The greatest difficulty I have with scripture is ...

Overcoming familiarity. Some of it I have heard so many times that it is easy to find myself on autopilot rather than reading it with an openness to new insights.

Janice Mackay

Kalamazoo, Mich.

Lifting God's message out of the cultural influence on the views of the writer.

Norbert Riegert

Fond du Lac, Wis.

Making an interpretation that is not based on my own selfish needs, using God's Word for human purposes.

Mark Ruzon

Mountain View, Calif.

I wish I could remember chapter and verse and be able to quote it.

Jeanne Abbott

South Hamilton, Mass.

The trend in the Catholic Church that some people now take a literalist approach to scripture. It takes away the mystery and metaphor, and we lose the real meaning behind the details.

Heidi Busse

Bloomington, Minn.

Male language and male images of God.

Phyllis Hamill-Little

St. Paul, Minn.

Making sure that the daily hustle and bustle don't infringe upon the time set aside to read it.

Kathy Burgess

Jerome, Ind.

Not the reading itself, but staying focused to reflect, meditate, and respond. There are too many things running in and out of my mind.

Name withheld

Philadelphia, Pa.

I cannot think of a difficulty. There is so much I do not know, but I do not see that as a difficulty.

Name withheld

Lansdowne, Pa.