How to read the Bible

This is the hand out I passed around on Sunday afternoon at our first VBS day.

How to read the Bible
 

1. Pick up a Bible. Read it--I know it is not that simple! So here are a few pointers.

 
There are many different translations of the Bible. The Episcopal Church uses the NRSV, but you can certainly read another translation at home. In fact, sometimes reading more than one translation can help. A good resource for being able to read many different translations is the Oremus Bible Browser (http://bible.oremus.org/).  
 
Reading the Bible should be done carefully. It is sacred text so we shouldn't zoom and skim through it like we might a cheap mystery. Speed is one aspect of this careful reading, but I would encourage you to pay attention to words, think about other meanings they bring up, think of other times you've encountered them. Don't neglect your feelings either. This is not a purely academic exercise. Consider your feelings as you read.
 
When you don't understand a word or phrase I suggest turning to a Bible dictionary. That might be able to help you understand that sometimes even English words we recognize have a different meaning in their original language.
 
And finally, as you read remember that you are reading it in the summer of 2013.  Consider the events of your life, and the news around the world. How does the Spirit speak to us through the text today?