5th February 2025

Every day appears to be a world something day! Who decides these things, I have no idea. Some of the more obviously commercial ones are, presumably, sponsored by various companies. Others are clearly promoted by charities.

What do you spread on your bread and butter – if anything? Jam? Something savoury? Why not try a chocolate spread – because today is World Nutella Day!

It’s also World Reading Aloud Day. Apparently this was first observed 15 years ago to encourage literacy. Did your parents read to you when you were very young? If you are a parent do you/did you read aloud to your children? That’s really what people are being encouraged to do.

But when I first came across this my immediate thought was rather different. I thought about the reading aloud of a passage from the Bible during worship. Being one of those chosen to ‘do’ the reading is an important ministry. Reading the Bible in private is a good practice, but when we hear it read aloud in church, even the most familiar passage can often take on a fresh significance. And from time to time the reading may be a passage we had not noticed before or from an unfamiliar translation and we are given a fresh insight. Sometimes it is helpful to follow the reading by having the Bible open in front of you, and at other times it seems better just to listen as the words are spoken.

So, having read all this (presumably not aloud), why not go and enjoy a nice slice of bread and butter – preferably with some chocolate spread!

David T Roberts