Discipline of Reading and Study

In the past week, I was challenged by one of my colleagues in ministry to set aside a regular time of reading and study during my day. I previously had not been pursuing this discipline. As a result of that discussion, I have set aside one hour each day to read and study. This project began last week, and I have not always been successful in this endeavor. However I believe that a plan is the first step to move toward getting it done.

I believe that it is an important responsibility of clergy and church leaders to continue in efforts to be educated and grow in spirit and knowledge. It is my hope that the habits of learning that I established during my time in seminary will be able to continue so that I will be a life long learner.

As a part of the process of creating a method / discipline of reading and study, I decided to begin with the books that are currently in my collection. I made a list of the books that I currently have in my collection that I have not read. I discovered that I have not read 40% of the books that I currently own. It is easy for me to find books that I would like to read, but not easy to find time to read. I have made the decision that I will read all of the books that I currently own before I buy any new books. It may be over a year to reach this goal.