...so Moses made them drink it

Am currently attempting to follow a 'read the bible in a year' programme, over at Community of Readers. I rather like this system, because an email is sent out with your weekly readings, plus advance notice of the following week. I print out the emails and use them as a 'tick off' list as I go through the passages. I find this much more motivating than simply sitting down and doing it myself. Even with a guide, there is no real interaction. By having it sent to me in chunks, it feels much more do-able.

I've now read Genesis, Job, Exodus, in the middle of Leviticus, Matthew, nearly finished Mark, and gradually also working through Proverbs and the Psalms. Am not as daunted by Leviticus as I might be, as I deliberately chose to grapple with it at one point a few years back, delving into it for meaning and looking up explanations of the stranger parts, and even preached a sermon entitled: 'I'm in Leviticus, get me out of here!'

As well as this, am still doing my in depth Genesis study, although certainly less frequently. I'm not going to have a guilt trip about it as long as I am doing some form of bible reading - I do well on a variety of approaches. Of course, am also working through Luke, with a few exceptions, over at Thirsty Ground - somewhat erratic with entries I admit, although I have managed one this morning.

Am also trying to write a reflection on the fig tree and the temple in Mark 11, for something someone at church is producing for Holy Week; the trouble is it is supposed to fit on one side of A5, which I am finding a bit of a struggle. I keep wanting to go into the mission of Israel, the mission of the Temple, and the mission of Jesus, but have to be pithy and rein myself back. I tend to like to go through difficult points in a passage and clarify them - so what I've written so far is too much already, and I still don't feel I've explained it all properly.

(By the way, did you know the Court of the Gentiles in Herod's temple was HUGE? According to one commentary I read it was thirty-five acres in size. I cannot quite get my head round this...it was the length of 5 football pitches.)

So, a few bible related projects on at the moment. Finding it interesting reading through the biblical passages. As always, I'm noticing things that I just didn't see before. Or perhaps I just wasn't paying attention. Like when Moses comes down from the mountain and sees the golden calf, he doesn't just throw his new stone tablets on the floor in rage and melt the golden calf down, but eventually makes the Israelites drink it. They had to drink the components of the idol they had made. Moses was certainly furious. For some reason this made me chuckle, as it had never really sunk in before.

Said as much to Andy.

He said,' Well, you get your Gold Blend, don't you?'