Formational Reading of Scripture: The Luther Bible Study Method

Last week, Rhoda concluded the blog citing words from Luther, “Luther’s words are a warning to those teachers of the faith (like me!) who are tempted to impart a plethora of knowledge about a given text and its context. The African study method sees Scripture as the swaddling cloths and manger that hold what is “dear … the treasure, Christ,” and aims to lead participants to encounter that most priceless treasure, Jesus.” So it is most appropriate this week that we turn to a method derived from Luther’s own work, a method that also leads the catechumen to the most priceless treasure, Jesus: the Luther Four-Strand Garland method. Derived from Luther’s description to Peter, his barber, of a simple way to pray, this method takes Luther’s advocacy for a pattern for pray and applies it to reflection on the Scriptures in a corporate context. The outline of the method that follows comes (nearly) verbatim from Go Make Disciples: An Invitation to Baptismal Living (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2012, 142-43).

               Luther’s Four-Stranded Garland[1]

• Preparation
  • The biblical text is the Gospel reading for the “current” Sunday (that is, if the group gathers on Sunday, they will use the text from that day). The same reading is used throughout the week, Monday through Saturday, on whatever day the group meets.
  • Allow the group members to sit quietly and take a few minutes to relax and prepare themselves for reflection and prayer.
• The First Strand: Instruction
  • The catechist reads the text aloud slowly.
  • Group members listen silently for the instruction they each hear from the text.
    • What is God saying to you?
    • Is there a word, phrase, image, or feeling that captures you?
    • Focus on the word, phrase, image, or feeling for a while before each person mentions it to the group in turn.
  • The Second Strand: Thanksgiving
    • Another person in the group reads the passage slowly.
    • Group members listen silently for something about which they would like to give God thanks.
    • Group members allow feelings of thanksgiving to fill themselves.
    • Group members each speak aloud something for which they give thanks.
  • The Third Strand: Wholeness/Confession
    • Another person in the group reads the passage slowly.
    • Group members listen silently for how the text is speaking to their dis-ease, woundedness, and sinfulness.
    • Then group members speak aloud about how the text is speaking to their pain.
  • The Fourth Strand: Presence
    • Another person in the group reads the passage slowly.
    • Group members silently recall the word, phrase, image, or feeling from the first strand, resting in it and letting it lead them to rest in God.
  • Closing: Close with a group prayer of thanksgiving, which may conclude with the Lord’s Prayer
  • Optional addition before the closing prayer: The catechist may offer a voice from tradition which illuminates the passage in some way (i.e., scriptural teaching and/or catechesis); this “voice from tradition” should be prepared in consultation with the pastor or may be one or two points from the Sunday’s sermon.

Like the African study method, the Luther method structures an encounter with the written Word and the proclaimed Word, and through them the personal Word, Christ Jesus himself. In contrast with the African method, this method begins to expand more fully into the life of prayer and into the discipled life of the Christian. The first strand focuses on a primary image or Word that leads to the initial encounter with the living Lord. The second and third strands expand into attending to thanksgiving—the primary evocation of faith—and dealing with human sin, brokenness, suffering, and evil. The last strand then returns to the encounter with God in Christ through this text. Throughout all of it there is an implicit thrust toward the implications of the experience of Christ Jesus through this text: Life should be a life of thanksgiving and of trust of God in the presence of sin and evil. And all of my relationships and actions should be shaped by this encounter and bear witness to it. The Luther method forms the catechumen toward lifelong a discipleship of faith.

[1] See also Matthew C. Harrison, Why Am I Joy:Fully Lutheran? (St. Louis: CPH, 2018), 228-30.