Deuteronomy – doing lines or writing out Scripture?

We're running during the weeks of July a project to write out by hand the text of the book of Deuteronomy – there's a table at the front of the church where you can add the next verse - or write out a whole chapter, or something in between(!), as you wish – and we hope that everyone will be involved.  Some will recall that we did something similar with Nehemiah (as we prepared for our own building project fifteen years ago), and indeed that we wrote out by hand all 150 Psalms during the summer of our 150th anniversary celebrations six years ago.  Perhaps it is time for a New Testament book next?!

But it's not meant to be an endurance exercise, and certainly not a sanction (for those who remember punishment at school of writing lines!).  It is something to help us approach what God is saying through the Bible, by slowing us down.  It will inevitably take longer to write than it does to read, just as reading in our heads is a quicker exercise than reading aloud.  And so often we rush at reading the Bible (no disrespect intended for those who do read for us on Sundays!). 

Taking our time to read and to check as we transcribe a verse at a time slows us down, enabling us to listen out for the message of God's word.  We are also looking at the overall message of Deuteronomy during Sunday worship, so the two exercises complement each other.

Join us, be part of it – the journey through Deuteronomy this month!