The View from the Pulpit:
Dear People of God Gathered at Resurrection Lutheran,
A few days ago, I was stuck by a title of an article by Rev. Jim Egli, an author with which I am quite familiar. The title of his article is: “If You Want People to Grow Spiritually, Quit Telling Them to Study the Bible.” WHAT? Did I see that right? You’ve got to be kidding!”
Well … no! Egli begins his article by saying:
“I love to study the Bible but recently my Bible study led me to a surprising conclusion: we should quit telling people to study the Bible, and start telling them to meditate on and delight in it.”
He continues by noting that the Bible itself says almost nothing about studying the Bible, but speaks often to obey and meditate on God’s Word and God’s wondrous acts. Egli continues:
“The key emphasis in the Bible itself on how we are to relate to it is not to study it, but to meditate on it, delight in it, ponder it, obey it, and not forget it. If you don’t believe me, do a quick word search on the words “study,” “delight,” “meditate,” and “obey.” In other words, the problem isn’t that we are stupid. The problem is that we are forgetful. Or to put it another way, the issue isn’t that we need to learn more Bible [though many of us should certainly do that!] … but we don’t enjoy it and let it soak in, so we forget it or don’t apply it. So often we miss the abundant life that it is calling us to.”
Jim Egli makes the point that most people hate studying – in fact, many would heartily agree with Ecclesiastes 12:12 – “Much study wearies the body.” He makes the point: “So when we tell [people] to study the Scripture, we are implying that it’s a textbook and people are repulsed. Who likes to read textbooks?”
So, as Luther would say, “What does this mean?” I would never say that studying God’s Word is wrong or bad – it’s a wonderful thing, and personally profitable. But I challenge all of us to look at the Scriptures in ways the Bible invites us: to ponder on God’s Word, to meditate on God’s Word, to delight in God’s Word, to apply God’s Word to our lives and obey its teachings. As Psalm 119:97-101 reminds us:
“Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts. I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word.”
Together With You in Mission and Ministry,
Pastor Hank Hollar
