you may say i'm a dreamer...
Paul and I were talking the other day in the wilds of Coast Village Road after rambling around Cold Springs for a bit. As usual the conversation sort of wandered everywhere as we wandered, winding up the hill to a great vantage-perch. Well, one of the things we were talking about was Timothy, and specifically where another Paul told a particular Timothy to pay attention to the public reading of Scripture.
When thinking of such things I often remember a particular conversation from my meteoric semester of seminary education. I took a class on Old Testament Introduction with a wonderful professor who opened up many of the beautiful intricacies of form and content in the Scriptures. It was wondrous, and a little overwhelming for all of us, I think. Now there were some folk in the class who, being especially practical and zealous became frustrated. And one of these students, a man I called Shlomo (to this day I can't remember his real name) confronted the good doctor after class one day. If it was necessary to understand the complexity of the warp and woof of the literature to follow the meaning of the Scriptures, how could Shlomo teach a group of Jr. High kids? Wasn't the Bible accessible to everyone? I can't remember what the professor's answer was exactly. But I remember that for me the following image was formed...
You can set the rifle on a bench, unscrew the plate, take it apart into pieces, and marvel at the intricacy of the springs, the finely machined pieces, the miniature masterpieces of engineering that go into a fine crafted firearm. But to use the rifle as a rifle, you must put the pieces back in order (good luck), screw the plate back on, load it, point it at something, and pull the trigger.
The Scriptures were made to be read aloud, complete. As I understand it, the Torah was to be read aloud in the hearing of all the people. The narratives come to life as storytelling. The words of the prophets rain and ring and hammer. And the epistles encourage and exhort and teach best when read aloud to the church in their entirety. I don't know. Not a big advocate of much, really. I just think that the Word among other things is mythology. As we hear it spoken aloud, it forms our minds, crafts our ways of thinking, gives us words, introduces its laws into the way we think and feel and act.
Wouldn't it be cool to sort of reintroduce the public reading of Scripture to the church? I am sure that there are folk who are doing it. But it seems like it would be fun to just get together sometimes and apart from a sermon or too much framing just read a whole book of Scripture aloud.
Another cool thing would be if instead of a sermon as such, a book of Scripture or an extended passage was read aloud and then some of the elders and teachers of the church were to dive into it, discuss it... a sort of interactive teaching conversation. And the young could listen and learn the Scriptures, brotherly conversation, gracious speech.
In the interest of sustainability, just a few recycled thoughts...
I am stoked to give 'em a try.
When thinking of such things I often remember a particular conversation from my meteoric semester of seminary education. I took a class on Old Testament Introduction with a wonderful professor who opened up many of the beautiful intricacies of form and content in the Scriptures. It was wondrous, and a little overwhelming for all of us, I think. Now there were some folk in the class who, being especially practical and zealous became frustrated. And one of these students, a man I called Shlomo (to this day I can't remember his real name) confronted the good doctor after class one day. If it was necessary to understand the complexity of the warp and woof of the literature to follow the meaning of the Scriptures, how could Shlomo teach a group of Jr. High kids? Wasn't the Bible accessible to everyone? I can't remember what the professor's answer was exactly. But I remember that for me the following image was formed...
You can set the rifle on a bench, unscrew the plate, take it apart into pieces, and marvel at the intricacy of the springs, the finely machined pieces, the miniature masterpieces of engineering that go into a fine crafted firearm. But to use the rifle as a rifle, you must put the pieces back in order (good luck), screw the plate back on, load it, point it at something, and pull the trigger.
The Scriptures were made to be read aloud, complete. As I understand it, the Torah was to be read aloud in the hearing of all the people. The narratives come to life as storytelling. The words of the prophets rain and ring and hammer. And the epistles encourage and exhort and teach best when read aloud to the church in their entirety. I don't know. Not a big advocate of much, really. I just think that the Word among other things is mythology. As we hear it spoken aloud, it forms our minds, crafts our ways of thinking, gives us words, introduces its laws into the way we think and feel and act.
Wouldn't it be cool to sort of reintroduce the public reading of Scripture to the church? I am sure that there are folk who are doing it. But it seems like it would be fun to just get together sometimes and apart from a sermon or too much framing just read a whole book of Scripture aloud.
Another cool thing would be if instead of a sermon as such, a book of Scripture or an extended passage was read aloud and then some of the elders and teachers of the church were to dive into it, discuss it... a sort of interactive teaching conversation. And the young could listen and learn the Scriptures, brotherly conversation, gracious speech.
In the interest of sustainability, just a few recycled thoughts...
I am stoked to give 'em a try.
posted by yonderincarp at 17:27
4 Comments:
beautifully written and an excellent ideaas well.
Bible readings are the only time I can really read the Bible. A certain mutual friend blogger has been bugging me to read the Bible, but I just can't do it alone. It's so much easier with friends. So yes, I know what you're saying. I really think Bible reading is a community thing.
Heidi... Thanks! Glad it connected.
Z... I hear you, although I am not sure we can call him a 'friend blogger' anymore. Since the munchkin showed up he might be just 'friend'. That is cool. It might even be a fun thing to do as a family if Mrs. Z and Jr. are into it. I don't know how much you have connected with the Bible in the past, but I think that if you do decide to jump into it a bit it will connect. I know you like things that are real, honest, gritty, that don't dance around things, and that is basically where the Bible is when you really read it. Happy hunting!
Yeah, what is wrong with that boy? You see him. I don't. Tell him to get back to blogging.
Hey, come by. I did a post on five songs that should have been hit singles that weren't. Would love to see a few songs you thought should have been hits that weren't.
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