Mission: New Testament

As a general rule, I don't knit. I'm not a knitter. But everyone at Jacob's Porch was trying it out last winter so that we could provide some of the homeless guys with warm hats and scarves for Christmas.

I was on my seventh scarf of the winter (my goal was five) when we were sitting on the couches at Jacob's Porch and chatting.  "I need to set higher goals for myself," I said to our worship leader, Jenny. Without missing a beat, she replied.

"Do you read the Bible every day?"

Crap. 

"Um, I was actually talking about knitting scarves."

She smiled, shrugged, and went back to typing emails.

Uh thanks, Jesus. Way to kick me right in the teeth. 

I finished the scarf that afternoon and went home to call Ronnie and tell him what Jenny had said.

"She has a point."

Um, HELLO, boyfriend. You're supposed to be on my side, not messing up my brain like Jenny does on a regular basis. 

Thus began our mission to read the New Testament. Yes, our mission. If Ronnie was going to agree with Jenny, then he was going to go through this with me. (As if it is torture, right?) 

Since then, we have read about one book every week (sometimes doubling up when the books got short) and have taken time out of the week to discuss the books over Skype or on the phone.  We completed the New Testament two weeks ago. Right before we started fasting together. (Yes, fasting together.) It's safe to say it has completely changed our relationship.

When I told Jenny what we did and told her that it was seriously effecting our relationship she replied with some sarcasm.

"You mean you put Jesus at the center of your relationship and it changed everything? NO WAY!"

My challenge to you: read the New Testament if you haven't already. If you've read it, find someone close to you and read it again as a pair (or a group). It might just change your life.