(Are There) Passages to Know By Heart

This is the second of two week 1 discussion questions from my Spring 2022 course Understanding the Bible as a Progressive Christian through Pathways Theological Education

Discuss the “Fifteen Passages to Know by Heart.” [This is in a publication called The Bible and The United Church of Christ.] In your response, indicate whether or not you agree with the importance of knowing Scripture by heart and list the passages you would suggest for a similar list to “know by heart” or to “be familiar with.”

 I think the most important line in Caldwell's article is not any of the specific verses, but rather his description of what he means by knowing a passage by heart - "The point isn’t just to be able to rattle them off; the point is to know them so intimately that they’re written on your heart." I strongly disagree with just learning verses in a vacuum, and I have my doubts about memorizing them at all. A lot of verses are only truly meaningful in the larger context or are extremely misleading without it. Among my favorite verses are the pairing of "beat their swords  into plowshares" (Isaiah 2:4 / Micah 4:3) and "beat your plowshares into swords" (Joel 3:10), in large part because I think part of the point of them is to remind us how important context is. (Although I absolutely want to live in a world where we all can, metaphorically, beat swords into plowshares and live in peace.) I think that learning verses by rote makes it easier to weaponize them. That isn't to say that the practice is bad, but when you only know a few verses, it is easy to put too much emphasis on them and not the rest of the story they are a part of. (Lists like [some number] Bible verses about [topic XYZ] need to be approached with similar caution.) For one of my classes, we watched some taped lectures from an evangelical school, Gordon College. One of those lectures talked about the problems of transmission of the Bible and the fact that we know there have been some transmission errors because manuscripts differ. One of the students in the original class saw this as a challenge to his belief in Biblical inerrancy, but wasn't able to verbalize how or even his belief in inerrancy beyond simply repeating "The Lord's word is flawless" (Psalm 18:30) over and over. In his case, having learned a (partial) verse to support and defend his belief was actually keeping him from being able to ask questions and gain clarification on a topic, he knew the verse but he hadn't brought it into his heart.

In my Bible study group recently, we were discussing how growing up queer in America, even if you are in an affirming church yourself (or even a UUA church where the Bible is merely one among several potential "sources of meaning"), there is this constant pressure to discuss and defend against the "gotcha" verses and how that interferes in having a full relationship with the Bible. And I notice this same thing in Christian Universalism, people spend so much time focusing on the hell versus salvation texts that they lose track of what the Bible as a whole has to teach us. As Robin A. Parry says "every theological system has its problem texts"(The Evangelical Universalist, p 154), and it's important that we don't just focus on (or in this case memorize) the texts that promote or defend our beliefs or, alternatively, call out beliefs we disagree with. (No one wants to define our own theology as reactionary, but sometimes we do define ourselves by who or what we are not.)

Another concern I have with verse memorization is learning differences. Some people find memorization very easy and others find it difficult to impossible. Some people retain information easily once they have memorized it and others have to constantly review in order to keep it. I have noticed that memorizing things like sentences or examples helps some people understand concepts and for others understanding starts with getting the gist and then implementing the knowledge in some way; requiring exact memorization does not seem to make a huge difference. I suspect that the actual personal value of verse memorization has a lot to do with where you fall in this learning spectrum.

Any verse that someone ends up memorizing because they find it valuable and reference and discuss it  - either with others or in their personal reflections and prayer (ie have taken to heart organically) is a treasure. But I'm not sure the same benefit comes from picking a verse and going over it in whatever manner works for you until you have memorized it. One might be able to imitate the first process and study, discuss and pray with a verse enough times that you do memorize it; but that isn't what we usually think of as verse memorization.

In the 1960's and 1970's editions of the Joy of Cooking, the introduction to the index talks about two kinds of knowledge, what you know and what you can find easily. The internet and the ubiquity of smartphones means that even if your memory of the verse is, as Caldwell puts it 'you just describe it by saying, “You know, it’s the one about…”', you can probably find it in a few seconds, likely in multiple versions and with notes and commentary. While I agree with Caldwell that our personal favorites deserve better than “You know, it’s the one about…”, I'm not sure how many more verses deserve more than that. And speaking of versions, memorization tends to trap us in one translation (unless we both know and memorize in the original language.) That may or may not be a good thing. In 6th grade, I attended an Episcopal school and we had to memorize the Lord's Prayer (I believe the 1962 BCP version), that is still the wording of the Lord's Prayer I think of 40 plus years later. My current minister rotates through different versions of the Lord's Prayer and some of the versions with more modern language really speak to my soul, but my mind still defaults back to what I learned in 6th grade. Had I learned that version by reciting it regularly with my family, the memories attached might outweigh the more archaic wording, but in fact, my family was UU and didn't attend a church that prayed like that and my 6th grade school was a horrible fit for me academically, emotionally and socially, to the point of being a damaging experience. I don't think most memorization experiences will be that extreme, but I do know several people who have read a section of the Bible in a new or unfamiliar translation and had it open their heart in some way and it would be unfortunate if prior memorization interfered with their ability to fully integrate that experience.

I think there are ways to engage seriously with scripture beyond just reading that don't necessarily require memorization or access to education or study helps. For my final project for Freshman calligraphy class (at a secular but private school), I made an artistic copy of the school chapter 1 Corinthians 13. The process of planning and carefully writing it out (and the slow process of doing so) allowed me to internalize this text without memorizing it and encouraged me to think about it. The practice of lectio divina is a more formal way of spending time with a piece of scripture. Putting a chapter or book of the Bible in audio format on repeat while you drive or do chores may have a similar effect.

I've covered which verses not to bring into your heart, but not really which verses I would suggest. Part of that is that because I am cautious and ambivalent about the value of memorizing verses on purpose, I don't have strong opinions on which verses one should pick for this task. As a list of meaningful verses, I mostly like Caldwell's list. As a universalist, I'd probably leave out John 3:16 because I think people get too caught up in the "everyone who believes in him" part, particularly when it is quoted as a stand alone verse. I'd add 1 John 4:8, but that may have as much to do with the fact that it was my grandmother's favorite verse as the verse itself. I prefer Mark 12:29-31 to Deuteronomy 6:4-5, but that is mostly because I have organically used and studied the former enough times that it has settled in my heart, not because I think it is actually the superior statement. Perhaps I spent too much time pondering the "glass darkly" in 1 Corinthians 13, but I think Revelation and the assumption that it (or anything in the Bible) is a specific message about what the next life will bring is problematic, so I would probably  leave out that verse.

There is a list of verses that I have considered memorizing. I am a big fan of the Narrative Lectionary, which is an attempt to cover all the important stories of the bible. My church uses materials from Spirit and Truth publishing that recommend a memory verse (often actually a partial verse) for each Lectionary Reading. No one in my church is memorizing them, or even paying attention to the fact that there are memory verses in the material, but it has occurred to me that if I actually did so for a year, those 30 or so verses might function as reminders for pretty much all the major stories of the Bible and that would be an amazing thing to be able to recall easily.

Second Sunday of Advent (2014 Year B)

This Week's Readings 

I found 2 Peter 3:10-15 particularly important. The first few verses are more context but notice that we are told to wait for God to act and in the meantime strive (try) to be "at peace, without spot or blemish." We are told neither to try and make it happen (that mention is clearly a retorical device) nor to BE (or expect perfection of others. We are to try to be perfect, not expect that from ourselves or others.

3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.

3:11 Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness,

3:12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire?

3:13 But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.

3:14 Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish;

Another thing I found worthy of note is how John the Baptist downplays water baptism:

I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.  - Mark 1:8

I noticed this because I've heard many Christians who would consider themselves evangelical or fundamentalist say that a baptism is not valid unless water was involved. Yet John himself is specific that the Holy Spirit is what is important. (This doesn't even take the whole issue of immersion or not, with a specific church or groups of churches or not into consideration.)

Second Saturday of Advent (2014 Year B)

Today's Readings

The Mark passage shows an interesting example of how politics (as effects of popular opinion on the actions of the powerful) and religion can interact. The temple authorities are unwilling to make any interpretation of John's baptisms for fear of the repercussions of their statement , either way.
Is this why we are silent in the face of injustice so often? And allow ourselves to be distracted from pursuing it so often?

John The Baptist preaching in the desert

Mark 11 27-33a:

²⁷ They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. ²⁸ “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”
²⁹ Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ³⁰ John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!”
³¹ They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ³² But if we say, ‘Of human origin’ …” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)
³³ So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

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Updated to add image:
JESUS MAFA. John the Baptist preaching in the desert, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=48386 [retrieved December 6, 2014].

I had forgotten about the paintings on the Vie De Jesus Mafa site, which are the result of a community's responses to the lectionary readings.

First Sunday of Advent 2014 (Year B)

More important than anything I have to say about this Sunday is Austin Channing's No. Read that if you read anything.

The verse that stuck out to me from this week's readings was
Isaiah 64:6:

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

I always like reminders that we are all imperfect (because of course, we are all imperfect), but this seems particularly important on a day when I heard of pulpits preaching that Mike Brown's death was due to his sin. Who hasn't? (Presumably these sermons are an attempt to accept or justify the lack of a grand jury indictment for Darren Wilson.)

Isaiah goes on to ask the lord to remember and forgive us. Remember that we are weak and forgive us for our weaknesses. He doesn't say, oh, forget what we did and forgive us. I think there is an implication for restorative justice there that I can't pinpoint. But noting and paying attention is important too, which perhaps is why this week's readings end with Mark's exonerations to keep paying attention.

First Sunday of Advent - Year C

This week's Lectionary readings are:

• Jeremiah 33:14-16
• Psalm 25:1-10
• 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
• Luke 21:25-36

This week marks the beginning of Advent and the beginning of a new Christian / Lectionary Year. This year's readings focus on the Gospel of Luke.
Advent is styled as a time of waiting, but not waiting for the birth of Jesus, rather waiting for the return of Jesus. Personally, I find most focus on the idea of the Second Coming to be problematic. To me, the really amazing thing about Jesus is how he lived his life, feeding the hungry, comforting the sick, etc; not the fact that at some unknown time in the future ("no one knows the day or the hour" - Matthew 24:36) he will return. Now, admittedly, if we are following his example, we would be ready for that return, but that isn't usually the focus.
This week's reading from Luke, is a perfect example of what I find problematic - a focus on the signs. And I particularly dislike the people who think they can control the Second Coming by making the things mentioned as signs happen - that way leads to nothing but behavior Jesus would disapprove of - war, killing, etc.
Photo Credit: Piper, John, 1903-1992; Reyntiens, Patrick. Tree of Life, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. [retrieved December 9, 2012].

Baptism of the Lord - Year B

The Lectionary reading for the Baptism of the Lord is:

• Genesis 1:1-5


• Psalm 29


• Acts 19:1-7


• Mark 1:4-11

Today's reading is the second lectionary reading of Epiphany, somewhat jarringly to me, it is the first this lectionary year which deals with Jesus as an adult. It's like, Boom! Tuesday he was this baby getting gifts from the 3 Kings, today he's a an adult getting baptised. Speaking of adults getting baptised. I think there is a lot to be said for waiting to be baptised until you are at least old enough to understand what's going on and remember it. Certainly this was the case with Jesus. His parents took him to the temple to be redeemed as a baby, but as we see in theMark reading, it wasn't until he was an adult that he decided he should be baptised.

I recently read an interesting comment on Genesis 1 in a book by Jim Seybert. He points out that God didn't start by thinking about something, planning something, or discussing something, he created something and sometimes that's just what we need to do - create something.

With all the recent readings from and this week about Paul, I'd like to point out an interesting blog post I found about Paul - Declaring War on Saint Paul. Interestingly, I was having a conversation with a friend of mine a couple of weeks ago where I told him (in response to him telling me that he had major problems with Christianity because of Paul) that I thought that most of what Paul had to say needs to be filtered by the fact that he pretty obvously had some serious zeal of the convert stuff going on (particularly with regard to perfectionism) that had he lived longer he probably would have moderated. Then this weekend I've seen several references similar to what I told my friend. It's funny what you find when you start looking for it.

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Second Sunday in Advent - Year B

This week's Lectionary readings are:

• Isaiah 40:1-11


• Psalm 85:1-2,8-13


• 2 Peter 3:8-15a


• Mark 1:1-8

All these readings talk of better things to come. My life is pretty darn good, but of course, things could always be better. More importantly, a lot of people are really struggling right now, so it's nice to think about better things to come.

In the last month, the book of Isaiah has really spoken to me. This may be because I've been reading it in small doses - the last 2 lectionary readings and in the little daily devotional someone sends me. But it's making me want to make an effort to read more. I feel like I can really hear the poetry and feel the devotion of Isaiah.

I am particularly struck by 2 Peter 3:10, [T]he day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. There is so much in popular culture about knowing that the end time (or second coming) is near by the signs (including efforts to force those signs to occur!) Yet this statement directly contradicts that - we won't know when the Lord is coming, he will sneak in. I think this is more likely to be true than the opposite. I also think the information on how we should live now is worth noting and particularly useful in the World English translation:

[In] holy living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, ..., be diligent to be found in peace, without blemish and blameless in his sight. (2 Peter 11-14)

I particularly like the line "diligent to be found in peace", and back to my earlier theme, I find that this conflicts with the dispensationalist idea that peace in the Middle East works against the coming of the lord (Good overview of Christian Zionism and it's political implications.)

The Mark reading talks about John the Baptist's ministry of baptism. I particularly liked the image at the top of this post as a piece of art. But I think the image below - from the very interesting JESUS MAFA project - is probably more realistic.