30 really rang true to my heart after last Thursday evening. Another aspect of reading the Gospel in a group that really attracted my attention, due to being an amateur textual critic, was the differences between the english translations. One place in particular was the "Lord's prayer" in Luke 11. There are several differences between the eclectic text and the Textus Receptus in this passage. It was also very powerful to share in the Lord's supper after having read the whole account of life of Christ up to that point. It helped me to understand more of what the disciples were feeling when He celebrated it with them the first time. Finally, I really enjoyed sharing this time with other believers in the way it was done. It was as if, just for an evening, we shed the institution and just lived as the church. I hope we can continue to edify one another in ways like this more often.
Take care,
Theron
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