Back to School

 

For those of you who know me well, you will know that I should have been a doctor.

Now, this is not for the reasons you may think. I have no great skill or knowledge in the medical field. No. I should have been a doctor because my handwriting skills surpasses any doctor’s penmanship.

That’s right. I have very messy handwriting. This is why I type most everything I can. But in saying that, I have filled numerous notebooks with quotes, verses, book summaries etc with chicken scratchings that somewhat resemble a form of handwriting. No matter how hard I try, my hand scribbles so fast to keep up with my overactive thought processes and the result is an untidy page that I hope someone besides myself can read and understand.

Okay, so why am I talking about this, you wonder?

I grew up in the analogue age. The age when all schoolwork was done with pen and paper. The dog really could chew up your homework. Phone numbers were compiled in a large book that everyone had access to. Letters were written by hand, mud maps were hastily scribbled on a scrap of paper and mobile phones, Bible apps and iPads were nowhere to be seen. We’ve come a long way since then.

Believe it or not, these tools of years gone by might be just the thing to freshen up your time with the Lord this year.

How long has it been since you took the time to hand write out a passage of Scripture? How long has it been since you wrote a verse on a piece of card and hung it up where you could regularly see it?

Do you know why I’m so passionate about this? It’s not because I have lovely penmanship, because we’ve already established the fact that I don’t! (Just ask my family if you want proof). The reason I’m so passionate about handwriting the words we read in our Bibles is because it does something for you that no amount of Bible app reading, or even physical Bible reading will do.

Stay with me while I just nerd out on this topic for a bit.

Studies have found that handwriting, compared to typing, (which by the way, I’m doing right now) results in more complex brain connectivity patterns which in turn enhances learning and memory.

A study done by one research group studied 36 students to compare brain activity while writing by hand and typing. They used EEG data (electroencephalogram- a test that measures electrical activity in the brain) to come to some interesting conclusions.  

They found that “Handwriting, whether in cursive on a touchscreen or traditional pen and paper, activated extensive brain regions, vital for memory and learning”.

They found that connectivity of different brain regions increased when the participants wrote by hand, but not when they typed.

They also found that the students learnt more and retained more information when they took handwritten notes as opposed to typed notes.

Okay, back to the Bible.

A few years back, I decided that I would become more intentional in writing Scripture and I purchased some hard cover books that were specific books of the Bible in an empty lined notebook. In these I could write out, word for word, letter by letter, every jot and every tittle, the words of Scripture.

Now, I will admit, I haven’t made huge progress in writing out the whole Bible, which I never set out to do, but I have written a fair amount.

So why in the world would I do this when I have access to as many Bibles as my bank balance will allow me to purchase, at my very fingertips?

I want to give you some reasons for why handwriting the Word of God is important and let you come to your own conclusions (after giving it a try, of course).

One of the first things you’ll notice when you begin to write out passages of Scripture is that it helps you slow down and soak it in.

As I write, I am focusing on each word as I read it and write it down. I look from the pages of my Bible to the pages of my notebook. There are no annoying pop-up messages, no ads, no email notifications. The distractions fall away and my mind is engaged in an intentional way.

You know how it is as you read your Bible. As you read, you often find your mind wandering. Thoughts come flooding in and before you know it, you suddenly realise that you have no idea what you’ve been reading for the past 5 minutes. Anyone relate?

The simple act of writing out what you’re reading helps you to stay focused.

Another thing that handwriting the Bible does is that it forces you to slow down and observe more. So not only are you soaking it in, but you are observing more of what the passage says. You begin to see repeated words or phrases, because your hand is performing the same movements and as you read and write the repeated words, you begin to notice why the word is used and how it is used.

As you write, you see words you may not understand and these stay in your mind more than when you just skim over them in a cursory reading.

Handwriting Scripture also strengthens the learning process and is helpful for all learning preferences.

We all learn differently, but for the most part, we all have a preference for how we receive and pass on information.

If you are a visual learner, then seeing the passage as you write it helps you to retain it. Using different coloured pens or highlighters will be beneficial to you. Seeing the words come to life on the page will hit the spot for you.

If you are more of an auditory learner, then don’t think I’m going to let you off the hook. I’ll bet that you hear the words in your mind as you write them. Better still, read them aloud or mumble them under your breath as you pen them down.

And if you’re a kinaesthetic learner that learns more through experience and doing, then this is right up your alley, because the simple act of moving the pen on the paper, the slight arm movements, the page turns, the fingers loosening and tightening on the pen will help to imprint the words on your heart.  

It is well documented that writing by hand stimulates neural activity in the brain which encourages creativity and enhances brain health.

So, writing out Scripture is not only good exercise for your mind and heart, but it is also great for your brain!

You retain a lot more of what you read when you physically write it out. Why do you think it is that back in my primary school days we were forced to write 100 lines of “I will not talk in class”? (And yes, I did say WE). Why did our teachers force us to do this? Because they knew the power of writing and retaining information. They hoped that the physical act of writing repeated phrases would help reinforce the rule we had disobeyed.

This is one of the reasons handwriting out verses, over and over, that you are trying to memorize is so beneficial.

There are so many benefits to handwriting the Word of God, but I’ll just give you one last one.

Writing Scripture leaves a legacy. A handwritten Bible or portions thereof, leaves a very tangible legacy of faith.

Whether you choose to write a different passage of Scripture each day, or just your favourite verses. Whether you write them on a greeting card or in a notebook, or on a post it stuck to the wall, it’s the process itself that is most important.

Can you imagine if you made your own copy of a book of the Bible, how precious it would become to your children or grandchildren, passed down from generation to generation?

But I want you to know this. Simply reading or writing Scripture will not make you a better Christian. If you do not read, obey, apply and share what you read, then the only benefit is your brain health. And what God is most interested in is our heart health.

In the Old Testament we read of the laws of God and how the Jewish people were told to ‘write them on the posts’. I’ll leave you to do your own study on what a Mezuzah was and the meaning behind the command given to them. Needless to say, God saw it as important, and so should you.

Deuteronomy 6:9 KJV - And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

The word ‘write’ is found 91 times in the Bible. It’s an important part of God’s Word.

Can I challenge you if you have never written the Word of God by hand, with pen and paper, then start today!

Start with your favourite verse or passage. Grab a notebook or a piece of card. Sit down and soak in the Words of Scripture. Observe as you write. Read aloud as you write. Listen to what you’re reading. Slow down. Take it in. Meditate on it.

Joshua 1:8 KJV - This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Be intentional.

Be thoughtful.

Be disciplined.