What I Have Discovered
Spend Time with the Text -- Dr. Craig Satterlee, Professor, The Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago, Illinois
As obvious as it is, I have discovered that the best way to approach the text is to read the text. I am often tempted to short-circuit that part of my preparation. I open my Bible or lectionary, quickly read the passage, and almost automatically summarize it. It's the parable of the prodigal son. It's one of Isaiah's "servant songs." It's a lament psalm. Once I sum up the text, I can quickly conclude what it means. And if I can't, there are plenty of commentaries on my shelves written by experts who can tell me. The results are often as predictable as the process.
When I really want God to speak to me, I give the text the first word rather than deferring to my own understanding or the scholars' expertise. I take my time with the text. I read it over and over and over. I do not read to figure out what the text means so much as I read to hear what it says. I read the text well in advance of preaching. I give it my undivided attention, just as I would a parishioner or a student. I pay attention to words and to word choices. I imagine the setting, the facial expressions, and the tones of voice. I quiet my preconceived notions and my long entrenched interpretations, saying, "You'll get your chance but not now." I may even haul the text out in my ministry and read it at committee meetings and in hospital rooms. I am especially fond of sharing Scripture with shut-ins. I may possess exegetical skills, but they have had a long life with God. I am also fond of reading texts out loud, the way the ancients did. I like to read what comes before and what comes after. I also like to read the passages in the order that my congregation will hear them in worship.
All the while, I keep track of my questions, my hunches, what I want to track down, and what I want to figure out. Mostly, I record what Scripture is saying to me about my life and the life of the world, the church and the people I serve. With all this in hand, I am ready to do my exegesis and to be in conversation with the commentators.
This isn't new. Homileticians and biblical scholars tell us to read the text first. I myself tell my preaching students every semester. Yet, amidst the demands of my ministry, I tend to forget. I short-circuit the process until I get stuck. Then, spending time with the text, I discover anew that this is the best way to approach it.