Read the Bible in a Year: From Lent to Lent

I am deeply grateful to Marek Zabriskie for the work he has done in founding the Center for
Biblical Studies and The Bible Challenge. He has graciously agreed to us making some local adaptations for our own Diocese. I share with Marek a passion for people to simply read the Bible and allow it to shape us and question us as we read. It is life transforming.

It is a challenge to make the time to read several chapters each day, but it will be worth it. One
attraction of this particular way of reading through the Bible in a year is the space given on Sundays for simply listening to the Scriptures being read in public worship. It also means if we do ‘fall behind’ there is a day for doing some catch up. I hope you will join me. But even if not I encourage you to look at other challenges on the centre’s website that apply just for Lent. You
will find there options for Bible reading as a family too, so please take a look and take time to read the Bible.

- Paul Butler, Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham

The Center for Biblical Studies has designed a one year reading schedule to help those who commit as individuals or as members of a church, a church school or a diocese to read successfully through the entire Bible in a year’s time. The CBS intentionally focuses on reading the entire Bible, reading the books of the Bible in sequence and ensuring that a psalm and a portion of the New Testament are read each day in order to provide strong spiritual daily content to sustain readers working through the entire Bible.You can start this schedule on January 1 or any day of the year that you like. This schedule works ideally if you begin on a Monday because we encourage readers to read portions of the Bible Monday through Saturday and assume that on Sunday they
will be in church hearing the Scriptures read aloud. The Bible is best understood in the context of a faith community and by persons who are committed to following the teachings of Jesus and obeying the Word of God in their daily life. Merely hearing
the Scriptures read aloud on Sunday, however, is not enough to know and to experience the living, life-transforming Word of God.

We encourage you always to put yourself in the presence of God before you begin reading the Scriptures. Read with a desire to understand and follow the teachings of Scripture so that your life might be transformed by the Holy Spirit working within you
as the Word of God is revealed to your heart, mind and soul. We wish you every blessing in your faithful daily Bible reading.

We offer this prayer written by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in 1549 The Book of Common Prayer as you begin your spiritual journey and The Bible Challenge.
“Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to
hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus
Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

Download the Lent to Lent One Year Read