Two connections occurred to me while reading: first, Carl Trueman reminding his readers.students that, historically speaking, having a personal Bible, let alone a room in which one could have private devotions, is very rare and recent. Scripture and prayer time were experienced as a community in a way harder to imagine today. Two: I am reminded of how Charlotte Mason encourages parents to tell stories to their children, especially during the youngest years, instead of reading them stories. There's something powerful in telling stories yourself, aloud, and I think we could say something similar in general about books and storytelling today as the point you're making about the Bible: books are wonderful (I spend most of my time dealing with books in one way or another), but they shouldn't replace oral storytelling. There's something amiss when young parents are behooved to read, read, read to their children rather than prioritizing *telling* them stories—Bible stories, saint stories, folk tales, and family stories, and then letting them know the real world—real rabbits and trees and streams rather than a picture book about them. There's plenty of time for beautiful books. And to prepare someone to be a poet, and to appreciate poetry (including the Psalms!), is to know the real world—real sheep, real shepherds, real hepatica and caterpillars and ants and sand and chocolate-cake dirt.
You make a really interesting observation. I’m a cradle Catholic, and the day my flirtations with Evangelical Protestantism ended was the day my mother pointed out that whilst it’s good to read the Bible on your own or in a Bible study, the Church, in her love doesn't leave it to chance that you happen to be literate. If you attend mass every Sunday, you get 95% Bible in 3 years read to you. If you go every day, you get the last 5%. You have to be paying attention and have a decent preacher as priest to make the most of it. But it requires little effort, all the hard work of figuring out what’s appropriate, connected or relevant is done on the front end of forming the lectionary and all you need is someone to read it! Mind you, it was partially in response to biblical literalism in Protestantism that there was *more* scripture added to the liturgy after Vatican II. Catholics might not have memorised scripture verses or have a favourite typically. They do know the stories though and what comes when and likely to have a favourite parable or story.
I’ve always wondered how far less liturgically-oriented Protestant Churches decide *how* to order their services if you’re not going to follow seasons and just mark Christmas and Easter. Do they just make it up as they go along? Do you pick random months as a theme? Why is that somehow ‘better’ or more biblically sound? That sounds like a hell of a lot of work for a poor pastor who has to reinvent the wheel all the time… I’ve never gotten a good answer from the pastor I was in contact with or my non-denom/evangelical Protestant friends…
Throw in vigorous discussion of all things Bible and practical in community, and I'm right there with you. We also need to note that personal quiet time alone isn't even commanded. Peter and John went together to pray. There is generally much more power in 2's and 3's than alone. Just because Jesus said pray at home instead of showing off in the marketplace with your ostentatious prayers, doesn't mean you have to, or are supposed to pray alone, and certainly not all the time or every day. Most Jewish families prayered together and people were seldom alone anyway. But nowadays it is pretty rare to find anyone really comfortable praying together as equals in a small group, because it seldom happens. I love fellowshipping with the Lord either alone or with others, but they work best together, not in competition or isolation of one way only.
As a fellow bibliophile, I do indeed appreciate and am grateful for the printing press. But I also lament it. It killed a more nobler thing than ever it birthed. I have been so blessed in the Orthodox Church to re-encounter a preserved haven of an oral experience of Scripture within a communal and liturgical context. It lived this way for millennia before the Nativity of Christ, and lives on. But so few people know of it!
I really appreciate this!
Two connections occurred to me while reading: first, Carl Trueman reminding his readers.students that, historically speaking, having a personal Bible, let alone a room in which one could have private devotions, is very rare and recent. Scripture and prayer time were experienced as a community in a way harder to imagine today. Two: I am reminded of how Charlotte Mason encourages parents to tell stories to their children, especially during the youngest years, instead of reading them stories. There's something powerful in telling stories yourself, aloud, and I think we could say something similar in general about books and storytelling today as the point you're making about the Bible: books are wonderful (I spend most of my time dealing with books in one way or another), but they shouldn't replace oral storytelling. There's something amiss when young parents are behooved to read, read, read to their children rather than prioritizing *telling* them stories—Bible stories, saint stories, folk tales, and family stories, and then letting them know the real world—real rabbits and trees and streams rather than a picture book about them. There's plenty of time for beautiful books. And to prepare someone to be a poet, and to appreciate poetry (including the Psalms!), is to know the real world—real sheep, real shepherds, real hepatica and caterpillars and ants and sand and chocolate-cake dirt.
Wonderful points!
You make a really interesting observation. I’m a cradle Catholic, and the day my flirtations with Evangelical Protestantism ended was the day my mother pointed out that whilst it’s good to read the Bible on your own or in a Bible study, the Church, in her love doesn't leave it to chance that you happen to be literate. If you attend mass every Sunday, you get 95% Bible in 3 years read to you. If you go every day, you get the last 5%. You have to be paying attention and have a decent preacher as priest to make the most of it. But it requires little effort, all the hard work of figuring out what’s appropriate, connected or relevant is done on the front end of forming the lectionary and all you need is someone to read it! Mind you, it was partially in response to biblical literalism in Protestantism that there was *more* scripture added to the liturgy after Vatican II. Catholics might not have memorised scripture verses or have a favourite typically. They do know the stories though and what comes when and likely to have a favourite parable or story.
I’ve always wondered how far less liturgically-oriented Protestant Churches decide *how* to order their services if you’re not going to follow seasons and just mark Christmas and Easter. Do they just make it up as they go along? Do you pick random months as a theme? Why is that somehow ‘better’ or more biblically sound? That sounds like a hell of a lot of work for a poor pastor who has to reinvent the wheel all the time… I’ve never gotten a good answer from the pastor I was in contact with or my non-denom/evangelical Protestant friends…
Throw in vigorous discussion of all things Bible and practical in community, and I'm right there with you. We also need to note that personal quiet time alone isn't even commanded. Peter and John went together to pray. There is generally much more power in 2's and 3's than alone. Just because Jesus said pray at home instead of showing off in the marketplace with your ostentatious prayers, doesn't mean you have to, or are supposed to pray alone, and certainly not all the time or every day. Most Jewish families prayered together and people were seldom alone anyway. But nowadays it is pretty rare to find anyone really comfortable praying together as equals in a small group, because it seldom happens. I love fellowshipping with the Lord either alone or with others, but they work best together, not in competition or isolation of one way only.
As a fellow bibliophile, I do indeed appreciate and am grateful for the printing press. But I also lament it. It killed a more nobler thing than ever it birthed. I have been so blessed in the Orthodox Church to re-encounter a preserved haven of an oral experience of Scripture within a communal and liturgical context. It lived this way for millennia before the Nativity of Christ, and lives on. But so few people know of it!