Episcopal church asks members to commit to a year of scripture

It may be a struggle and incomprehensible to some at times, but South Florida Episcopalians have committed to reading every word of the Bible this year, from the Old Testament to the New Testament to the Psalms.

Parishioners say they are ready for the challenge from their bishop, who asked every church and congregant to make their way through the holy books in 2013. It's part of the national Bible Challenge, sponsored by the Pennsylvania-based Center for Biblical Studies, which says hearing the Scriptures on Sundays is insufficient for developing a good understanding of the Bible's deeper meanings and relevance today.

The center is urging parish groups and anyone who wants to participate to read the Bible in sequence, with daily readings done independently and in group meetings once a week.

"It's a real commitment, the schedule is quite Herculean," said the Rev. Mary Ellen Cassini, of St. Mark the Evangelist Episcopal Church in Fort Lauderdale. "But it's worth wrestling with. We want it to be a time for people to feel comfortable asking questions and finding out how the Bible speaks to us."

Despite frequent references in literature and popular culture, many Americans have little knowledge of the Bible and its stories. A Gallup poll in 2000 reported 41 percent of Americans say they rarely or never read the Bible. An American Bible Society survey showed 79 percent of Americans say they know the Bible, but 54 percent couldn't identify its first five books.

"I have been concerned that many of our members had become negligent in their Bible reading," said Bishop Leo Frade, of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida. He said 73 South Florida congregations are participating in the challenge.

At St. Mark the Evangelist, 37 people showed up for the first discussion, Cassini said. More than 80 are participating at St. Gregory Episcopal Church in Boca Raton.

"We have a lot of members who have never sat down and read the Bible cover to cover and taken in the whole story," the Rev. Andrew Sherman said.

Each day, a priest from the diocese writes a commentary on the day's reading on BibleChallengeDioSEF.weebly.com. A Facebook page also encourages discussion by participants.

Leaders said they expect congregants to get frustrated as the year proceeds and they tackle arcane laws about treatment of homosexuals, women after childbirth and people with skin diseases, as described in the Book of Leviticus.

"We don't assume everyone will get through the whole thing," said the Rev. Chip Stokes, of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Delray Beach. "There are so many anomalies and technicalities and stories out of sequence."

Kathleen Putnam, of Delray Beach, said she is determined to make it through the year. She plans to attend a weekly breakfast meeting at Panera Bread in Delray Beach with a small group of women.

"Our country is in such chaos," said Putnam, 65. "If we had more contemplative time and God in our life, it would help us think through our problems."

Lsolomon@tribune.com or 561-243-6536

Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-bible-challenge-20130113,0,7634386.story?track=rss

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