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Original Publication (1842-1843)
M’Cheyne wrote in December 1842 to his congregation at St. Peter’s, Dundee, that it had long been his desire “to prepare a scheme of Scripture reading” to help them feed on the Word together. The plan was published as a tract in early 1843, shortly before his premature death.
Source: Andrew Bonar, Memoir and Remains of the Rev. Robert Murray M’Cheyne (1844)
Family Worship
One of the most important things Christians can do to grow in their hunger for God's word is to read the Word, meditate on it, and share it in discussion with others. That conversation can lead to deeper understanding and, in time, rare opportunities for more careful study. M'Cheyne's plan is divided into two segments: family worship and personal devotion. One way I have found effective is for each member of the household to read the personal devotion portion on their own ahead of time, and then to come together for the family worship reading. This gives the family two occasions each day to dip into the Scriptures in very reasonable amounts of time. Discussion around the family worship chapters can also be enriched by questions that arose during the personal devotion reading earlier in the day.
Remember, the most important thing about family worship is doing it. It may be nothing more than a shared prayer, or the reading of a single chapter. But through prayer and intentional effort, you can build a habit that glorifies the Lord and shapes the identity of your household.
It may be that you are a family of one. If so, the same practice works just as well on your own. I have read through this plan many times without anyone else to discuss it with, yet year over year, the way it covers the whole of Scripture reveals an interaction and continuity from God to me as his follower that is deeply encouraging.
"Turn the Bible into prayer. Thus, if you are reading the 1st Psalm, spread the Bible on the chair before you, and kneel, and pray."
~ R. M. M’Cheyne, in a letter to a young believer; from Bonar, Memoir and Remains (1844)
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The M’Cheyne plan takes the reader through the Old Testament once
and the New Testament & Psalms twice each year.