The January Fast

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Fasting wasn't something we practiced when I was growing up; it just wasn't on the radar of our little independent Baptist Church, which was primarily focused on evangelism. Plus, they were definitely dispensational and considered a lot of...um, stuff...to have been for the first century church and I rather think fasting was one of those things.

But we are in a different church, with a different tradition.  And although I miss the Christmas carols that started the Sunday after Thanksgiving I am glad to have an annual 'selah' after the holidays.  I never thought I'd say I was looking forward to fasting, but, surprise, surprise, I actually was looking forward to it this year.

And it starts today...for 21 days.  We have been challenged to read through all four gospels during the three weeks, which is about 4 chapters a day.  I decided I'd do it a little differently and dug up our Narrated Bible, which is a Bible in which the text has been edited to be in chronological order. 

 

 The gospels are all mixed up together into what, as best as can be determined, is chronological.

But since it's all mixed up I can't pace myself by chapters.  It runs from pages 1349 - page 1484; a total of 136 pages...roughly six and a half pages a day.  It does include some commentary, which I quickly found broke up the continuous feel of the narrative so I decided I *could* skip the commentary and just read the listed scripture.  Not that the commentary wasn't worth reading...it's just that my desire was to read the continuous scripture narrative.

Which, surprisingly, the editor began with Mark 1:1 and not John 1:1.  But after the initial surprise...I agree with him.  It does flow better that way.

The first day's reading is the combined accounts through the presentation of the newborn Jesus at the Temple, with the accompanying testimony of Simeon and Anna.  

I've always found that reading Scripture in a way that's different from how I've read it before puts a little different light on it and I notice things I'd not seen before, so I think this could be interesting.

Happy 2022!