I live in Sydney, right near Parramatta, and go to church in the Inner West, in Summer Hill.

Name a Bible character you resonate with and why.

I’d like to be brave like Isaiah, or reckless like Peter, but mostly I think I’m like the Corinthians: confused about lots of issues and needing much wisdom and guidance to live as a faithful disciple in the world.

What are you reading in the Bible at the moment?

Technically, 1 Chronicles. But it’s not going very well. I am also dipping in and out of the Psalms. I usually figure out which one to read by looking at the date. Yesterday was the 8^th of July, so I read Psalm 87.

Where do you read the Bible?

I have a beautiful old red armchair that I inherited from a grandmother. I like to read it there, looking out the window and pondering God’s creativity. In reality I rarely read it there. More often I quickly read the Bible while I eat breakfast or brush my teeth. Sometimes I read in bed, but that almost always ends badly.

What’s one thing from the Bible that’s stuck in your brain at the moment?

I can’t get rid of John 5:25. It’s been rattling around my head for the last four years. I find it inexplicably amazing that the only thing it takes to move someone from death to life is hearing the voice of the Son of God. And also a little shocking that Jesus says only two verses later to “not be amazed at this.” Why on earth not? It’s pretty darn exciting, don’t you think?

Name one part of the Bible you keep coming back to again and again and why.

Psalm 88. It often matches my mood after reading the news. It is all the Psalmist can do to cry out to God and lament his apparent absence from the wickedness and evil in the world.

Describe one of your Bible reading failures and what you learnt.

Almost all my Bible reading is a failure. I usually fail to read. If I manage to read, I’m usually distracted by what’s going on around me. If I can bypass distraction, I have usually forgotten what I’ve read within an hour or so. I’ve learnt that a little reading is better than nothing, that church is a good place to get a Bible fix, and that when I read it, I’m usually a saner person.

What advice would you give someone struggling to read the Bible each day?

Me too! Let’s do it together?

Don’t force yourself to do what others do. I often find myself feeling guilty when I compare my Bible reading patterns with friends. The reality is that different things work for different people. Try something new, if it doesn’t work, then ditch it and try something else.

And just for fun, if you were a monster what would be your defining feature?

Am I really the only person who desperately wants to have go-go-gadget arms and legs? Long live Inspector Gadget!

You can read the Bible with Tess Holgate for two weeks from July 12 by signing up to Bible Society’s Daily Bible email service, sending you a short Bible passage and reflection every morning to your inbox. Tess will be exploring individuality.

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