Ridgeland Church - Read Scripture 2026

Jump down to the readings

WHAT IS READ SCRIPTURE?

Read Scripture is our year-long Bible reading plan that will take our church through about a third of the Bible in 2026.

WHY READ SCRIPTURE TOGETHER?

Psalm 1 tells us that we become like the things we ponder and imagine. It says that when we meditate on Scripture, we are transformed to be like the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden, a source of life and vitality. When we are rooted into the words of Scripture, we grow like tree which are planted by streams of water and yield much fruit in season.

The goal is that our entire church is reading the same passages on the same day for the entire year, so that every time we come together we have been spending time and praying through the same passages of Scripture as each other.

In these moments, we each invite God to speak through the written word of Scripture to us. As we gather, we bear fruit together, having been watered by the same stream of time spent in Scripture, prayer, and thought on the things of God together.

Literature for a lifetime

WHAT IS THE LECTIONARY?

I thought it was called Read Scripture? What's the Lectionary?
Read Scripture is a year-long Bible reading plan that largely follows the Revised Common Lectionary through the church calendar. This year, we're in the first year of the three-year cycle, which is called Year A.

This tradition goes all the way back to ancient Jewish and early Christian traditions, and we follow it today to expose ourselves to the full breadth of the story of the Bible. Dozens of denominations follow this particular Lectionary, and an increasing number of churches in our tradition have been using the Lectionary to walk through Scripture together.

By following the Christian year from Advent onward, it systematically tells the story of redemption through a three-year cycle of readings. Each Sunday, it connects themed passages from the Old Testament, Psalms, New Testament, and Gospels, providing a balanced look at passages from all over the Bible.

EVERY DAY

there will be three or four passages equal to about 20min of reading each day, which is way less than your average TV show or sporting event. You don’t need to finish all of the reading in one sitting, so feel free to break it up throughout the day if that’s easier for you!

SEEM LIKE TOO MUCH?

The goal for reading Scripture together as a church is to increase the time we are spending in the Bible. It’s a great feeling to be able to look back at the year and think, “wow I read through all of that!” but we really just want to say that we read more Scripture! If the whole reading plan seems like too much, we would recommend sticking to the New Testament readings, and then if you’re feeling up to it, jump into some of Old Testament books that seem interesting to you as they come along in the plan.

THE CHALLENGE

is to make reading Scripture a greater priority in our lives, learn more about the unified story of the Bible, and grow together as a church family through this shared narrative.

READING TIPS

Set a time(s) per day that you are going to read to help you stay consistent.
When you come to hard words or names, pronounce them the best you can but don’t get stuck! Keep on reading through so you don’t lose the story line.
Quickly write down any questions that come to you as you are reading so you can come back to them in the future, then keep reading!
If you get behind in the plan, don't try to catch up! Just jump ahead to today's date. You can always go back and reread sections you missed, but it's most important that we stay together.

Divine Reading (Lectio Divina)

After you complete your reading for the day, select one of the readings to spend additional time with. Taking that passage, walk through the process of Lectio Divina. Lectio Divina (Latin for "Divine Reading") is a traditional practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God's word. It is a process designed to help the reader connect with the living word of God.

1. Pause: Read the scripture slowly.
Watch for a key phrase or word that jumps out at you or promises to hold a special meaning for you. It is better to dwell profoundly on one word or phrase than to skim the surface of the whole passage. Read with your own life and choices in mind.
2. Reflect: Reflect on a word or phrase.
Let the special word or phrase that you discovered in the first step sink into your heart. Bring mind, will, and emotions to task. Be like Mary, Jesus’ mother, who heard the angel’s announcement and “treasured” and “pondered” what she had heard (Luke 2:19).
3. Ask: Respond to what you have read.
Form a prayer that expresses your response to the idea, then “pray it back to God.” What you have read is woven through what you tell God.
4. Yield: Rest in God’s presence.
Be still and let God’s loving spirit pour out on you.