Reading for Growth: The Spiritual Implications of Reading Books
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At the end of Paul’s second letter to Timothy, Paul makes this request of his protege: “When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments” (2 Timothy 4:13). He could have asked for anything, but Paul wanted his books. The practice of reading was of great value to Paul’s life, work, and ministry.
John Wesley, famously known as “a man of one book,” actually read many books and encouraged the people called Methodists to read. Seeking to prevent idleness and trifling of time in both preachers and members of the societies, Wesley wrote, “Spend all the morning, or at least five hours in twenty-four, in reading the most useful books, and that regularly and constantly” (Luke Tyerman, The Life and Times of John Wesley, 582). He demanded that his preachers read or find another line of work: “Contract a taste for it by use, or return to trade.” If the preachers didn’t have any books, he offered to supply them with “books to the value of £5.” Wesley had a conviction that Methodists should be devoted to reading. Further, he himself was clearly a very well-read man. He not only read the scriptures regularly, he also read the church fathers and contemporary scholars of his day. He read for pleasure as well. According to Randy Maddox, Wesley kept a shelf full of books, many of which are still in his home in London. Reading was a practice that was of great value to Wesley’s life, work, and ministry.
Reading offers countless benefits. It expands our knowledge. It sparks our creativity. Studies have shown that reading improves our concentration, strengthens memory retention, and develops our critical thinking skills. Reading the history of peoples and places exposes us to experiences of the past. Reading of another culture or differing ideas and opinions improves our understanding of the world in which we live. Reading poetry can inspire and motivate us. Reading is one way to connect us to others and better know ourselves. Reading can heighten our perspectives and give depth to our understanding.
In spite of all of these benefits and many others, a Gallup study released in January 2022 shows reading appears to be in decline since 2016 in the United States. The average number of books read is down to 12.6 in 2021 from 15.6 in 2016. This is the lowest average since Gallup began the study in 1990: “The new data on book reading reinforce that the popularity of reading is waning, with Americans reading an average of three fewer books last year than they did five years ago and had typically read for the past three decades. The decline is not because fewer Americans are reading at all -- a percentage that has held steady at 17% -- but because Americans who do read are reading fewer books.” It’s no surprise that Americans are reading fewer books when our options for entertainment have increased exponentially over the years. We have our devices with plenty of distractions. We binge an entire season of a new show in one night. I haven’t heard someone tell me about his or her binge reading since the last Harry Potter book was released 15 years ago. Many have lost a love for reading.
If that’s true for you, then you are missing out on one of the greatest opportunities for growth available to us as Christians. Perhaps you don’t have time to read five hours a day, as Wesley counsels. Maybe you aren’t like one (in)famous pastor who once proclaimed that he reads a book a day. (I don’t believe you, Mark.) Yet as Richard Foster writes, “If you are too busy to read, you are too busy” (Freedom of Simplicity, 160). Reading should be a passion and priority for all Christians. Taking time to read will benefit you, the people around you, and the kingdom of God.
Reading as a way of renewing your call
Quite a bit of the book reading I do and have done in the past has been for sermon preparation and lesson planning. We all live busy lives, leaving little margin for rest and relaxation. But let’s be honest, most of us could pray more, fast more, and meditate on God’s Word more. It may seem like another burden to add book reading to your list of devotional disciplines. Yet, as the pressures of life squeeze us and deadlines loom over us, reading may be just the cure we need to grow in our faith.
When we read the devotional writings of others, we may find they have the same struggles with life, relationships, and ministry. The experiences of others can provide the support, counsel, instruction, correction, and encouragement we need. When others tell their stories of hope, forgiveness, and commitment, we may relate to something happening in our own lives. I am a husband, a father, a pastor, a community member, and so much more. Books guide me and help in my everyday living. I can read books on finances that help me with handling money and balancing the budget. There are great books on parenting and marriage that have helped me and challenged me to be a better parent and husband. Leadership books by firefighters and teachers have taught me more about being a leader in the church than books by bishops and pastors of megachurches have taught me. The spiritual experiences of others have taught me much about my own spiritual pilgrimage. Good books have a way of shaping who we are now and who we are becoming.
You may even discover that some books are great books. My copy of Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis is falling apart because I’ve read it so many times. I need to be reminded again and again that “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God ” (Mere Christianity, 184). You may read Lewis and get nothing from it, but for me, it is a treasure. The same with Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, and Holiness by J. C. Ryle. I’ve read them countless times. It is good to read and re-read great books. You will be reminded of what you took away the first time, and you may see something new that you never before have seen. There will be truths to be discovered each time you read a great book.
Pastors, there is value in being well-read for our sermon preparation. Laity, there is usefulness in being informed about the news and current events. Reading cannot be for entertainment or work purposes only. Reading keeps us connected to our many callings.
Reading as a way of tending to the Church
We do not form our theology in a vacuum. Reading the teachings and guidance of other Christians will not only make us better individually, but it will make our church more aware and discerning. Whether I’m reading Augustine or Beth Moore, Tim Keller or Teresa of Avila, I am reminded that I am not as enlightened and creative as I think I am (and that’s alright). I don’t need to be novel and innovative. I am surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. There are more than 2,000 years of writing about the Christian faith that can benefit me as a pastor and my church as part of the Christian tradition. We should swim in these streams.
It serves my congregation well when I quote other scholars and theologians in my sermons. It reminds them that their pastor isn’t the only person with these peculiar ideas. As Christians we’ve believed these truths for a long, long time. Using direct quotes with proper reference helps the members of my congregation grasp the insights of minds greater than my own (and there are many). Additionally, it gives them more resources that the Holy Spirit may be prompting them to explore further on their own. By quoting from books, old and new, it places my local church in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. It also serves my congregation well to read books about contemporary matters facing the church from authors within our tradition and around the world. I want them reading books by Jessica LaGrone, Kevin Watson, and Carolyn Moore. It is a danger to us all when our only source of information comes through our preferred 24-hour news network and posts on social media (Firebrand excluded, of course). It will be a benefit to the church as a whole if local church leaders and interested members become more familiar with what’s happening in our culture and our denomination from a Christian worldview. The goal isn’t to cram more into our already-cluttered minds, but to equip ourselves and our churches to make well-informed and thoughtful decisions when difficult times come (and they will come).
Reading as a way of loving God
Reading is one of the ways you can “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” John Wesley counsels us again and again to “search the Scriptures.” In his Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament, Wesley writes on 2 Peter 3:18, “The strength and well-being of a Christian depend on what his soul feeds on, as the health of the body depends on whatever we make our daily food. If we feed on what is according to our nature, we grow; if not, we pine away and die.” There is great value in feeding our soul by reading good books. Our souls will delight in a daily diet of devotional reading. Wesley implies it is a matter of life-and-death.
Perhaps the problem with our reading isn’t the lack of time or interest but the way in which we approach books. Reading is a skill and a craft. It takes an intentional effort to read with a purpose. Eugene Peterson writes, “Among our ancestors reading involved a seeking after wisdom, becoming a mature person. With us it is more likely to be a retrieval of information so that we can answer a question or do a job. Spiritual reading is not contemptuous of information, but it has wisdom for its goal: becoming true and good, not just knowing the facts of life or how to change a tire” (Eat This Book, 241). Reading for information may be necessary, but it can leave us wanting more. Reading, alongside spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fasting, and worship, can be, quite literally, revelatory. God will reveal Himself and His truth to us through these perpetual practices. Words have the power not only to transmit information, but through the work of the Holy Spirit, they can supernaturally awaken our hearts and impact our lives. Books can draw us closer to the heart of God. In fact, they should.
So, when you are done reading today’s articles from Firebrand and you’ve spent time searching the scriptures, set aside your devices, close your computer, turn off the television, and read a book. That’s what I’m going to do right now.
Chris Roberts is a husband to Renee and a father of four children who need to read more. He serves as pastor of Corinth United Methodist Church in Muncie, Indiana and is a Life Trustee at United Theological Seminary. Find him on Twitter at @eChrisRoberts.