TWO churches in Fife are hoping to become the first in Scotland to read the entire King James Bible in a week.
Largo and Newburn Parish Church and Largo St David’s will attempt to read all 66 Books of the Authorised Version – which comprises 1,189 chapters and over 31,000 verses – in seven days.
Although the feat has been achieved in a long weekend in England, it is the first such effort north of the Border.
Both churches are commemorating the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible in the run up to Easter, and minister Reverend John Murdoch reckons the marathon reading will take over 80 hours beginning each day at 7am and finishing “quite late” in the evenings.
The minister explained: “This is a massive project and I very much hope that those taking part with us will enjoy reading the Bible from beginning to end.
“We need readers in groups of four to six people to read for an hour, and obviously we wish as many groups as possible to read for as long as possible.
“We have calculated the time it will take to read aloud every Book and our plan will be that each group will take responsibility for reading for an hour, taking it in turns every five minutes or so.”
Mr Murdoch said the response had been encouraging so far: “We have already had a number of people sign up from all over the country. There’s a good mix of people outwith the Church of Scotland, including Scottish Episcopalians, Baptists and Roman Catholics.
“Although this venture is not “a sponsored readathon” all donations will be sent to the Scottish Bible Society and the New Destiny Appeal Fund for street-children in Brazil.”
Says a spokesperson: “Largo is slightly further up the coast from Burntisland Parish Church, where the 1601 General Assembly of the Church of Scotland was held.
“It is believed an outbreak of the bubonic plague prevented ministers and elders from gathering in Edinburgh for the General Assembly of that year, hence the meeting outside of the city at which King James the Sixth of Scotland and First of England was present.
“Largo and Newburn Parish Church has an unusual historical link to the past, being the Kirk where the man behind Robinson Crusoe once worshipped.
“Alexander Selkirk’s parents are buried in the grounds of the 12th century Largo and Newburn Parish Church in Fife, where Selkirk himself attended the congregation.”
The reading begins tomorrow at Largo and Newburn Parish Church in Upper Largo at 7am with Genesis 1, and will finish at Largo St David’s in Lower Largo on the afternoon of the 20th.
Ends.
Notes to news desks:
For more information please contact Reverend John Murdoch on 01333 360286 or email jm.largo@btinternet.com
The reading will be in Largo and Newburn, Upper Largo, on 13, 14 and 15 April and in Largo St David’s, Lower Largo, on 16, 18, 19 and 20 April.
Alternatively, any who wish to come to the Churches on any of the above days will be more than welcome to listen to Holy Scripture being read.
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