The day I learned to read again

Scripture is a text that needs to be practiced and rehearsed. Scripture is meant to be studied and examined but also encountered. We do this work best when we do it together. Rehearsing is a way of encountering. It helps us find the script in scripture - our script. And those encounters are meant to be shared.

How can we encourage each other to read and rehearse Scripture and show one another when we found something true? How can we rehearse Scripture in community to discover God’s word?

I think by offering space to rehearse and encounter the Scripture is a great start. I invite you to read Scripture in some new ways. Not alone but together. Not once but over and over. Not to explain the text in some definitive way, but to find something true, for you, and discover new versions of that truth, for you and perhaps those around you. A space to ask questions and struggle. A space to share and be ok with admitting we don’t know. A space to be troubled and rejoice in what we’ve encountered.

Something I’ve learned - People who disagree with one another can gather around Scripture in this way and enjoy doing it. We can disagree about what the text means and listen to it and to one another. We can find something true before we decide what’s right. And the best outcome is when we discover people whose views we never dreamed we might respect or value turn out to have perspective on the text that we then come to treasure.

The world around us is loud and full of conflict. Rehearsing Scripture might be the start of changing our community. The good news about rehearsing Scripture is that it doesn’t require any special skills. It just takes a group of people who are eager to discover God’s word and are up for an adventure. Reading and rehearsing Scripture really can change things. Discovering God’s word in community is one of the best adventures you’ll ever have.

So, what are you waiting for? If you are already in a Bible in Community group - maybe rethink how you approach your time together. If you are not currently in a group, maybe take the time to find one or start one. If you are eager to encounter and engage in Scripture - I encourage you to do that in community, as well as on your own. Many of us have doubts and crave wisdom that can guide us and build community that will stay with us along the way.

What made me write this and think this way … The Village People. I just love our Fridays together. They have taught me to read and study differently. To not dig into Scripture just for myself but for them as well. So that we can rehearse Scripture together and be there for each other wherever that journey may take us.

Blessings while you read, study and rehearse Scripture, in community. Enjoy engaging in what Scripture means for us today.

Jen Rabenaldt CRE