“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of
Christ.”
Romans 10:17 (ESV)
Sometimes
I have difficulty listening, at least this is what my wife tells me. I know in my heart that she is right, because as long
as I can remember, I have had trouble keeping my mind from wandering when others are talking to me. If this is a genetic thing,
then I’m not responsible. On the other hand, if this is acquired, which I think it might be, then I can change. I think
that I developed the habit while I was a youngster in school. While the teacher would lecture, my mind would take a recess
and travel to more exotic places. I would try to listen to my teacher's lecture for a while, but eventually, I found
it more exciting to think about the cute girl in class or to replay a cool song in my head. Perhaps I did this so often that
my brain decided to form connections that would wisp me away in response to boring or monotonous speech.
It is rare that I can sit in church and listen
to an entire sermon without my mind wandering away for at least part of the time. In my position at the church I sometimes
sit on stage where I can be seen by the congregation. I have to be careful with my facial expression if I start thinking about
something funny or sad at an inappropriate time.
Now that
I have established that listening is not always easy for me, you will see that I have no personal agenda in what I am about
to say. I believe in a truth that has become lost to many churches and Christians in our land—that we need to hear and
listen to the reading of the word of God on a regular basis.
There is an important place for Bible teaching,
preaching, and reading of the word. However, there is an equally important place for the hearing of the word, apart from these
other practices. Based on church history, tradition, and the culture in which the Bible was originally written, you might
even make the case that the hearing of the word is more important than the aforementioned practices. Unfortunately, this is
either too rare an occurrence, or happens to fall on ears like my own—ears that are connected to brains unaccustomed
to listening well.
Both Judaism and Christianity were born to adherents
who were well adept at listening to the word. Jewish believers could stand and hear the word read for hours at a time. This
was also true during Jesus’ time on earth. Throughout most of church history, there was no printing press. Most Christians
did not have Bibles. They looked forward to times when they could hear the word read to them in a public setting within a
community of other believers. To this day, some churches have maintained the practice of reading more than just a few verses
from a text in a service.
There is a need for the reading of the word—entire
stories and passages, without commentary. There is a need for us to hear these narratives and passages read. When we read
the Bible ourselves, we hear our own voice in our head. We make certain assumptions about meaning and application. At best,
we use this time to meditate on God and his will for our lives. However, there is something about hearing the word read that
is different than reading it yourself. When you read, you see words on a page. When you hear, you do not see words on a page.
The sounds of the words float through the space of which you are a part. The word surrounds and infiltrates you on a different
psychological level.
As the words of Scripture are read, they become
incarnate in the reader. The reader and the listener become a part of the drama of the story being read. Of course it helps
to have a reader who can convey the drama well. Occasionally, I hear Scripture read in an unenthusiastic monotone that takes
me back to third grade daydreams. The word of God is alive. We must read it as such in our churches. There must be excitement
in the voice of the reader, who for the moment becomes the voice of God. The community of believers will want to listen. Some
listeners who like to daydream, may even begin to daydream about the times and cultures of the Bible as a setting for the
drama. Warning against becoming too dramatic, one worship leader stated, “A good reading invites listeners into the
text. . . . A performance draws attention merely to the skill of the artist but not the content of their art. A thoughtful
clear reading brings to life material that has, after all, been passed down in oral form for most of church’s history.”
Like I said earlier, there is a place for the
teaching and exegesis of the word. However, I’m afraid that exegesis has done such a good job of parsing the Greek and
defining the English that the mystical or spiritual affect has been lost. People in church today are so accustomed to having
the word of God broken down into many small parts and then explained, that when a large portion of Scripture is read and then
left alone, people do not feel content. They do not feel fed because they are not eating. If I know that the passage that
is being read is about to be spoon fed to me in the sermon, why should I try to listen intently and attempt to discern its
meaning? A good sermon will place the story in the historical and cultural context in which it was written. It may even make
timely and relevant applications for today. However, the more specific the application is made, the less room there is for
the Holy Spirit to make other applications in the lives of the listeners because the listener’s thoughts are guided
by the words of the preacher. In addition to being spoon fed a good sermon, people need to get in the habit of partaking of
the Scriptures as they are read. Without the extra commentary, a specific thought, application, or meaning may come to mind
that otherwise would not.
The public reading and corporate hearing of the
word has the potential to enhance our faith, unite our congregations, and authenticate our churches. The same could be said
for the reading aloud of the word in our homes. The only drawback of this activity is that people like me who are poor listeners
are going to have to put forth a little more effort. But I believe that the potential to be drawn closer to God, closer to
the historic stories of Scripture, and a more authenticate faith practice is worth it.
“Let me ask you only this:
Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?”
Galatians 3:2 (ESV)
