The Essential Bible Blog

Confessions of a Guilty Bible Reader

Let me tell you a secret. I don' read my Bible every day. Maybe I should feel guilty, especially since I’m the president of Scripture Union, a ministry whose mission is to help people of all ages meet God daily in the Bible and prayer. But I don’t, and here’s why.

Every morning, Sunday through Friday, I start my day in God's Word and prayer. But on Saturday morning I don't read my Bible. Instead, I get a cup of coffee and read the newspaper, every section, including all the Sunday advertising inserts, which always come a day early.

Why do I skip Bible reading on Saturday? Because I don't want to let it become a legalistic habit motivated by guilt. I take a day off to remind myself that a meaningful quiet time is not about punching in every day at the devotional clock. It's about developing a relationship with God.

Do you ever feel guilty about your devotional life? I think a lot of Christians do. That’s why I've written a new booklet, Confessions of a Guilty Bible Reader. It’s my attempt to honestly share some of the struggles and breakthroughs I’ve had as a lifelong Bible reader.

If you long for a closer, guilt-free walk with God, then I invite you to check it out. It has lots of stories and practical ideas to help you transform the basic discipline of Bible reading and prayer into an enjoyable daily encounter with God. (Click here to order Confessions of a Guilty Bible Reader.)

by Whitney T. Kuniholm

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Uniting Around the Bible

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With Lamar Vest and the signed
Uncover the Word Commitment

A lot of people think the Bible is a divisive book, and I know why. They see Christians arguing over it. They see churches splitting over it. They see publishers and ministries competing over it. Wouldn’t it nice if the world began to see Christians uniting over it? Well I’m happy to report there’s a new movement in the church to do exactly that, unite around the Bible. And you can be part of it.

With Pastor Rick Warren at the
Uncover the Word Summit

The movement is called Uncover the Word and it’s sponsored by the Forum of Bible Agencies and led by the American Bible Society. Earlier this month, nearly 300 Christian leaders from all sectors of the Christian church, gathered in Orlando for inspiration, challenge and most importantly, to sign the Uncover the Word Commitment, a document that declares our common commitment to God’s Word, the Bible, and our dedication to reading it, living it and promoting it together, something Scripture Union wholeheartedly supports. If you’d like to be part of this Uncover movement, I invite you to sign the Uncover the Word Commitment yourself.

The Uncover the Word movement will be sharing research and resources for encouraging more people to read God’s Word on a regular basis. But for now, the “man bites dog story” is this: Christians are beginning to unite around the Bible. As evidence of that, check out this opinion piece by ABS president Dr. Lamar Vest and his recent interview on Fox News:

by Whitney T. Kuniholm

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The Case for "Worst Practices"

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Next week I'm planning to attend The Uncover Summit, a 3-day event where over 250 Christian leaders will gather to consider the latest research on best practices in Bible engagement. But as I think about which speakers I want to hear, I find myself hoping that someone will make the case for "worst practices." Here's why.

Over the past few years, several ministries involved in the Bible cause, including Scripture Union, have spent time and money researching the most effective Bible engagement methods; we want find out what works. That's a good thing, and it has led to some important breakthroughs in our understanding of the impact of a regular Bible reading habit.

But we need to remember that "what works" is not just our methodologies, or programs or even our research "proving" that one approach is better than another. That's because the active ingredient in any Bible engagement program is God's Word and its ability to change lives.

Think of it this way. How many times have we heard about someone in a hotel room, drunk, depressed and suicidal, finding a Gideon Bible and coming to faith in Christ? And while I'm sure no one at the upcoming Summit would recommend getting drunk, depressed and suicidal as a best practice for an effective quiet time, nonetheless we have to acknowledge that there are times when that "method" has produced a positive outcome. And it has done so simply because "the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Heb. 4:12).

Of course, I'm not saying that we should forget about research, or that we should scrap our good programs and adopt "worst practices". But I am saying that all our efforts to develop and implement effective Bible engagement methods should lead us to a greater sense of awe at the power of God's Word to change lives, and a greater sense of humility about the role we play in that process. Because if we lose sight of that, we've missed the main point.

by Whitney T. Kuniholm

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E100 Challenge for Every Church in the USA

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I sometimes feel like “Johnny One Note.” He was a teenage boy in the Broadway musical, Babes in Arms, who organized a show to avoid being sent to a work farm. Johnny’s gift was the ability to hold one clear note, for a long time.

For the past 10 years I’ve been on a mission to share the vision I believe God put into my heart for a church-based "Bible reading revival." I’m convinced that the simple practice of meeting God every day in the Bible and prayer is not just a commendable spiritual discipline. It’s also the key to the renewal of the church itself.

So for the past year at Scripture Union, we’ve been working on the “E100® Every Pastor Project,” a plan to put our E100® Bible Reading Challenge into the hands of every pastor in the United States, and I’m happy to report that we’ve just launched the program.

We’ve developed an E100® Pastor’s Kit that explains all the details and includes a live sample of the key component, the E100® Daily Planner. If you're a pastor, minister or priest, or if you know one who might be interested in this program, I’d be happy to send you a FREE E100® Pastor’s Kit. Just call our office (1-610-935-2807 x401) or email us (info@scriptureunion.org).

One more thing. You've probably heard that the fall of 2011 is the 400^th Anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible. I believe it’s a perfect opportunity for church leaders to challenge the people under their spiritual care to “read the Bibles they already have.” So if you want to get your church involved in the E100® Bible Reading Challenge beginning in January 2012, you better get in touch with me…soon.

by Whitney T. Kuniholm

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The Bible's Greatest Story

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Would you be interested in a Bible reading program on the Bible's greatest story? Of course you would! Well, you're in luck because Scripture Union has just what you're looking for; it's called The Essential Jesus Challenge. It guides entire churches through 100 Old and New Testament readings on the story of salvation. Check out this video from our friends in New Zealand. Through a partnership of the Bible Society, Scripture Union and Wycliffe Bible Translators, The Essential Jesus Challenge is spreading across the country. Soon we'll be doing the same thing in the USA...and, Lord willing, around the world!

by Whitney T. Kuniholm

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God's Word Brings Faith Alive

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Do you believe God's Word has power to change lives today? This past weekend I spoke at the annual conference of Faith Alive, a lay witness ministry committed to spiritual renewal in the Episcopal Church. It was a wonderful opportunity to share my vision for church-based Bible reading revival. But the best thing about the weekend was not my messages. Rather, it was was the testimonies from Faith Alive leaders on the impact of reading the Bible.

One attendee shared that for the first half of his life he was afflicted with a debilitating stutter; it was so bad that he carefully planned his education, career and entire lifestyle around one anxious thought: I will never, ever be put in a position to speak in public. Then at age 24, as a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, he attended a local church and to his shock was asked to read the Scripture passage out loud to the congregation.

The pastor, not knowing about the stutter, pressured him to read. As he stood in front of the church, he braced himself for yet another embarrassing struggle with his stutter. But to his amazement, as he began reading Ezekiel 37 about the Valley of the Dry Bones, his stutter disappeared! He was able to read the whole chapter with perfect clarity...and the stutter never returned. Today, the former stutterer is a parish priest who regularly reads, speaks and preaches in public with great effectiveness.

This weekend reminded me that Bible reading revival is not "my" vision. Rather, it's a reality and a spiritual power that has been alive among God's people for a long, long time. Let's pray that God causes it to spread like wildfire in our day.

by Whitney T. Kuniholm

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What It Is

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Bible engagement is on the move! More Christian leaders are talking about it. And more Christian organizations are spending money on it. That's all good. But I've been thinking about what it is; does anyone have a definition of "Bible engagement" that the average Christian can understand and remember? Well guess what? I'm going to take a crack at it.

But before I do, let's consider "what it's not." Bible engagement is not something only clergy can do; it's for everyone. And it's not something for people with lots of Bible experience; it's for Bible newbies too. And it's not just for people who like to read thick, dusty books before the sun comes up; it's for people who are hungry for meaning all day long. OK...so what is it? Drum roll, please...

Bible engagement is"the process of taking in and living out God's Word for the purpose of knowing him better and experiencing him more."

You can remember that, right? Now let me break it down for you:

Taking in...which usually involves reading, but it can also involve hearing or watching or drawing or singing, or you name it. I just got a new iPad2 and I'm discovering there are lots of creative ways to take in the Bible's message (when I'm not goofing around with the other apps).
Living out...it doesn't do any good to be a Bible-know-it-all if it doesn't make a difference in your actions. That's called hypocrisy. Over the years I've discovered the most effective Bible study "method" is to do what it says. That's when I really understand what it means.
Knowing him better...theologians say the Bible is God's "self-revelation." No matter what Bible passage you read, always ask, "What does this teach me about God?" If you want to know God, read his Book.
Experiencing him more...the Bible is like God's personal journal; reading it connects us to his personality, his heart, and we begin to sense he is "with us." For real. That's when the Bible becomes life-changing.

So that's my shot at defining Bible engagement. But I'm not saying it's the only definition. How would you describe it? Add a comment to this blog post and let me know...what it is.

by Whitney T. Kuniholm

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Narnia and the Bible Reading Secret

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Have you seen the new movie, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader? It’s based on the third book in The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis. I was thinking about Narnia recently when suddenly it hit me that a famous detail in the story contains the secret to making the Bible come alive today. Let me explain.

As you probably know, one of the central images in The Chronicles of Narnia is the wardrobe. It’s through the wardrobe that the four children—Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy—enter into a whole new world where the lion king Aslan is alive, where Aslan is on the move. As the story unfolds, we learn that Aslan represents Christ; he's a picture of God incarnate. And that’s the secret: the Bible is like the wardrobe in Narnia.

Think about it; if our main focus in reading the Bible is relational, that is, to get to know the heart, mind and presence of God every day, then we enter into a whole new world where God is alive and God is on the move. But, if our main focus in reading the Bible is informational, that is, just to learn Bible facts, or gain Bible knowledge, or to stop biblical illiteracy in America, then we find ourselves in a frozen world, where it's more difficult to grow as a Christian.

So what’s the point of reading the Bible? It’s certainly not to become a Bible know-it-all. Rather, it’s to embrace Aslan. That’s what makes the Bible come alive today.

by Whitney T. Kuniholm

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Bible Reading Revival in Albany

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Last month I had the privilege of speaking three times to over 500 clergy and lay leaders in the Episcopal Diocese of Albany about the vision God has put in my heart for a church-based Bible reading revival. The truth is, I've been sharing this vision everywhere I can for over 10 years. But last month, an amazing thing began to happen.

My messages covered themes I've pondered for years--examples of Bible reading revival in the Scriptures and Church history, a new approach to Bible reading, a bigger vision for Bible engagement, plus an effective church-wide Bible reading program called The Essential 100 Challenge (E100).

But what amazed me this time is that God began stirring people to action. Bishop William Love took the lead by standing to say, "I'm committing to reading these Essential 100 passages myself and I'm inviting everyone in the Diocese to join me." After that, all 120 churches, reaching some 9,000 parishioners, agreed to take the Challenge with the Bishop.

In addition, people began thinking of creative ways to reach out with God's Word. A woman planned to start several E100 groups at the local university. A man felt convicted that his church didn't have pew Bibles so he made it his mission to find some. A parish priest convinced his Vestry to host a community barbecue where people could share their Bible reading testimonies.

A few weeks later, the Standing Committee in Albany passed a resolution which said, "The Standing Committee unanimously endorses and commends to the Diocese the E100 Bible reading plan by Scripture Union. The Standing Committee members commit themselves to complete the program and to encourage its use in their parishes."

I know it's just a beginning, but I believe God is igniting a Bible reading revival in Albany. Now I'm praying it spreads to other Dioceses in the Episcopal Church. And I pray it won't stop there. I pray it spreads like wildfire to the Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Catholics and yes, to seekers and non-believers too. I pray that God ignites a nationwide Bible reading revival, and I invite you to join me.

by Whitney T. Kuniholm

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Top 10 Bible Engagement Books

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It's the New Year and I bet you're already sitting around wondering what to do, right? Well, no need to panic because I've got the perfect solution, a do-it-yourself Bible Engagement Course based on my top 10 Bible engagement books. I'm convinced that reading these books could literally transform your experience of the Bible in 2011. So...you ready for the list?

Hang on...one comment before we begin. Because some are new to the notion of Bible engagement, I've organized the 10 books into a logical progression; they start with foundational issues and move to transformational issues (but you can read them in any order you want). And now, without further adieu, here are my top 10 Bible engagement books:

1. Understanding the Bible by John Stott. This is the best one-volume summary of the background and context of the Bible that you're ever going to find, written by one of my heroes. First published by Scripture Union nearly 40 years ago, it's a classic that should be on the shelf of every Bible reader. Great starting point in our little course.

2. The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? Somewhere along the way every Christian asks, "How do I know the Bible is true?" This slim volume focuses on the New Testament (because that's the target of most doubters) and nails the answer. Reading it will make you a confident defender of the Bible.

3. How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth, by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart. Once you understand the context and reliability of the Bible, you need some perspective on how to interpret the different kinds of writing it contains--narrative, laws, psalms, prophecy, Gospels, epistles and so on--plus a grasp of some basic hermeneutical principles. This book delivers all that in a readable format.

4. Shaped by the Word, by M. Robert Mulholland, Jr. Pastors and preachers often say, "God's Word changes lives." This book, by one of my mentors, helps us understand how that happens. It zeros in on the role of the Bible in the spiritual formation process.

5. Life with God, by Richard J. Foster. Understanding that the Bible is key to spiritual formation is step one. Step two is "re-learning" how to read the Bible so that spiritual transformation is possible. That's what Foster helps us do in this book.

6. Eat This Book, by Eugene Peterson. The author of The Message tackles an important question: how can Bible reading and prayer become a genuine dialog with God? If you're hungry for a Bible engagement experience that's more than just informational, this is the book for you. I love this book!

7. Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers, by Chris Hall. God's people have been reading the Bible for centuries. My friend Chris Hall adds depth to our understanding of Bible engagement by introducing us to how Athanasius, Chrysostom, Augustine and many other Church Fathers approached it. Those guys were good.

8. The Blue Parakeet, by Scot McKnight. To balance our historical perspective, we need to listen to some contemporary voices like McKnight's. His book steers around both liberal and conservative biases so we can catch a fresh vision of the big story of the Bible.

9. Hearing God, by Dallas Willard. How specifically does God speak to us through the words of Scripture, or through any other means for that matter? This book is the best answer to that important question that I've ever found, by one of the great spiritual writers of our day.

10. The Holy Bible. Of course, the best Bible engagement book ever is the Bible itself. No matter how many books you read and study about the Bible, there's no substitute for this: pray it in, live it out, every day. "That's what Bible engagement is all about, Charlie Brown."

OK, that's my top 10 list. What's on your top 10 list...what books would you add? Feel free to share them by posting a comment to this blog. Let's build a list of great Bible engagement books together. Thanks!

by Whitney T. Kuniholm

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