Torah Study Blessing (Click to read)

Every Monday morning I have the absolute pleasure of studying Torah (we’re in the book of Leviticus right now) with a group of people – sitting in Starbucks; up to our elbows in sacrifices/offerings/dietary expectations…and I love every moment of it!

Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long. [Ps 119.97 – ESV]

I remember a time in my journey of faith where the scripture felt more like a necessary evil as opposed to a joy…the notion of reading my bible was right up there with going to the dentist. I’m not sure why I felt so much animosity towards the very Word of G_d but I have a feeling that it stems from the way that it was always presented to me in the church.

There were two primary ways in which the Text was presented: 1.) Archaic and outdated; too difficult to read and understand unless you were ‘trained.’  2.) Rinse and Repeat.

This is such a shame – Scripture is beautiful. Meaningful. Fulfilling. Breath-taking. Delicious. Awe-Inspiring. Sacred. Enjoyable. Can’t-Get-Enough-Good-Reading.

I believe much of our problem is that we circumvent the story and instead dissect the words…missing the poetry by putting on our surgical mask – When we begin to hear and see the story of G_d’s pursuit of people as opposed to only trying to figure out the proper combinations of doctrines and dogma – we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of an unbelievable tale of adventure, love, and intrigue. And we are the main character – sharing the stage with the author Himself.

What has your experience been like? I pray that you’ll taste some of the adjectives above…I believe the best way to do that is by studying with a group of friends – there is no better way to experience the presence and enjoyment of the Word then meditating on it day and night with companions along the journey.