Thought for the week: The value of memorising the Biblical scriptures
In late 1966, I met the the late Rev Eric Challoner at a conference in England. He told me of his early days as a ploughboy and farmhand in Cheshire, and his remarkable call into the Methodist ministry.
From that day we became lifelong friends.
Later, I often contacted him by phone and visited him several times when he lived in retirement in Alsager, Cheshire in the north of England.
Eric left me with two remarkable memories. Throughout his ministry, he kept Saturday mornings free to offer a telephone ministry.
People from all walks of life would call and request prayer or talk over a problem. He would listen and then pray.
Having only practised this occasionally myself, it was during Covid that I recalled Eric’s approach and began to offer a prayer over the phone. I was amazed at how well it was received.
In the last years of his life, Eric told me he was losing his eyesight, so he spent time each day memorising portions of scripture, recognising he might ultimately be blind.
I recalled my childhood days when I went to the Gospel Hall Sunday school in Ligoniel in North Belfast with my mates.
Most of the time was spent teaching us to memorise key Bible verses. However, it wasn't our motive for attending.
The word got around that they gave out sweets as prizes, and for good attendance, leather-covered Bibles. However, those scripture verses are so embedded in my memory that they come to mind at appropriate moments, and I am grateful for those faithful teachers from over 70 years ago.
Rev Eric Challoner died eight years ago at the age of 94.
I thank God for this inspiring Christian pastor whose example encouraged me to pray on the phone, and helped me understand how important it is to memorise scripture, or as the Gospel Hall teachers would say: “Learn it off by heart.”