'bibleread2013' is ready for members. The link http://bibleread2013.pbworks.com
should open to a log-in page for anyone who is a member. If you're not a member, the same page will allow anyone to click and 'Request Access'. You'll need an email address to send to the administrator, which is me. The email address keeps the group private - only those who've given an email address can see it - and allows notifications to be sent to you whenever there is activity within the group. Everyone requesting access will be given it. Everyone will have 'writer' status which enables one to read, post comments, add pages or topics, etc. Alternatively, you can request just 'reader' status. When requesting access, simply note in the optional message box that you want just 'reader' status.
Again, there is no obligation of members to do this or that. It's merely a collaborative space with the topic being the Bible. In particular, but not required, is the idea that we will begin reading the Old Testament at the start of the new year and finish at years end. The site has a schedule of daily readings to accomplish this. The readings are the readings of Read the Old Testament in a Year from bibleplan.org, http://bibleplan.org/#o1
With dial-up,
The si
te may take a while to load at first however it seems to load well on dial-up after the initial few times.
Reading the entire Bible in a year seems a difficult task, so I'm going to try reading just the Old Testament in 2013 with a plan to read the New Testament in 2014.
Currently, I've got a group space that I'm checking out. It's free for individual use, is easy to navigate and loads quickly on dial-up. Google Groups took forever to load.
The drawbacks of this particular site are that it's a private space and will require anyone wishing to participate to have an email address which they'll need in order to join.
Again, this group collaboration is highly informal with neither requirements for joining nor requirements to continue without quitting. Anyone who joins can comment, initiate a topic, etc. or even just read whatever discussion is going on without commenting. At least that's the plan.
I'll have a final post introducing the workspace and how to join on or about Dec. 27. Im expecting to start reading on Jan. 1.
So, I'm considering trying to read through the Bible in
a year. The reason I say 'considering' is not because I have any
doubts that I'd like to read through it, but because I'm not sure of my
ability to commit and actually carry through the task. In any event,
my ability to commit is a another story.
There seem to be quite a few on-line reading plans available by which to accomplish the reading. Chronological
readings, traditional readings which include a Psalms and/or Proverbs
verse with the daily reading, New Testament as opposed to Old Testament
readings, etc. Right now, I figure I'm happiest with a chronological
reading.
I'm well aware of the conflict in reading the Bible
as literature or historical document as opposed to reading it as a Holy
Testament. Personally, I consider myself as
having a religious faith although I don't practice it in any kind of
daily obligation; Neither am I necessarily intending my reading plan as
developing a committed practice of faith. In other words, I have an
individual idea of faith which is outside of organized religious
institutions but heavily influenced by these organized religious
institutions. So why am I interested in reading the Bible? Basically,
like climbing Mt. Everest, because it's there. Not only is it 'there'
but it's 'here' as being part of our civilized history. Also, I have
read some of the Bible and enjoy reading some of it and consider it's
topics and aesthetics to have influenced how I think. When I come
across a reference to an event or person in the Bible with which I'm not
familiar, it bothers me to know I'm unaware. I feel obligated to, at
least, be familiar with it.
I'm posting this to the blog as
informational. Maybe, if anyone is interested, some kind of group
reading throughout the year could be organized. I don't know how that
would work at the moment except to say that, for myself, I'd want it to
be very informal. People read at different speeds, fall behind, jump
ahead, take leaves of absence from reading, etc. Even without those
obstacles a year long 'discussion' along with the other responsibilities
people have, might be too intrusive. So, informal, even highly
informal, seems as much as I would consider for myself. If a group read
is not practical, then maybe this post will be the reminder someone
needs who had consider such a reading on their own but had put it on the
back shelf, so to speak, and only now is reminded of it.
If you have any comments on the idea you can, of course, leave a comment in the comment section.
I don't guarantee anything including the possibility of changing my email address or escaping to Mexico or Mars.
P.S. One possibility that occurs to me is having something like a Google group as the place of discussion.