Thursday 30th November 1.45 a.m.
This is the nicest walk down the Monkstown Road that I have ever taken. It is a wild and very windy night. The skeletal branches of chestnut trees wave madly in the night their branches throwing crazy black shadows across the road, the artificial street lights adding to the atmosphere. Ash sycamore and beech leaves scud along the pavements. I walk daringly down the middle of the road; the only traffic the occasional taxi-cab... It is too bright and blustery to be scary. I am on my way to read the bible in Monkstown Parish Church from the period 2.a.m. – 3 a.m. My only ‘audience’ will be my minder, the Rev Darren McCallig.

Reaching the church the strong ‘Carnegie’ doors are closed – luckily when pushed they open into the welcoming golden glow of the church interior. It is great to meet glebes warden Roger Hill. Roger is ‘minding’ Darren who is reading before me. This Bible Marathon is a Church renovation fundraiser – the entire bible will be read non-stop by a timetabled team of readers over the period 29th November - 3rd December. A candle glows by the lectern marking the time and casting an intimate light over proceedings. There is a very peaceful and unique atmosphere in this beautiful church in the far reaches of the night. Because most of us have never been into a church in the early hours, I am sure that this is a shared sensation.

At 2 a.m. I take over from Darren at the lectern. Like many other chapters from the Old Testament, Exodus is quite new to me. How refreshing to savour the literature of the Bible under the soaring ceiling of our parish church. I only have myself to impress. No need to carry the voice, no need to modulate or look at the congregation – heck - it's only Darren in the back pew ensconced in a good novel. The content of Exodus 39 - 40 is a glorious litany of colours and precious stones ”And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple scarlet and fine twined linen…” “the first row of the ephod was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle…...The first half hour of the reading certainly seems like 30 minutes but I get into my stride in the second half as I plough into the Third Book of Moses called Leviticus, reading how to offer burnt sacrifices at the tabernacle. Full instructions on how to present – the meat offering – the peace offering – the sin offering – the trespass offering. Finally I read directions to the priest which includes advice on baldness and bad skin.

The brainchild of Lyndon and Nuala MacCann the Bible Reading has attracted over a 100 readers in and around the Parish of Monkstown, and will raise a lot of money for the current restoration project. The official launch of the Marathon took place on Wednesday the 29th November when the first line of Genesis “In the Beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth” is read by our Rector the Rev. Kevin Dalton.

C.C.