Memorizing Scripture
My former pastor in Santa Barbara taught me to memorize Scripture, especially as part of my preaching of Scripture. On average I memorize the text of one out of every three sermons I preach. I’ve been doing this for three years now and this habit has proved immensely helpful for me and the congregation in “getting” the text. There’s a striking power in the memorized Word, especially as the speaker is able to emote the text.
So, I appreciated today’s interview by JT with Max McLean. Here’s an excerpt and what looks like a great book by Max:
want to grow in their ability to memorize Scripture and to retell it
with integrity and creativity?
That’s an interesting question because my friend Warren Bird and I have written a book entitled, Unleashing the Word: Rediscovering the Public Reading of Scripture,
that will be published by Zondervan this fall. It does not deal with my
major theatrical productions but how churches can elevate the scripture
reading to a central moment in the worship experience. Of course
integrity and creativity are key elements of the process.
As for
memorizing scripture, it works best for me if memorization is a
byproduct of meditation. Certainly it is an objective to memorize the
text. But the act of memorizing the text can be hollow if it is not a
result of deep meditation. When I actively interact and engage with a
text there is a conversation going on between the words I’m looking at
on a page and my heart and soul. Of course that is the primary way the
Holy Spirit works in our lives. The result is that the text starts
speaking to me. As a result I find myself knowing the words of the text
and how they fit together very well. The final act of memorizing
becomes much easier.
Of course to keep it in your heart and head
requires that you revisit that text regularly or you might lose it.
When I’m doing a presentation and I go “dry” or forget my place, I
usually stop and say to the audience something like, “You know when you
hide God’s word in your heart, sometimes you can’t find it!” I usually
get a pretty big laugh after that. They start to think, “Oh, he’s human
after all.”
