Keeping and Talking the Word:
Scripture Memorization for Contemplation, Formation, and Proclamation

Timothy Brown, Western Theological Seminary
June 22-July 1, 2005
Hosted by Seminars in Christian Scholarship
Funds provided by the Center for Excellence in Preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary


This seminar explored and practiced one of the primal instincts and spiritual disciplines of the people of God: scripture meditation and memorization, for the purposes of spiritual formation and pastoral performance. Attendees included preachers looking to deepen their experience of sermon preparation through contemplation and memorization, and worship leaders and others wanting to keep the Word in their hearts, to long with the psalmist to plant themselves by streams of living water. Full seminar description

CICW's Kent Hendricks kept a daily weblog from the seminar. Here are his entries:


6/30 - Sermon on the Mount in a walk around the Sem Pond
6/29 - Ten principles for the public reading of scripture
6/28 - Jeff and Karen Barker on public reading of scripture
6/27 p.m. - finish a sermon selection in your own words
6/27 a.m. - Augustine, Kirkegaard, Heschel, and more on Acts 8
6/24 - Steven Chase on the lectio divina
6/23 - Psalm 134, Acts 8, and other conversations
6/22 - Introductions, John Calvin, Creation narrative

More Weblog entries on Preaching