[asa] Bible reading advice?

Hi all,

This is perhaps not directly relevant to ASA's usual topic of discussion, so please feel free to reply off-line...

I am looking for advice and tips on the best way to read the Bible the whole way through. I've probably read ~50% of the Bible in shorter spurts just from spontaneously selecting different chapters or books and reading those at various times, but that of course isn't a particularly coherent approach. I tried once to read it the whole way through, one chapter each night, but ended up stopping about 1/3 of the way into the OT because of some personal issues that disrupted my routine. I'd like to try again, but would appreciate any advice/tips you would offer from your own experiences that will help me get the most out of it (and keep me disciplined in it!!) Specifically, I'm wondering...

1) Should I try to keep a journal/diary as I read, to reflect on what's being said and my reactions/questions to it?
2) Should I stop every time I don't recognize a cultural term, geographic location, etc. to look it up and try to find out its relevance to the passage, or would it be better the first time through to just try to get the basic grasp of each passage rather than engaging the nitty-gritty details of it?
3) How should I section off my reading? Is it better to do a chapter a night? A book a night? One complete story/section (i.e. Noah's flood) each night? Are those "Read the Bible in 365 days" type of set-ups you can find in the store worthwhile?
4) Are there any particular things you did to enrich your experience? For example, prayer before and/or after? Listen to music? Read along with family members and then discuss? Go to a park?
5) Is it helpful to read a commentary or book on the passages that you're engaging as you go along (i.e. reading a commentary on Genesis as you read Genesis) to get someone else's perspectives and insights, or does that hinder your ability to read it in an unbiased manner? If you'd recommend concurrently reading a commentary or Biblical studies series, what would you recommend?

Thanks ahead of time for your thoughts!
In Christ,
Christine

"For we walk by faith, not by sight" ~II Corinthians 5:7

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Received on Sat Oct 11 23:37:28 2008