The BRF book of 365 Bible Reflections Karen Laister & Olivia Warburton (Editors)

 

A hundred years ago in January 2022 Revd Leslie Mannering of St Matthew’s Brixton circulated his first monthly leaflet of bible readings with commentaries ‘for the purpose of deepening the life of Prayer, Bible-reading and Holy Communion in each one of us’. So began what became the world-wide movement we know as BRF, the Bible Reading Fellowship. The Centenary is being launched with publication of 365 bible reflections written by different contributors including myself geared to energise searching of scripture and submission of lives to the Word of God. As Sally Welch writes, ‘we are not a people of a book… we are children of God… we follow a person, not a page; the Word, not words’. The genius of BRF is its steering away from both biblical literalism and renegotiation of scripture to fit in with contemporary thinking. ‘The BRF book of 365 Bible Reflections’ is a series of windows to be opened daily providing ‘light to our paths’ (Psalm 119:105). The variety of readings and contributors are structured around celebrating the transformative power of scripture and ‘BRF’s long history of coming alongside people at all stages of faith, encouraging Bible reading and everyday faith since 1922’. A third of the commentaries are constituted from daily readings journeying through Old and New Testament without Apocrypha. Another third journeys through the Christian year from Advent to Pentecost. Shorter sections include praying the Psalms, the Bible and old age and a final section linked to the marks of mission adopted by the Anglican Communion: tell, teach, tend, transform and treasure. The theme of ‘Sharing the Story’ runs through the collection of one page reflections which end appropriately with the invitation in Romans to listen more deeply to the longings of creation and deepen environmental stewardship. The book is well geared for flexible use as, for examples, deciding to use it in a season like Lent or to follow a three month tour through Old and New Testament or spend a fortnight on what the Bible has to say to older people. Each day has different scripture and contributor and that makes for ongoing freshness. There is no word of God without power. In this book BRF provides a variety of insight from hundreds of co-authors into the transforming power of the good news of Jesus Christ.

Canon Dr John Twisleton    27 March 2022

The BRF book of 365 Bible Reflections  Karen Laister & Olivia Warburton (Editors)

with contributions from BRF Authors, supporters and well-wishers

BRF 2021 £14.99 ISBN 978 1 80039 100 0 416pp

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