New daylight May-August 2013 - Naomi Starkey

New Daylight offers four months of daily Bible reading and reflection for everybody who wants to go deeper with God. It is ideal for those looking for a fresh approach to regular Bible study, and offers a talented team of contributors who present a Bible passage (text included), helpful comment and a prayer or thought for the day ahead.The Editor Writes...As Messy Church continues to flourish around the world, I have sometimes wondered whether the whole 'messy' concept could be usefully extended to other areas of BRF's ministry! This fantastic mission initiative gathers people for worship who might not normally consider going near a regular Sunday service. It broadcasts the fact that church should not be a club for the tidy, the sorted-out, the elite, but for ordinary families who are, quite often, messy in all kinds of ways. From time to time, though, isolated voices disagree with the name 'Messy Church'. For them, church should equate not with mess but only with order, harmony, beauty and quiet...While I doubt that we will end up as the Messy Bible Reading Fellowship, it is occasionally worth challenging our preconceptions about the 'tidiness' of the Bible. We can be so familiar with the beautifully bound book, perhaps in an edition customised to our interests, gender or age, that we forget the long history of its development, the remoteness of so many of its settings, even the fact that it was not originally written in English (and some Old Testament vocabulary is particularly obscure in meaning). Even so, under the guidance of God's Spirit, the scriptures came together in their present form, while different parts of the church still disagree about the inclusion of certain books.Messy Bible? Yes, in a way. Think of 2 Kings, which David Winter covers for us in this issue. As he points out, modern sensibilities can be severely tested by its bloodthirsty events. Then there is the story of Samson, anti-hero leader in ancient Israel, which Rosie Ward discusses. We should be wary of glossing over awkward bits (God apparently condoning violence) or failing to question long-standing interpretations (Delilah as evil seductress - or pawn in men's power games?).Messy Bible? Yes, but then life is messy. The turbulent and unsettled times of Aidan of Lindisfarne, which Barbara Mosse invites us to explore, bear similarities to our own times. And the word of God that spoke so powerfully and transformatively then can still speak with power and transform us today. We just need to read it - and also be ready to listen to what God may be saying to us through it.In this issueThe Benedictus (Luke 1:67-79)Margaret Silf1-7 MayMaking disciples of all nationsStephen Rand8-23 MayBible stories rediscovered: SamsonRosie Ward24 May-3 June'I call you friends'Helen Julian CSF4-17 June2 Kings 9 - 12David Winter18-29 June1 and 2 TimothyAndrew John30 June-20 JulyJesus' wisdom in Luke 13 - 16Liz Hoare21 July-3 AugustStephen's speech (Acts 7:2-53)Naomi Starkey4-17 AugustAidan, Cuthbert and LindisfarneBarbara Mosse18-31 AugustAbout the contributors in this issue:Liz Hoare is tutor in prayer and pastoral studies at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. She has a special interest in Celtic and desert spiritualities and a deep commitment to accompanying people in prayer. She is married to Toddy, an ordained Anglican priest and sculptor, and they have one son.Andrew John has been the Bishop of Bangor since 2008, having previously served all his ministry in the Diocese of St Davids. He is married to Caroline, who is also a deacon in the Church in Wales, and they have four children.Helen Julian has been a member of the Community of St Francis, an Anglican Franciscan community of women, since 1985, and is presently serving as Minister General. She has written several books for BRF, including The Road to Emmaus.Barbara Mosse is an Anglican priest with experience in prison, university, community mental health and hospital chaplaincies. She has lectured on the MA in Christian Spirituality at Sarum College, Salisbury. She is the author of Encircling the Christian Year (BRF, 2012).Stephen Rand is a writer and speaker who travelled widely with Tearfund for many years, and now shares his time between persecuted church charity Open Doors and Fresh Streams - a largely Baptist church leaders network. He and his wife Susan live in Oxfordshire.Margaret Silf is an ecumenical Christian, committed to working across and beyond the denominational divides. She devotes herself to writing and accompanying others on their spiritual journey.Naomi Starkey is a Commissioning Editor for BRF and edits and writes for New Daylight Bible reading notes. She has also written Pilgrims to the Manger and The Recovery of Love for BRF.Rosie Ward was ordained in 1994, has served in three parishes and worked as a Leadership Development Adviser at CPAS. She has written several books, including Growing Women Leaders (BRF/CPAS, 2008).David Winter is retired from parish ministry. An honorary Canon of Christ Church, Oxford, he is well known as a writer and broadcaster. His most recent book for BRF is Facing the Darkness and Finding the Light.