Reading through Paul’s Letter to the Romans

During the weeks before the Season of Lent, our parish will read through the Letter to the Romans.

Chapter 18 of the Acts of the Apostles tell us that Paul left Athens and went to Corinth and stayed there for a year and a half. That would be a lengthy stay for an evangelist, so we have to assume that Paul came to know those members of the early church quite well. His time there did, in fact, give him a unique opportunity to help that community of believers work through some of their differences and recognize what truly unites them.

Paul’s ministry with the Corinthians offers us insight in how to live together in our present day church communities. We hope you’ll join us for the next five weeks as we read through this letter.

How will we read it together?

From the safety of our homes, we will take five minutes to read twelve verses each day - give or take one or two verses.

What if I do not own a Bible?

You don’t have to own your own Bible to read along. If you have your own Bible, we encourage you to use it, but the scripture citations on the Verses & Reflections page are clickable! Life is complicated and messy and things aren’t always where we think they are - our Bibles can be one of those things. And in today’s world, people move frequently and it is not unusual for us to pack our Bibles away and not know which box they are in. Don’t let that stop you from engaging scripture with your community.

What can I do to engage more deeply?

There will be a reflection question posted for each day’s reading. You can find the citation, reflection, and a prayer for each day in the menu bar on the left of this page. We encourage you to read the passage slowly and more than once, if possible. It may be helpful to ask yourself the reflection question a couple of times during the day as a way to allow it to speak to you through what you do.

What can I expect to happen?

Since reading biblical texts is different from reading other books, we offer a prayer to prepare ourselves to receive the message of the sacred text. That can sound intimidating, but there is no need to worry about it. The goal is to let - not force - the scripture to speak to you. We can trust that the God who inhabits the text has something to say to each of us.

What if I don’t hear anything?

Some days you may find that you don’t hear anything. Silence is also a voice that God uses. The point is to stick with it each day. We become better readers and listeners. With practice you will find that insights into the meaning and message of the text will come to you. This experience can be very uplifting.

What should I do with my learning?

Please be humble in your learning. Scripture reading is a holy endeavor in which we offer ourselves to God. Initial insights are inspiring, but they are often replaced by the deeper wisdom of the Spirit. There is no one message of a biblical text. It is the Living Word of God and with each reading you open yourself up to what God is saying to you in that moment and you may find the words leap off the page.