Simhat Torah is the celebration of the completion of reading through the Torah this past year. It is a most joyful celebration that falls immediately after the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot. A few years back, I watched a live celebration from a large synagogue in New York. It was most interesting! The people all stood around the sanctuary in a large circle. The Torah was opened to the last of the readings for the year. Each person in the circle, young and old alike, read a portion of the scripture until the readings were completed. Then there was music and dancing in such exuberance!
Can you imagine? The Torah is revered in the Jewish community. The Torah is kept in a large hutch-like place and prominently displayed for all to see. The rabbi and others will take great care to bring the Torah out of its resting place to the bema to be read. There is great ceremony in bringing it forward.
How do Christians view their Bibles? Is it just another app that is easy to carry on a phone? I rarely see people these days carry a Bible to church or Bible study.
When you enter the sanctuary of your worship space, what draws your attention? Is there an open Bible displayed to convey that the Word of God has primary importance in the place? If it is, this is a beautiful symbol of what is important in your worship.
Marva J. Dawn, author and speaker, said in a seminar that I attended that reading scripture from a device is a poor example because the device has multiple functions. A person can be easily distracted by its other functions. A Bible, on the other hand, has one function, one purpose.
A woman at church was upset because her phone would not let her open her Bible app. I showed her my Bible and teased her by saying that my Bible always easily opened. I didn’t need to rely on the internet service.
How much scripture is read during the worship service? If your church follows a lectionary, then several portions of scripture are read – a Psalm, a Gospel reading, an Old Testament reading, and something from one of the epistles. And you are blessed in the reading of the word.
What if…
What if the example of the synagogue was followed, where the people took turns reading scripture? What if scripture was rejoiced over? What would that look like? What if more time in our worship was devoted to the reading of the word? So many people are auditory learners that hearing is an important part of learning. I raise these questions not because the pastor doesn’t read a portion of scripture before the sermon or refer to scripture during the sermon but because the reading and hearing of scripture is also what helps form our spiritual growth.
Yes, the sermon is a big part of our learning and forming and challenging to our hearts. So is singing and the giving of tithes and offerings and other elements in our worship. I am suggesting that it seems that often the reading of the word is not as significant as it could be.
I am also not suggesting that Bible apps are not useful or valuable. They certainly have a place and a purpose. Many translations can be easily accessed for comparison and study.
As the significance of Simhat Torah reminds me that scripture is central to all of life. As a book, or scroll, it has no saving value, but its contents do.
Shalom!
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