One of the things I want to do this year to increase awareness of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ is to suggest a reading plan called ‘Lent for Everyone’ which is a read-through of the Gospel of Matthew and a commentary by N. T. Wright.
This is the first day of that plan, Ash Wednesday (February 22, 2012) and would be a great time to start. “Lent for Everyone” is available on www.youversion.com (reading plans). There are several ways to use youversion: if you have a smart phone (iphone, android, Blackberry) you can download the youversion Bible app (a good one!) and then sign up to the Lent for Everyone reading plan. When you open the app on your phone it will show you that day’s reading. Alternately, you can register at the web site, and whenever you go to the web site, it will give you a link to that day’s reading.
The reading for today is Matthew 1 and 2. (If you are a listener rather than a reader, there is an audio link below the footnotes of the reading).
These chapters contain the genealogy of Jesus, the faithfulness of Joseph, and the coming of the wise men. Tom Wright reminds us that God asks us, as he asked Joseph, “to trust him in a new way, to put aside their natural reactions, to listen humbly for a fresh word, and to act on it.” That’s a good goal for all of us as we prepare our hearts to celebrate Easter.
Here’s a Youtube video of Andrew Peterson singing the genealogy: Matthew’s Begats
And here’s a favorite Joseph’s Song
And another It Came to Pass
