Give Us This Day is a unique daily devotional commentary for the entire New Testament based on the ancient method called lectio divina. Lectio divina, or "divine reading," is the method used by the early church and countless Christians through the centuries to read the Scriptures to form and transform the soul more than merely to inform the mind.
Give Us This Day deals in depth with entire passages and their contexts. Rather than selecting only certain portions of the New Testament to write about, Fr. Charles has written a devotional for each and every passage of the New Testament.
Fr. Charles writes for the whole person: he's not afraid to use his sense of humor, and he carefully relates the Bible not only to the individual's life but also to the life of the church. At the end of each day's devotional, an appropriate prayer is offered, as well as "Points for Further Reflection" on the day's lesson. Each devotional concludes with a suggested resolution to put into effect what the Spirit has stirred up in the heart of the reader during the course of his reading, meditation, and prayer.
Charles Erlandson is a priest in the Reformed Episcopal Church and serves as the assistant rector at Good Shepherd Reformed Episcopal Church in Tyler, Texas, where he resides with his wife and children. He is a professor of church history and the director of communications at Cranmer Theological House in Dallas. His previous works include Orthodox Anglican Identity: The Quest for Unity in a Diverse Religious Tradition; Love Me, Love My Wife: Ten Reasons Christians Must Join a Local Church; and Take This Cup: How God Transforms Suffering into Glory and Joy.
“Convinced that Jesus is the Bread of Heaven, Charles Erlandson guides his readers to the traditional practice of lectio divina—meditative and prayerful reading—so as to nourish us with daily spiritual sustenance. The first of eight volumes of Give Us This Day (that will take us through the entire New Testament!), Erlandson’s meditations on Matthew’s Gospel are themselves well worth meditating on. Follow the Advent prayer: read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest these meditations, and they too will become for us the Gospel of Bread.”
—Hans Boersma, author of Scripture as Real Presence
“For centuries the lectio divina method of Bible reading has enabled believers to go deep into God’s word, not merely to inform their minds but to shape their souls. Now, Charles Erlandson has brought this ancient method to modern Christians. His pastor’s heart shines through in this refreshing, practical, and accessible approach to daily devotions and lifelong discipleship.”
—George Grant, Pastor, Parish Presbyterian Church, Franklin, Tennessee
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