GET INVOLVED
What comes to mind when you think of reading the Bible? For many people, it means reading alone silently during a personal devo or a daily quiet time. But for thousands of years, Scripture was exclusively read aloud to a community of believers.
In the time of Moses, the law was regularly and repeatedly read aloud to the people (Deuteronomy 31). In the time of King Josiah, there was repentance and renewal when the law was rediscovered and read aloud to the people (2 Kings 22-23). When God's people returned home after a long exile, the scribe Ezra read Scripture aloud to men, women, and all the children old enough to understand (Nehemiah 8). Jesus read to people from the scroll of Isaiah when he was in the synagogue (Luke 4). In the early churches, there was regular public reading from the books of Moses and the prophets (Acts 4). Paul instructed Timothy to focus on reading God's Word to believers (1 Timothy 4). And in the Revelation of Jesus Christ, John wrote, "God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near" (Revelation 1:3).
Reading Scripture aloud in community has a long and storied history. Reading the Bible alone is a powerful experience, but it's worth (re)discovering the joy and power of reading and hearing God's Word with others.
CBR can take place anytime you gather with others to read and study the Bible. It can be part of a small group meeting, followed by extended discussion and learning. It can also be its own event that happens regularly during a semester or year (reading one chapter or one episode from a book of the Bible until completing it) or a single marathon event (it takes less than two hours to read the book of Mark aloud).
Here's one possible way to structure an ongoing CBR event.
Invite the Lord to be present in both the reading and listening. Ask him to lead everyone to truth and understanding. Thank him for the gift of his Word.
Big Picture Listening: Everyone except the reader just listens without following along in Bibles.
Directed Listening: Choose one of the following.
Thank the Lord for his Word. Ask him to work its truth into people's heart, minds, and actions.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2103 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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