I have been trying to form my relationship with Christ, I find my values align with the views of Progressive Christians.  I really don't have any support or understanding from my community and I haven't ever read the bible and would like to.  I'm not sure where to start or what version of the bible to start with where I can have help understanding the word of god.

Dear Faith,

Thank you for this question. As one begins the journey into progressive Christian faith, we usually are drawn to use the practices of more traditional or conservative Christianity to aid our spiritual formation. There can be great benefit to practices like daily Scripture reading, reciting the Daily Office, or using a devotional book. But one of the benefits of the progressive Christian path is that it recognizes the presence of God in and through all things and all paths, so I would encourage you to consider other practices such as meditation, yoga, or reading other sacred writing or spiritual books even as you utilize the traditional tools of Christian faith.

With that said, I would encourage you to pick up either the Common English Study Bible or the New Oxford Annotated New Revised Standard Version Study Bible if you’re interested not just in devotional reading of the Scriptures, but a deep study of Scripture. Both are great translations and have tremendous scholarly insight packed in the footnotes.

I’d also encourage you to pick up Reading the Bible with and without Jesus by Amy Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler, What is the Bible? by Rob Bell, The Bible Tells Me So by Peter Enns, or How to Read the Bible and Still Be a Christian by John Dominic Crossan- these are some of the best progressive and scholarly resources to help lay people begin to engage deeply and critically with the Biblical texts.

By engaging deeply, critically, and devotionally with the Biblical texts, paired with a contemplative spiritual practice like prayer or meditation, I believe you’ll be well on your way to cultivating a rich relationship with Christ in your day to day life! 

~ Rev. Brandan Robertson

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