We as Christians regard the Bible as the Word of God, which basically means that it's gotta be pretty important to read it! Looking at the Scriptures is a really great way to help us understand what we believe as Christians, and how to put this belief into practice.

The Bible contains bits of poems, love letters, stories, teaching, history and thoughts about the meaning of life! Powerful stuff, eh?

The range of different situations that we discover in the Bible means that it can be a really proper source of inspiration for us. It's about God - the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit - and how to get to know God better. It's about our ancestors - how they acted, what mistakes they made, and what good tips they pass on to us. It's also about us - how much God loves us, what plans he has for us, and providing serious help for the different situations we face in life!

Did you know that some of the main stories in the Bible are about young people? When David beat Goliath, he was a teenager, and so was Mary when she gave birth to Jesus. John, who wrote the 4th Gospel, was the youngest of the disciples, and Joseph's amazing coat was given to him when he was still a boy!

Because the Bible is such a huge volume, we can sometimes struggle about where to start reading. Some general tips are:

• Don't try to start at the beginning, and work your way through. Genesis is really interesting, but it starts getting to be hard work when you get a bit further on!
• The Gospels are a really good place to start - they talk all about Jesus and His life, death and resurrection. Luke's Gospel is probably the most straight-forward to read, but if you're looking for something a bit shorter, have a look at Mark.
• A load of what we believe as Christians is discussed in Paul's letter to the Romans, and this is a great place to look for practical tips about living the life!
• Try and use a booklet or website that guides you through some readings. Closer to God is a great site, with nice reflections on themes in the Bible.
• Check out the different translations mentioned below - find one that suits you and helps you.

Over the past few years, there have been quite a few attempts to make the language that the Bible is translated into a bit more understandable for people who are living almost 2000 years after it was all collected together.

If you struggle to understand (or pay attention to!) the readings at Mass, the chances are that you'd really benefit from reading one of the newer translations of the Bible.

Probably the most popular of the new translations amongst Christians is the 'Youth Bible', which isn't just in easier language, but also contains stories and examples from modern-day life to help you think about how to apply what you're reading. It's really understandable, with loads of notes to explain what's going on in the Scriptures.

Another new version that has recently appeared is 'The Message'. This version is a little less exact, and doesn't have the useful examples in it, but the language is really up-to-date, which makes you feel like you're reading a novel or a story. It can really help bring the message of the Bible alive when you don't have to worry about misunderstanding the meaning, but it's not very easy to find exact verses or passages.

Neither The Message nor The Youth Bible contain all the books that Catholics regard as the complete scriptures. If you use these, bear in mind that there may be some books absent in the Old Testament!

Both these versions should be really easy to find in any Christian bookshops, some churches, and perhaps some normal high-street bookshops. To look up your nearest Christian bookshop, follow the link to 'Shopping Around' on the right.

A little more tricky to find might be the 'Catholic Youth Bible', which is similar to the 'Youth Bible', but contains some parts of the Scriptures which are unique to us as Catholics. It also has examples and studies which might be a little bit more focused towards Catholic belief and teaching. At the same time, although the language is quite Catholic, it is an American version with American spellings and words, which might put some of you off! Try ordering this from Amazon - it's about £16.

The readings that we hear at Mass come from the 'Jerusalem Bible', which is a really poetic and beautiful-sounding translation. However, if some of the words are a little bit difficult to understand, try looking at the 'New Jerusalem Bible', which is a bit more of a direct translation.

AND FINALLY.... quite excitingly, in 2006, we had the pleasure of having Emily Davis come to Lumos, and spend a couple of days focussing on the Bible, and its relevance to our everyday lives. We're posting installments of her teaching on The Score section of this site. Click on the link to the right to jump to these pages.