Thursday, January 31, 2013
Day 25 – Exodus 13-15; Psalm 21; Matthew 22
In an article in Psychology Today, Psychologist Ian Newby-Clark says he is often asked: “How many days will it take before my new exercise routine becomes a habit? My friends tell me it will take about thirty days, but I think it will only take 25. What do you think?"
So, here we are on Day 25 of the Bible Challenge? What do you think? How is your Bible Challenge going? Is routine reading of the bible a new habit for you? Have you adjusted an old habit of scripture reading to accept the bible challenge readings?
Psychologist Newby-Clark answers the question - how long to form a new habit - with the facetious description of a magical hidden lair where he goes to perform secret and specific calculations, emerging with the ‘aha’ answer of 23.638 days. If only the calculation were that easy, he admits. “Repeat, repeat, repeat”, he concludes, is the best strategy for acquiring new habits.
So, we press on with our Bible Challenge, reading stories that did not make it into the lectionary, hearing ‘the rest of the story’ behind heroes that we already knew.
We hear huge, familiar stories in Exodus today. The crux of the Exodus: six hundred thousand men (Ex 12:37) not counting the women and children… unleavened bread all they had time to take as the fled, unleavened bread to be eaten as a reminder to the next generations …“It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.” (Ex 13:8) The people were led by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. Pharaoh changed his mind and pursued. The Red Sea parted. Moses and Miriam sang. This story of salvation history is repeated at our Great Vigil of Easter, repeated throughout Judaism.
We hear the Greatest Commandment in Matthew 22: Jesus says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment:. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” This story of salvation history is repeated in all three lectionary years (Matthew 22: 34-40 in year A, Mark 12:28-31 in year B, Luke 10:25-28 in year C) and repeated in our hearts routinely.
We could almost stop reading here. We’d have some incredible practices to live by. These are stories we should ‘repeat, repeat, repeat.’
But we have this new Bible Challenge habit formed - and can’t wait for more of the story tomorrow!
The Very Rev. Kathleen Gannon
Curate, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Delray Beach, FL
Dean, South Palm Beach Deanery in the Diocese of Southeast Florida
Day 25 – Exodus 13-15; Psalm 21; Matthew 22
In an article in Psychology Today, Psychologist Ian Newby-Clark says he is often asked: “How many days will it take before my new exercise routine becomes a habit? My friends tell me it will take about thirty days, but I think it will only take 25. What do you think?"
So, here we are on Day 25 of the Bible Challenge? What do you think? How is your Bible Challenge going? Is routine reading of the bible a new habit for you? Have you adjusted an old habit of scripture reading to accept the bible challenge readings?
Psychologist Newby-Clark answers the question - how long to form a new habit - with the facetious description of a magical hidden lair where he goes to perform secret and specific calculations, emerging with the ‘aha’ answer of 23.638 days. If only the calculation were that easy, he admits. “Repeat, repeat, repeat”, he concludes, is the best strategy for acquiring new habits.
So, we press on with our Bible Challenge, reading stories that did not make it into the lectionary, hearing ‘the rest of the story’ behind heroes that we already knew.
We hear huge, familiar stories in Exodus today. The crux of the Exodus: six hundred thousand men (Ex 12:37) not counting the women and children… unleavened bread all they had time to take as the fled, unleavened bread to be eaten as a reminder to the next generations …“It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.” (Ex 13:8) The people were led by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. Pharaoh changed his mind and pursued. The Red Sea parted. Moses and Miriam sang. This story of salvation history is repeated at our Great Vigil of Easter, repeated throughout Judaism.
We hear the Greatest Commandment in Matthew 22: Jesus says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment:. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” This story of salvation history is repeated in all three lectionary years (Matthew 22: 34-40 in year A, Mark 12:28-31 in year B, Luke 10:25-28 in year C) and repeated in our hearts routinely.
We could almost stop reading here. We’d have some incredible practices to live by. These are stories we should ‘repeat, repeat, repeat.’
But we have this new Bible Challenge habit formed - and can’t wait for more of the story tomorrow!
The Very Rev. Kathleen Gannon
Curate, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Delray Beach, FL
Dean, South Palm Beach Deanery in the Diocese of Southeast Florida
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