Most Churches Ignore this Important Spiritual Discipline
It felt like any other Sunday when pastor Levi Lusko stood in front of his congregation and asked them to turn in their Bibles to the book of James. While the sound of pages being flipped filled the auditorium, Levi left his Bible on the pulpit, walked toward the front of the stage and did something nobody was expecting.
He recited the entire book of James word-for-word from memory.
For almost 15 minutes, his congregation listened to his dramatic recitation, colored by a deep understanding of the text that only comes from years of study and review. He wasn’t just reading the text, he was sharing his intimate relationship with the emotion and intention of the author.
There are other notable examples of pastors doing the same, from David Platt reciting Romans, John Piper reciting 1 Peter or Francis Chan reciting Ephesians; yet somehow these moments remain the exception instead of the rule.
Why is it that so few modern Christians prioritize commiting God’s Word to memory?
Why is it that most churches seem to ignore this important church discipline?
It could be that many people still believe the myth that they don’t have a good memory or perhaps because we think we don’t need to memorize what technology so easily allows us to look up.
But there’s a much simpler explanation: most church-going Christians ignore Scripture memorization because their pastor ignores it.
Without leaders setting an example of what it looks like to prioritize memorizing the Bible despite the time and effort it takes, most congregations likewise don’t see it as a goal worth pursuing.
There are many ways to encourage Bible memorization at church and there are also numerous benefits for ministry leaders that go beyond reciting from the pulpit or setting an example for others. Memorizing passages of the Bible is incredibly useful during times of counseling, encouraging or praying for people under our care. When we don’t know what to say, God promises us that speaking His Word never returns void (Isaiah 55:11). Memorization fosters a daily habit of engaging with Scripture that allows you to meditate on it even when you’re not in your office with an open Bible next to you.
But most importantly, this spiritual discipline transforms you into a “tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in season” (Psalm 1:3.). And that’s the kind of leader that every church needs.
Josh Summers serves in ministry with his family in Asia. He has memorized over 10 books of the Bible but loves to encourage others to start with just one verse.
