PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

April 14, 2024

READING

Around 1476 William Caxton set up the first printing press in England in the town of Westminster.  Caxton was not only a printer, but a diplomat, writer, merchant, publisher, and translator.  The more than 100 works he produced helped to standardize the English language.  One of the books he published was The Game and Play of the Cheesse.

For most of the works Caxton printed he added prologues and epilogues to help the reader understand the volume.  In many of these prologues he quoted the Apostle Paul “All is written for our doctrine.” For Caxton, all knowledge that could be acquired by reading was useful and instructive.  Books pointed one to the past to learn lessons to move forward into the future. His printing press made books  available to the rising merchant class which in the past were only accessible to the noble and clergy class,

Caxton’s Pauline reference comes from Romans 15:4: “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”  A regular reading of the scriptures can have many benefits.  For many years Diane and I have been using The Upper Room as a daily devotional.  It contains many stories of persons who have found inspiration, encouragement, forgiveness, and hope by reading the Bible.  When I was in seminary, the Bible along with tradition, experience, and reason were the basis for the content of the Christian faith.

The Sunday school that Tom Sawyer attended each week had a program to encourage the students to memorize scriptures.  Scholars who are able to memorize 2,000 verses are given a Bible.  When Tom is awarded his Bible, Judge Thatcher expounded upon the value of such effort.  “Two thousand verses is a great many – very, very great many.  And you never can be sorry for the trouble you took to learn them; for knowledge is worth more than anything there is in the world; it’s what makes great men and good men; you’ll be a great man and good man yourself some day (Tom Sawyer, A Signet Classic, p. 37).”

The only problem is that Tom had not learned a single verse.  To keep track of how many verses students had learned, they were given a blue ticket for every two verses memorized.  Ten blue tickets could be traded in for a red one and ten red tickets could be exchanged for a yellow.  Tom had traded with other members of the class for their tickets.  The tickets Tom turned in to get the Bible were all gained through barter.

Unfortunately, after Tom received his Bible, Judge Thatcher asked Tom to share a few of the things he had learned.  The Judge asked Tom to name the first two disciples that Jesus had appointed.  Sawyer began tugging at his buttonhole and looking sheepish.  Finally, when he was pressed by his Sunday school teacher, he answered “David and goliath!”  One can well imagine what happened next.

All the reading I have done has been a valuable resource in the writing “Musings From The Heartland.”  Unlike Tom, they have been available when I need to call upon them.  They have enriched my life, provided encouragement, been a source of entertainment, and have challenged me intellectually.  I would hope that you have enjoyed reading what I have written!

(Comments may be sent to davidh15503@embarqmail.com.)