‘You’ve got the time’ - listen to the whole NT
Written by Howard Mellor   
Thursday, 15 January 2009

We have established a partnership with the Bible society as a result of a visit to the United Church on Advent Sunday of the Revd Sandra Tebbutt. Sandra is the Regional Manager of the Bible society for our area  and suggested we become part of a pilot scheme entitled ‘You’ve got the time’. 

The Bible society provide, free of charge, a ‘Bible stick’ which in effect operates like an MP3 player but with the whole New testament in 40 sections each one taking about 28 minutes. Each pack contains the personal Bible stick and earphones, a simple instruction leaflet, a 40-day listening plan and prayer guide. There is some information about the work of the Bible society.

The title ‘You’ve got time’ suggests that busy people find it hard to read the bible regularly – we know that to be the case. Here is one way of using time we take to do ordinary things and make it into creative time. The experience of others on this pilot scheme is very positive and with people getting a real grasp of the the scriptures in a new way. It helps us to build a bigger picture of who God is, what he is like and what he wants for us. It seems people become impatient to know what comes next. We might even cheat and get tomorrow's section!

What is the catch?

Sorry there is not one – unless you think getting people to discover more about the bible is a catch! It is true that faith comes by hearing and this is one new and creative way in which we can participate together in listening to the Bible.

The proposal is that for the period of Lent we covenant to listen to the Bible across 40 days. Ash Wednesday is 25 February and lent runs to Holy Saturday 11 April. That is of course 46 days but traditionally those fasting had Sunday off! That gives us 46 days for 40 days worth of material. It seems to me that it would be good to do this as an individual, but this Bible Society project offers the opportunity for us to listen together as a Christian community to whole New Testament in Lent 2008.

All this is free. What the Bible Society ask is that we take up an offering for their work at the end of the process. The suggestion is that we receive this as an offering on Sunday 26 April. Gift aid envelopes will be available and each church will decide how to do this and then we can collect the money and send it off. The Bible society tell us that they use the funds to bring the bible to people often in the form a solar powered Bible player that can be accessed by a whole community.

If you would like to be part of this special opportunity then complete the form (available in Church) and return it to your Church Steward or Secretary and get it to Revd Howard Mellor by the end of Sunday 1 February 2009.

The Bible sticks will be available within a fortnight at your church in plenty of time for Lent 09.It is available in two forms, the Good News Bible or the New International Version. For each of these there is a dramatised version (which means there is more than one person speaking – as in a conversation between Mary and the Angel). Otherwise there is one reader – who from what I have heard gives good expression.