Starting Over

[Raven]

I feel like I'm starting from scratch, or at least almost from scratch, in my search for God. I feel Him, I know He is there, but there is so much I don't know, or have forgotten, or have gotten confused with other things, that it's time to start at the beginning again.

 

I found a reading guide to read the Bible in a year. I'm sure many people here have done this already. I will be starting this Monday, and if anyone is interested in reading along with me, I would be more than happy to have a study buddy. (As long as you are willing to forgive my theological ignorance!)

[Inthedark]

I feel like I'm starting from scratch, or at least almost from scratch, in my search for God. I feel Him, I know He is there, but there is so much I don't know, or have forgotten, or have gotten confused with other things, that it's time to start at the beginning again.

 

I found a reading guide to read the Bible in a year. I'm sure many people here have done this already. I will be starting this Monday, and if anyone is interested in reading along with me, I would be more than happy to have a study buddy. (As long as you are willing to forgive my theological ignorance!)

 

I know the feeling Raven! I know so little and there is so much to find out! I find I get a little cranky at times while reading the bible, mainly because I feel I have been deceived over the years. I'll look again with fresh eyes once I've had a closer look at myself I think Raven. I feel that whatever I take from the bible will start from within me, with a new way of looking at things that once were familiar but are familiar no more.

 

I apologise if I'm not making much sense. Thats another thing I find with starting over as you say, it is very difficult to articulate and coelesce all my thoughts. They seem to rush at me now from differing directions when I read and hear new things, and old things for that matter, which at one time seemed to be pretty black and white. I think I'm starting to realise that the journey is THE thing, the not knowing is good and as long as we are learning on the journey, it's all good, and there is no end to it, and thats cool too.

 

Rambling alert. Stopping now ;-)

 

Regards

 

Paul

[Yvonne]

Raven,

 

I know exactly what you're saying - those words could be mine! I, too, had to start from scratch (sort of). I highly recommend Marcus Borg's books "The Heart of Christianity", "Reading the Bible Again for the First Time" and "The Last Week". All three have discussion guides, and if you want, sometime i would love to be your study buddy.

 

Oh, and good for you for recognizing where you are and that you want to learn. Been there, still doing that.

[Raven]

Paul and Yvonne,

 

It's nice to know it's not just me! I'm already feeling heartened. Paul - isn't there a saying about the journey being as important as the destination itself? Discovery is part of the learning, but so is the discovery process. I'm looking forward to diving back in again, as a different person, with different eyes.

 

Yvonne, thanks for the book recommendations. I have added them to my to-read list and will start in on one of them soon. Is there one you would recommend most? I would love to talk to you about this more.

 

For anyone who's interested, tomorrow's reading is Genesis 1:1 - 3:24.

[Yvonne]

Paul and Yvonne,

 

It's nice to know it's not just me! I'm already feeling heartened. Paul - isn't there a saying about the journey being as important as the destination itself? Discovery is part of the learning, but so is the discovery process. I'm looking forward to diving back in again, as a different person, with different eyes.

 

Yvonne, thanks for the book recommendations. I have added them to my to-read list and will start in on one of them soon. Is there one you would recommend most? I would love to talk to you about this more.

 

For anyone who's interested, tomorrow's reading is Genesis 1:1 - 3:24.

 

I'd definitely start with 'Reading the Bible Again for the First Time' - especially since you've already started with your bible project. PM me if you want to talk about it.

[Jagged Zen Monkey]

I feel like I'm starting from scratch, or at least almost from scratch, in my search for God. I feel Him, I know He is there, but there is so much I don't know, or have forgotten, or have gotten confused with other things, that it's time to start at the beginning again.

 

I found a reading guide to read the Bible in a year. I'm sure many people here have done this already. I will be starting this Monday, and if anyone is interested in reading along with me, I would be more than happy to have a study buddy. (As long as you are willing to forgive my theological ignorance!)

 

My suggestion is to watch the sun rise, listen to the orchestra that begins around day break, song birds, squirrels, bugs, etc. Watch the fog lift from the ground, feel the cool breeze, and breath it ALL in! My goodness! We begin again every morning we rise from bed. God is spoke about in the bible, but God is felt, seen, heard, and experienced in nature itself. The beauty present in this world is awe inspiring to say the least.

 

Here's a good song for ya:

[murmsk]

I am not convinced there is a destination ...... just a journey

[soma]

I am getting up tomorrow and starting all over again. I erase my blackboard when I leave school and my mind when I go to bed. A clean slate to write on is heaven, messing it up is heaven and starting over is heaven. It never ends. May we enjoy the endlessness of the journey.

[Raven]

So far, so good. Ok, so I'm only three days in (I do my reading at night, as it helps quiet my brain) but still, so far so good. I have to admit, reading about the generations has been tedious, but what a great exercise in patience! At first I wanted to skip over those parts, but I made myself do it, and I was glad for it after. It is good to work toward something. Yes, the generations are detailed and long (900-year lifespans? Yikes!) but they must be in there for a reason...to force me to sit still, if nothing else.