Comments on: The Word in your heart http://thoughtpaths.com/archives/129 ThoughtPaths with Ken Wilson et al Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:28:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: kwilson http://thoughtpaths.com/archives/129#comment-63 Wed, 21 Feb 2007 04:12:52 +0000 http://thoughtpaths.com/archives/129#comment-63 Fair enough, and I agree about the competition for time. It is a big crunch for everyone. However, let me tell you a true story from an old friend. Quite a number of years ago he was VERY ill and not expected to survive. There was a time when he was so sick that he could barely move, literally, let alone communicate. He told me much later that all he could hold onto was the Scripture verses that he had memorized and kept current enough that they were available when nothing else was. It gave him great comfort when little else could and drew him close to the Lord. I have never forgotten that, and it was in my mind as I wrote that post. [quote]There is a natural progression from memorization to application as we mature...[/quote] True enough but I would cite the example of the professional or accomplished musician. A concert pianist, though spending time on current pieces, will still allocate often substantial time to the rehearsal of fundamentals such as scales. I have an acquaintance who is a concert violinist. He also spends substantial time on foundational skills regularly. I equate this time of verse work to the scales of our Bible study. Now to time and the limitations of us all. I have little time, and being somewhat older than many, less memory cells that seem to work as well as they once did. Contrary to the AWANA type mass memorization program, I had in mind maybe a select set of key verses over period of time - say a year. Done corporately there might be imputus and it would actually take little extra time. I, like many, am unlikely to keep up the discipline of a program in the long run in a vacuum. With others, especially for a simple set of verses, there is camradery in it and that help. More than anything, though, I am glad we are at least thinking about the issue. Fair enough, and I agree about the competition for time. It is a big crunch for everyone. However, let me tell you a true story from an old friend. Quite a number of years ago he was VERY ill and not expected to survive. There was a time when he was so sick that he could barely move, literally, let alone communicate. He told me much later that all he could hold onto was the Scripture verses that he had memorized and kept current enough that they were available when nothing else was. It gave him great comfort when little else could and drew him close to the Lord. I have never forgotten that, and it was in my mind as I wrote that post.

There is a natural progression from memorization to application as we mature…

True enough but I would cite the example of the professional or accomplished musician. A concert pianist, though spending time on current pieces, will still allocate often substantial time to the rehearsal of fundamentals such as scales. I have an acquaintance who is a concert violinist. He also spends substantial time on foundational skills regularly. I equate this time of verse work to the scales of our Bible study.

Now to time and the limitations of us all. I have little time, and being somewhat older than many, less memory cells that seem to work as well as they once did. Contrary to the AWANA type mass memorization program, I had in mind maybe a select set of key verses over period of time - say a year. Done corporately there might be imputus and it would actually take little extra time.
I, like many, am unlikely to keep up the discipline of a program in the long run in a vacuum. With others, especially for a simple set of verses, there is camradery in it and that help.

More than anything, though, I am glad we are at least thinking about the issue.

]]> by: AT http://thoughtpaths.com/archives/129#comment-62 Wed, 21 Feb 2007 03:30:03 +0000 http://thoughtpaths.com/archives/129#comment-62 Why don't Christian adults spend more time memorizing scripture? How much scripture memorization is enough anyway? There are so many competing programmes such as small groups, Sunday services, prayer meetings, or whatever: should we take time from some of these and replace it with a memorization programme? There is a natural progression from memorization to application as we mature. We learn scripture stories and verses as a child to establish a scriptural vocabulary and background, although we don't really understand the implications of it all. Then as we mature we grasp the meaning of the text and discover the connections between the different parts of scripture. Finally, we apply the learnings to our lives and can argue scripture persuasively to others. This is exactly the pattern we see in classical education (trivium). Psalm 119:9-16 especially verse 11 is often quoted in Awana as though it were an instruction to memorize scripture, but I think rather that the emphasis is on placing great store in the treasures of scripture and applying the precepts of scripture to our daily life. More power you to if you are good at memorizing scripture, but as mature Christians lets concentrate on regularly meditating on scripture, arguing and studying scripture and applying it to our daily lives, trusting that the Holy Spirit will guide us as we do. Why don’t Christian adults spend more time memorizing scripture? How much scripture memorization is enough anyway? There are so many competing programmes such as small groups, Sunday services, prayer meetings, or whatever: should we take time from some of these and replace it with a memorization programme?

There is a natural progression from memorization to application as we mature. We learn scripture stories and verses as a child to establish a scriptural vocabulary and background, although we don’t really understand the implications of it all. Then as we mature we grasp the meaning of the text and discover the connections between the different parts of scripture. Finally, we apply the learnings to our lives and can argue scripture persuasively to others. This is exactly the pattern we see in classical education (trivium).

Psalm 119:9-16 especially verse 11 is often quoted in Awana as though it were an instruction to memorize scripture, but I think rather that the emphasis is on placing great store in the treasures of scripture and applying the precepts of scripture to our daily life.

More power you to if you are good at memorizing scripture, but as mature Christians lets concentrate on regularly meditating on scripture, arguing and studying scripture and applying it to our daily lives, trusting that the Holy Spirit will guide us as we do.

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