Getting Into The Word: Running Commentary

Okay, well we know that getting into the Bible can be difficult, especially when you're trying to do so in a group setting. I am however a strong advocate for the practise of group reading of the Bible and group study of it (more on that later). One of the things I've found can be a pain when trying to develop interest in the Scriptures is rigidity and lack of personality. Why do people ever do anything in groups? It because of the people. They're there for the company of their friends, for their personalities, and trying to follow a groups study program can be very stifling of personalities when leaders don't have the vision or experience to 'customise' the studies. Some of the best group times I've ever lead, then, have been ones that focused on the group and brought a subject into that rather than asking everyone to check their personalities at the door and 'get scientific'.

What I'd like to share here and now is just a simple little idea that can be a good informal of way of getting into study. Perhaps as an intro an in-depth study of a book. I call it a 'running commentary' and the idea is simply to bring out the questions or opinions of your friends and letting the evaluation and discussion go from there. I'd suggest you use a shorter book to begin with but you could use any passage or book.

How does it work? You simply read. You go to a passage of book and read it out loud. You could change up the readers - but I'd perhaps try to make sure that the reading of the passage is of a good quality and done well to keep interest and carry the meaning and perhaps flavour of the text. As you go, any member of the group can at any time chirp in with a comment or a question - whatever comes to mind - on whatever you've been reading. Once answered or discussed, you just keep on reading and thus - a running commentary.

Obviously, it's good to explain to the others how it works before hand, but that explanation can be short and simple. It's good for just about anywhere, all you need is a Bible and a group of friends. The personalities come out, jokes can be thrown in, and all in all this is I think a nice, simple way of doing a little of that celebration of the word I was talking about earlier.

God bless,
G.