Nurture

May 2023 Bible readings

stjohnstmarkchurchburyThursday, April 27, 2023

Here are the May 2023 Bible readings which we’ll be using in church. Please make use of these readings and reflect on what they might be saying to you.

The readings

We start the month still in ‘Easter Season’ and end with Pentecost. Not so long ago they locked themselves in a room for fear of arrest – but now the disciples are out and about preaching. In the case of Stephen, that leads to his death. Paul changes from being a cloakroom attendant in Jerusalem to defending the faith in a court in Athens. And we revisit the Gospel of John, and some instructions from Jesus, in the light of the crucifixion…

• May 7th – 5th of Easter: Acts 7:55-60; 1 Peter 2:2-10; John 14:1-14;
• May 14th – 6th of Easter: Acts 17:22-31; 1 Peter 3:13-22; John 14:15-21;
• May 21st – 7th of Easter: Acts 1:6-14; 1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11; John 17:1-11;
• May 28th – Pentecost: Acts 2: 1-21; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13; John 20:19-23;

If you don’t have access to a Bible, then please follow this link to the Vanderbilt Divinity Library. It’s not always the same but it’s normally pretty close!

Amongst the May 2023 Bible Readings we have this one from John 14…

With fear and great joy

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.”

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.

Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

Many thanks again to Olivia Snow for the photo on Unsplash