You've Got the Time (To Listen to the New Testament During Lent)

On this beautiful Mardi Gras Day (brilliant sun and 60's here), comes word of a most encouraging ecumenical Lenten initiative in Houston.

Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of Houston is encouraging parishes to participate in You've Got the Time, a city wide, inter-denominational campaign to listen to audio recordings of the New Testament during Lent.

The program is simple . . .Faith Comes By Hearing provides free Audio Bibles for every man, woman and child in their church or parish. Church leaders then challenge their congregations to listen through the entire New Testament – 28 minutes a day over a period of 40 days. After listening, churches receive offerings to support recording the New Testament in the heart languages of poor and illiterate people around the world.

This is part of the Archdiocese' year long campaign, The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.

So far more than 50 parishes have signed up to listen to the whole New Testament in the New American version.

You've Got the Time is a project of Faith Comes by Hearing, a evangelical group that is committed to offering the Bible in a format that will connect with the world's 50% illiterate population.   Looking for an audio New Testament in Tiv or Kinyakyusa? (And I knew you were!)  This is the place. 

What is called "Orality" is a big issue in missions circles these days as the heirs of the Word-driven Reformation wrestle with the reality that 18% (over 1 billion) of the world's population cannot read and write.  

But it is estimated that 65% of the American public have never read the new Testament.  60% don't know Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount.  So what better time than Lent to remedy that situation?

Update:

This is so cool and somehow I didn't notice it yesterday.  Go here to download your free audio Bible! 

Choose from 368 recordings in 300 languages.  Want to brush up on your French or Arabic?  Listen to the New Testament in that language!   The New American Bible is available in English as is the New Revised Standard.