Draw from the well slowly
You see many a “guru” nowadays boasting about how many books they read and how fast they read them. Yet those who generally read the most or whose expertise is literature tell a different tale. They talk about how slowly they read. I have seen many a philosopher and literature professor talk about reading as they do a good meal or wine. Why rush it? Why not savor it and truly enjoy it in the moment?
Those who boast about how fast they read and how many they read in a year generally are just glance reading or just speeding on through to tick another book to a yearly total. That is not to say some do have that comprehension but the faster you go the less comprehension you have. Most readers that genuinely read many books don’t read fast. They read consistently. Consistency is key in mastery. For reading this is even more applicable.
It is also popular nowadays to read summaries and rely on someone else to tell us in short what we need to know about a given work. I say why not just read for ourselves rather than for others. Let us slowly chew on what the author has written so that we may understand and gain insight into what we read.
And as a Christian, the Word of our Lord is precious (Job 23:12 ) and even more so that we get to enjoy it in our own vulgar tongue. Why is it common nowadays to just get through a reading plan or sprint down simple devotionals that others tell us what to believe or think? Why not draw from the Well and sooth our thirst slowly in His Word? I feel the modern life has us always in a rush. This then spills into our spiritual life. We need to make sure we slow down and enjoy the life He has given us. The need to be consistent in His Word should be important for a Christian.
One of the best reading plans I believe is the McCheyene 2 year reading plan. It is added to all Bibles sold by TBS . It gives you a reading everyday for 2 years that covers the Old Testament once with the Psalms and New Testament being read twice. For some this is way to slow. I have a modified version of the reading plan that I do that incorporates a more devotional setup with a semblance of Lectio Divina1. I will share it as I finish editing it from my written notes. It can be read as a 6 month, yearly, or bi-yearly plan. I will try to add each to my blog as I go. Personally, I have 2 separate “modes” in His Word. 1 “mode” is devotional. I do this twice a day, morning and evening. The other “mode” is Study. If I have a question on my mind from my devotion I write it down to be studied later (I have a physical journal in a bullet format for habit tracking, journaling, and study ideas). And at the set time I dive into my Bible Study software and begin my studies. Might take a couple days, weeks, or months but there is a time set aside for that. This seems to work best for me. It allows the Word to speak to me rather than always chasing topics and questions.
Let us all strive to work through His Word with reverence and intention.
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Photo by Elizabeth Zernetska
I hope this has been a blessing to you as pilgrims in this world.
A. T. Sully
Using lectio divina can be misapplied in the Christian. We need to make sure to not “spiritualize” too much on the Word. I hope to write a post here soon on this and how we can apply it without going too far. But in short, make sure we…
- Read the Passage Slowly (Lectio).
- Meditate on the passage and try to understand in context (Meditatio).
Note: If spiritualized to much then here is where some might be led astray.
- Pray to the Lord (Oratio).
- Contemplate what was read in context. This is prayerful meditation on the passages read. (Contemplatio).
- Read the Passage Slowly (Lectio).