Everyone's Entitled to My Opinion . . . About Discovering Your "Personal Canon"

A couple of years ago a spiritual director at a retreat center asked those in attendance to think about the passages of scripture we found most inspiring. I know--it’s all inspired, but that doesn’t mean that all of the scripture inspires me. Some of it confuses me, some of it comforts me, and yes, some of it inspires me.

There are passages to which I return again and again. They never fail to speak to me. There are books of the Bible that seem to have been written to me personally. Genesis, Isaiah, and Hosea call to me from the Old Testament. I turn to them again and again. Luke, Acts, Colossians and both the Peters are my default pages when I turn to the New.

When we take time to consider which books of the Bible speak most clearly in our lives we begin to discover something about ourselves. Why do certain books, certain passages, certain stories have the power to move us again and again? What does it say about me? What does it say about my strengths and my weaknesses, my calling and my God-given temperament? What did God Himself have in mind for me when he crafted the combination of my mental, physical, and emotional traits?

It’s an exercise I recommend. Why not set aside a weekend and review your history with God, especially with respect to the inspired text he has preserved for each of us. The Spiritual Director at my retreat called is “the Canon within the Canon” and in my opinion you should set aside time to discover yours.