Memorizing together

In our church, one of the ways we’ve discovered to let the word of Christ “dwell among us richly” is the memorization of Scripture. Often Scripture memorization is seen as a personal discipline that primarily edifies the individual, but we’ve found a simple way to make it a corporate activity. So let me introduce you to our Scripture Memorization Meetings!

Here’s how it works. Once a term we have a meeting for 30-45 minutes on a Sunday afternoon before our evening service. Well in advance of each of these meetings we agree on a book of the Bible (or a section from a book) to be our focus for that meeting. Then a number of people from church commit to trying to memorize some verses from that book/section. People are given the freedom to select a verse or passage that they have a particular interest in, and they also choose how long it will be. So some just learn a verse, while others commit to learning a chapter or two. Then when we get together at our meeting, everybody takes a turn to recite their passage. Sometimes people make mistakes but we’re a very forgiving audience. Afterwards we share some of the things that struck us from what we (or others) recited. To conclude we spend time praying about what we’ve heard from God, giving thanks for how he’s spoken to us. It’s not rocket-science.

There are a couple of other things worth knowing about how we do it. Firstly, we invite everyone from church to come to these meetings. People are welcome to come and listen even if they haven’t memorized anything. So sometimes people do choose to come and they find much encouragement in hearing others recite what they have memorized. But secondly, we often (although not always) choose a book from the Bible that is coming up on the preaching program at church. In this way those memorizing get a head start in engaging with that part of the Bible, and they develop an appetite for the sermons ahead. But this approach also opens up the possibility for some to recite the portions of Scripture they’ve learnt in the Sunday service when that passage is due to be read and preached. As a result we have, from time to time, had the Bible passage recited in church on Sunday rather than read—and it is remarkable how often hearing someone recite is quite a different experience to hearing someone read.

This is not overly complicated to make happen—in our church the meetings are organized by a member of the congregation who has a particular interest in this ministry, and she coordinates people and passages to be memorized, plus leads the meetings—but it definitely punches above its weight in terms of impact.

Without fail, those who memorize testify to the significant spiritual benefit of learning their passages—in particular, the benefit that flows from having to slow down the process of meditating on the text enough to learn it off by heart. Those who hear others recite (in the meetings or in the church service) also testify to the way they hear the passages in a fresh way simply because the mode of delivery is different.

I’ve also noticed that these meetings appeal to people who perhaps have a learning style not as well catered for by more traditional methods of engaging with Scripture. I love it. God does good work amongst us through these meetings and the memorizing that people do to prepare for them. Above all, it’s just another way by which individuals can absorb God’s truth and the church family can gather together to hear God’s voice. I commend it to you.

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Ps 119:11)