I always wanted to learn to speak another language. But I didn't live where another language was spoken. So I studied Spanish in high school and later in college. But I found that learning a language was very difficult. I could only really learn to speak Spanish if I lived where Spanish was spoken. Not only that, I learned that the "thought world" of Spanish speaking people was somewhat different from my thought world, so I had to learn about that also and become familiar with the culture that evolved the language. Only then could I begin to learn to "speak" Spanish.

Reading the Bible is like learning another language. We can't truly understand the Bible outside of the community that "speaks the Bible". There is a story in the Book of Acts about an Ethiopian official who was reading from the Book of Isaiah. Because he was not a member of the Jewish community of faith, he was unable to understand what the book was saying. It was only when Philip, one of the disciples of Jesus, explained it to him that he was able to understand. (Acts 8:26-37)

So the FIRST THING TO DO IS

Find someone to read with you who is an active member of a Christian Church. Christians need to do this also because the Bible was written by the community and it takes the community to understand it.

SECOND

Keep an open mind. You will probably be surprised at what you read and may discover you have heard a lot of things about the Bible that will not be borne out by what you read. You will also discover many wonderful things you never dreamed were there.

THIRD

Pray for guidance.

There are lots of ways to read the Bible, but don't try to start with the first book and read straight through. I'd recommend you start with the gospels of MARK and JOHN. These are accounts of Jesus' life and ministry by different authors, and they include different material. Together, they give a pretty complete picture.

I'd read GENESIS next. Incredible stories and some of the world's best literature. We can't understand western civilization without them. Try reading it out loud for the full effect. And the PSALMS are a must. Use them for devotions - one a day, at least.

An excellent way to read the Bible is to follow the Commentaries on the Revised Common Lectionary. This is a series of scriptures that are read on Sunday in many churches. Another helpful link is The Bible Browser.