The Power of Approaching the Text with a Beginner’s Mind

Years ago, I had a conversation with someone who knew nothing about Christianity because she was raised in a different religious tradition.

It was just before Holy Week and she wondered why we Christians made such a fuss about Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter—and asked me to tell her the biblical story.

I did, which was a blast for me!

But as I watched her face react with indifference when I told her about breaking bread “in memory of me,” with horror over Jesus’s gruesome death, and with cynical disbelief about his bodily resurrection, I saw the story the way a beginner did.

I saw its strange customs, tangle of relationships, and seeming ridiculousness that anyone in the 21st Century would buy the idea that someone could be physically—not metaphorically, but physically—raised from the dead.

At the very least, approaching the text with a beginner’s mind helps us craft a sermon a beginner can understand because we see the stories through their eyes.

And there are many more benefits!

The Beginner’s Mind Cultivates Awe & Wonder—and New Insights!

You know that feeling of wonder and amazement when we see words in the text we must have seen before because we’ve read the entire bible, but could swear we never have?

The discovery is such a delight!

We see God in a new light! Or a character! Or a theological theme!

And we grow because of it!

And then we get excited to wrap our next sermon around the discovery and feel energized to share that discovery with our listeners!

There is power in approaching the text as a beginner because we experience the Good News, and then we share it with others so they experience the Good News!

Our Congregations Can Benefit from this Approach, Too

We can help our congregations experience this power, too.

We’ve all experienced Bible studies or Christian ed classes where someone in the group “knows’ all the answers.

Their prior knowledge can stifle others’ thoughts or questions.

The setting becomes a download of one person’s point of view rather than a side-by-side discovery of God in the text and in life.

When we encourage our parishioners to approach the text with a beginner’s mind in personal study, formation programs, scripture studies, and other events, we make space for more questions, exploration, and wonder.

We also hear from more voices. Life-long members and those new to the faith find equal footing when all approach scripture from a place of beginner’s curiosity rather than expert’s certainty.

And in that space of humility, discussions can move beyond the standard Sunday School answers to deeper insights, more resonant truths, and surprising discoveries.

The beginner’s mind benefits all who read scripture.

How to Cultivate a Beginner’s Mind

The video below, “Letting Go of What You Know: Encountering the Text as a Beginner,” is from BsP’s Summer Reset Summit.

During the Summit, preachers gathered for three days in a private Facebook group to realign our process, renew our spirits, and revitalize our craft.

The video shares ideas and applications to employ a beginner’s mind as followers of Christ—and as preachers.

Want to experience this approach with support while protecting your personal time—and feeling more joy in preaching again?

If so, I invite you to join us in Sermon Camp!

Sermon Camp begins with reading the text as a beginner, so you’ll learn about and put this practice to work immediately!

Plus you’ll get six weeks of practical tools and insights like this to help you finish sermon prep on your schedule and revitalize your preaching.

Sermon Camp begins August 17th, and if you join early, you’ll enjoy 10% off registration.

I hope you find the video helpful—and I hope to see you in Sermon Camp!