Friday, October 30, 2020       (today’s lectionary)
Grace to you, and peace
In 2015 we sat in a large auditorium-sized room at Nashville’s opulent Gaylord Opryland Hotel, listening to 40 students from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary lined up in a row just below the stage. At this workshop on bible memorization, sponsored by the American Association of Christian Counselors, they recited Philippians 1 to us, not from notes, not from their phones, but from memory.
In all my prayers for you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Years earlier I’d made 3×5 laminated cards of the book of Romans. I kept one in my pocket all the time and made it through the first three chapters. When I read those chapters now I often remember where I was back then, a bridge at Turkey Run State Park, an experimental ready-to-harvest cornfield at the Farm Progress Show, driving across central Illinois in my Jacques Seed Company car …
Philippians is one of my favorite Bible books, so after the workshop I made those cards and kept one in my pocket again. In 2015 we also made a picture-rich birthday calendar for my mom, and on each top-sheet was a passage from Philippians. This time I got nearly two chapters into my brain.
It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart. And whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
Memorizing a verse of the Bible is like shining a candle in the darkness. Memorizing a chapter is like shining a flashlight into the darkness. And memorizing a book is like slamming the on-switch of an entire bank of football Friday Night lights. Sure, this is a metaphor, but it fits my experience.
With our kids in Waynesville we learned a scripture song from the Navigators: “1st John 4:10, this is love. This is love, not that we loved God but he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1st John 4:10, this is love.”
This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best, pure and blameless for the day of Christ to the glory and praise of God.
In Dealing With the Devil, which I admit is a pretty weird book, C. S. Lovett uses verse-filled 3×5 cards as a weapon. There is a picture of him (or someone) getting ready for work in the morning looking in the mirror and repeating one of the Bible’s “dealing with the devil” verses. And you can see the memory cards peeking out the top of his shirt pocket.
The Lord has given food to those who fear him and is forever mindful of his covenant.
Reading the lectionary I constantly hear echoes of Scripture-based songs from the psalms. About ten years ago during one of our Monday afternoon quiet times at Ruth Haley Barton’s Transforming Community retreat, I sat on my bed at the Stritch Retreat Center in Mundelein with my guitar. I’d been reading Luther’s favorite book, Galatians, and I spontaneously began singing the verses. Wow, that was amazing. The words flew right into song shape, with refrains and rhythms and melodies. Now that’s one of my favorite ways to pray.
(Philippians 1, Psalm 111, John 10, Luke 14)
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