HEARING THE CHAPTER. Regarding: Daniel (OT).

[Scotth1960]

Dear Friends, Please read this and then consider reading this book by

James B. Jordan. It is available free or of minimal cost from a ILL

(Interlibrary loan) at your local college or university library.

"HEARING THE CHAPTER

"Today's Bible student has some advantages over his ancient counterpart.

Unlike most ancient people, the modern student can read and write. He

also has access to concordances and even computer programmes to help

him. But in one respect, modern students of the Bible are at a

disadvantage, because we are not skilled at hearing the Bible.

"The Bible was written to be read aloud and heard. Hearing is a more

powerful way of receiving information than reading, because while we can

close our eyes, we cannot close our ears. If we are in a room where

someone is speaking, w cannot stop the sound from coming into our ears.

Also, in order to listen to someone, we have to yield a bit of authority to

him or her, paying attention to what is said. Reading, on the other hands,

leaves us much more in control. Thus, while at a theoretical level the Bible

has supreme authority whether we are reading it silently or hearing it read

to us, yet existentially the Bible comes with more authority when it is

read. Moreover, silent reading isolates us from others, while conversation

(listening back and forth) or gathering to hear someone speak or read to

us, creates community. God is interested in our individual discipleship, but

for the most part, that discipleship takes place in community, and God is

building His Church. Thus, hearing is very important, and personal reading

is no substitute for it.

"The authority of the heard Word is not just the authority of commands and

doctrines. God shapes our consciousness through its cadences and its

repetitions. The Bible abounds in numerical symbolism, large parallel

structures, intricate chiastic devices, astral allusions, sweeping

metaphors, typological parallels, and symbolism in general. The ancient

servant of God was able to hear these aspects of the text, because he

heard these passages read over and over, week after week, in worship.

"The modern evangelical Christian seldom heard the Word of God read

aloud. While the "traditional liturgical" churches still have brief epistle and

gospel lessons read out in worship week by week, evangelical chu4ches

usually do not. Even the text used for the sermon is often not read aloud

first, but simply read in the course of the sermon. And even where

passages are actually read, they are not intoned in cadence, so that the

rhythm of the text is not heard". [pp. 123-124:

James B. Jordan. THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL: A Commentary on the

Book of Daniel. Copyright 2007, American Vision. American Vision

Publishers, Powder Springs, GA. ].

Friends!

Except in an Eastern Orthodox Church, where the whole worship service is

sung (chanted), and the Scriptures and prayers are chanted (sung) aloud

throughout the whole Divine Liturgy, and many Scriptures are quoted or

alluded to, and sung aloud. There is more Bible in the average 2 1/2 hour

Orthodox service than in the average Lutheran 1 hour (or so) church

service. In Erie PA Scott R. Harrington