My paternal grandparents, Ralph and Rachel Self (pictured above), died from Alzheimer's so the subject is close to my family's heart, especially my oldest brother. He recently reported to me about a program on NPR about Alzheimer's. On the program, the researchers discussed cases of elderly people who had autopsies after death. When the autopsy results revealed the person had Alzheimer's, the families were shocked because the person didn't die like an Alzheimer's patient. They had kept their memory, faculties, and physical activity level up until death, and, died from a disease other than Alzheimer's. The researchers wanted to know the common link among these people. Through family interviews, they found that these people had in common a low-fat, low-sugar diet (another reason why we should be eating healthy) AND as they aged, they kept their brain active and stimulated through memory games and brain games.
I was thinking about this report today while sitting in a noontime Bible study, part of a series on Loving God with Your Mind. Today the teacher discussed the value of becoming still, practicing silence and trying out solitude. She also suggested that there is great value in memorizing Scripture.
In my glory days of being Baptist, Scripture memory was one of our youth group habits. Scriptures were given on Sunday and it was expected that you would recite them from memory the following Sunday. I didn't realize what this habit was doing to me until I went to seminary and knew more Scripture from memory than most of my classmates. And since seminary, I have called upon those Scriptures and have been thankful for those Baptist days.
But I haven't made Scripture memory a primary part of my personal spiritual life or my public teaching life since seminary even though I know the value of the Scriptures I memorized more than 17 years ago. I thought about why I haven't incorporated this into who I am and the only reason I can come up with is that I've been spiritually lazy. That's not a good reason. So I'm adding it back into my life. It's just too important and it really is a waste of the mind that God gave me not to commit God's words to memory. If there was such a thing as spiritual Alzheimer's, then I probably would have it as I have not been exercising my mind.
The teacher today mentioned that she has been memorizing the book of Philippians. The entire book! Her goal is to recite the book from memory! That's a spiritual discipline, a habit, that will give her more than just a badge of honor; it will give her God's word imprinted on her mind and heart.
I mentioned in my last blog post that if John Wesley were alive today he would be a life coach. Why? Life coaches help you develop practices so that you are able to achieve more than you thought possible. Wesley helped the people who believed in him develop spiritual practices so that they could grow closer to God. As the teacher said today, you didn't play piano scales so that at your recital all you can play are scales. You play the scales so that when the performance comes, you can play Bach. Scripture memory is like that. When life comes, I don't have memorized Scripture, I have God's word on my tongue. Now that will draw me closer to God.
I was thinking about this report today while sitting in a noontime Bible study, part of a series on Loving God with Your Mind. Today the teacher discussed the value of becoming still, practicing silence and trying out solitude. She also suggested that there is great value in memorizing Scripture.
In my glory days of being Baptist, Scripture memory was one of our youth group habits. Scriptures were given on Sunday and it was expected that you would recite them from memory the following Sunday. I didn't realize what this habit was doing to me until I went to seminary and knew more Scripture from memory than most of my classmates. And since seminary, I have called upon those Scriptures and have been thankful for those Baptist days.
But I haven't made Scripture memory a primary part of my personal spiritual life or my public teaching life since seminary even though I know the value of the Scriptures I memorized more than 17 years ago. I thought about why I haven't incorporated this into who I am and the only reason I can come up with is that I've been spiritually lazy. That's not a good reason. So I'm adding it back into my life. It's just too important and it really is a waste of the mind that God gave me not to commit God's words to memory. If there was such a thing as spiritual Alzheimer's, then I probably would have it as I have not been exercising my mind.
The teacher today mentioned that she has been memorizing the book of Philippians. The entire book! Her goal is to recite the book from memory! That's a spiritual discipline, a habit, that will give her more than just a badge of honor; it will give her God's word imprinted on her mind and heart.
I mentioned in my last blog post that if John Wesley were alive today he would be a life coach. Why? Life coaches help you develop practices so that you are able to achieve more than you thought possible. Wesley helped the people who believed in him develop spiritual practices so that they could grow closer to God. As the teacher said today, you didn't play piano scales so that at your recital all you can play are scales. You play the scales so that when the performance comes, you can play Bach. Scripture memory is like that. When life comes, I don't have memorized Scripture, I have God's word on my tongue. Now that will draw me closer to God.
Since I began this post talking about my grandparents, I will end this post with a memory I recalled today about my grandmother. My grandmother relied on the Bible. I'm not sure all the details, but I think her faith and the Bible helped calm her nerves and keep her on the right mental path. She always spoke to me about Scriptures and she often quoted from memory. I recently looked through a Bible study book she gave me many years ago on Ruth and Esther. Inside was a piece of paper with her handwriting: "I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life. God gave me Life that I might enjoy all things." Thanks Grandma. I love you and miss you.
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