ADVENT: The God Bearer (part 2)

Andy and Vanessa return to the scene of Mary and the surprising news.

Recorded in Advent 2020.

Check out Vanessa's How to Advent Guide

1. What’s in a name? BEAR with me - 0:00
A short bit on how we came up with the name for our podcast “Bear with Me”. We wanted to talk about this because it helps us with our big focus, which is part 2.

2. The God Bearers - 6:35
Revisiting Mary’s role in bearing God with Us and how that helps us think about the Christian Life.

3. Bearing God’s Word - 30:53
We look at the practice of Scripture Memorization as a very practical and down to earth way to bear God’s powerful and transforming Word in us.

Resources from Vanessa:

A "Releasing the Body to God" Exercise via Renovare (when thinking about being God-bearers with our hands, feet, eyes, and ears):

A book foreword by Dallas Willard on memorization

Here's my "Good Stuff to Memorize" ongoing google doc - with passages that I find either beautiful or challenging or interesting

Practices for Internalizing & Externalizing Scripture

Support the show

Episode Transcript

Andy Withrow (00:02):
Welcome to the bear with me podcast, table
radio, where we aim to integratebelief and practice in the
Christian life.
Hey, welcome, everybody. Rightnow at the table church, we're
getting back to our roots.
Right, Vanessa? Yeah, we'regetting back to our roots. Yeah,

(00:25):
we're exploring the seven rootsof the table just to mix up our
metaphors. Seven roots at thetable. It's what makes us tick.
It's who we are. We had these weplanted the table over 10 years
ago now. And we've come back tohim for kind of our 10th
birthday. So there's seven ofthese that we're exploring.
We're in the middle of exploringthem in a season. But it's

(00:47):
Advent. Yes. And so on the onehand, we want to pay attention
to time, see our last podcastfor that. And so we're gonna
take a break from our series togive this season of Aven. It's
full do but on the other hand,Advent is an aspect of our
rootedness that kind of takesall the roots together and puts
them into a season for us ofanticipation. So we are rooted

(01:09):
in evidence. So in another way,we're kind of continuing on the
series. So we're sticking withthe series name are rooted in
anticipation or anticipating inthis season. So my name is Andy,
Vanessa's here with me again.
And happy Advent again. And wethought it'd be fun to talk
about why we named the podcastbear with me. Yeah, because

(01:33):
maybe it's not obvious. Yeah.
Maybe it's not obvious yet. It'sonly our second episode. That's
true. So

Vanessa Caruso (01:42):
what? Why? Why did you come up with that?

Andy Withrow (01:44):
Well, we were so we were in the we were in the
table Radio studios. Yeah. Like,like we are. And we were about
to record and we thought we kindof need a name for this podcast,
because that's what people do.
They name podcasts. And so wewere brainstorming names. And I
don't remember exactly how ithappened. But that one came up.

(02:05):
Yeah. And it just sort of stuck.

Vanessa Caruso (02:10):
And the reason why I loved it is because I'm a
nine on the Enneagram. I'mconfused. Are you a nine or a
five?

Andy Withrow (02:18):
I think I'm a nine.

Vanessa Caruso (02:19):
You do? Yeah.
Oh, I always thought you were anine. But recently, I heard you
talk like you're a five.

Andy Withrow (02:25):
Like I talks using a ama fiber like I talked and
you thought oh, you sound like afive?

Vanessa Caruso (02:29):
No, you identified yourself as a five
really? Yeah. Everything off forme.

Andy Withrow (02:34):
That's funny, because I don't I don't know.
What's the five?

Vanessa Caruso (02:38):
Oh, like the ones who need a lot of study and
knowledge and resources in orderto

Andy Withrow (02:45):
like those things.
Yeah. But okay. No,

Unknown (02:48):
maybe it was a dream.

Andy Withrow (02:50):
Is there there's like wings on those things? Yes.
Five, a wing for nine. No?
Nothing.

Vanessa Caruso (02:56):
Okay, you're a nine. So this is all the better
because one of the blind spotsfor the nine I took an Enneagram
course. And she said the blindspot for the nine is that
sometimes you lose people inyour meandering explanations?

Andy Withrow (03:11):
I think we're losing people right now. I

Vanessa Caruso (03:12):
do too. That's why we say bear with me. Oh, I

Andy Withrow (03:17):
get it. Back.

Vanessa Caruso (03:18):
Yeah. That's when you said that. I thought
that's like the perfect phrasefor me because I'm self
conscious about talking becauseI'm gonna lose people because I
don't quite know what I think Isee. And it takes me a long time
to get there with me. Bear withme. Yeah.

Andy Withrow (03:32):
Yeah, that was that was that fit really well, I
think for both of us, because Ithink we tend to like to just
start things. Low key, and we'llwork out the kinks as we go.
Yeah,

Unknown (03:43):
I'll see that as we go.
That's how it came up last week.
Bear with

Andy Withrow (03:47):
me. We're figuring it out. We don't have a title
yet. Just bear with me. And, andthen it just really fit with the
theme. Yes. of Advent and whatwhat our pilot episode topic was
exactly which was, which was inthis case. Mary bearing a child,

Vanessa Caruso (04:09):
Yes, God born of a woman, a virgin.

Andy Withrow (04:13):
And we're going to talk a bit about more about that
today. And, and just thinkingabout the the nature of our
show, which we'd like to beintegrating belief and practice
in the Christian life bearingwith one another, as the New
Testament tells us to do thinkof bearing with Christ and the

(04:35):
yoke, the easy yoke of how thatsounds, how do we get into the
easy yoke as an image? So allthose things kind of conflated
into this idea of bearingburdens together, bearing the
burden of of Christ, which issupposed to be freedom. Yes. And
have have a sense of ease aboutit.

Vanessa Caruso (04:56):
And you know what, I just thought, Oh, also
Uh huh. A huge part of life islearning how to bear with
ourselves. Like we are the mainthing God has given each of us
to steward. Some of us havekids, some of us don't have
kids. But we all have ourselveslike you have little Andy and
middle aged dandy. And soon tobe elder Andy, to learn how to

(05:20):
be with for your whole life.
Like there's a real there's athere's a reality there that I
have to bear with myself. Yes,more than almost anybody else
you could say. So bear with meis kind of a cool way to express
that that is part of life islearning how to be with
ourselves. And doing it withothers. I mean, my favorite word

(05:41):
in that title is probably withbecause with just makes
everything better. It's whypeople come to church are one of
the reasons it's why a is so

Andy Withrow (05:54):
it's why we decided to do this podcast
together because we're doing ourown thing. Exactly. And we
didn't like it. Yes.

Unknown (06:02):
It wasn't that good. At least mine.

Andy Withrow (06:05):
Yeah, it's it's easier to do things together
with other people. And then youjust have conversation is just
seems like a way easier thing.
Yeah, I have to come with amonologue. Yeah. Basically
taught by myself and to myself.

Vanessa Caruso (06:18):
Yeah, it's not the way we are designed. No.

Andy Withrow (06:21):
This is way more fun. Yeah. And easier. Easier
yoke. Yes. Okay. So, Mary, wetalked about this last time,
Mary has a unique role inbringing, getting a role in
bringing about God's kingdom.
And she is known, especially inthe Eastern Church as the god

(06:46):
bearer, theatre costs. That'sthe there's the five unbecoming.
Look at right study, never hearda medic study there. But it just
means literally means God bear.
Or we can think of it as theChrist bear is maybe a bit more
easier translation for for someof us. And that kind of

(07:13):
transitions us into kind of ourfirst big topic of today is
talking about the significanceand meaning of Mary, being the
god bear. In what, if anything,does that mean for us? So I was
thinking about this in in one ofthe things interrupted anytime
for NASA. Sure, right. But oneof the things that struck me in

(07:37):
in kind of reflecting on thispassage, and last, we looked at
Luke one Luke Chapter One lasttime, and it's where Gabriel
comes to Mary and gives theannouncement. And and Mary is
betrothed. She's not married.
And so there's, there's somechallenges there. And it's

(07:58):
picked up more and MatthewsMatthew's Gospel, because that
one talks a bit about Joseph'sresponse, who, who plans to
divorce her quietly, because ofwhat's happened, but he doesn't
know, then he has to have hisown kind of angelic visit to
know that no, he's not to dothat. He's to us to marry her
and, and all the rest. But itsort of points to this, I think,

(08:25):
an inverted experience for Mary,where because of what the angels
announcement and what God isdoing in her, she will
experience shame. In hercultural and social context, and
her setting she is going toexperience the shame of being
with child outside of marriage.

Unknown (08:46):
Yeah, that is so weird.

Andy Withrow (08:49):
And yet juxtapose to that is the is the grace that
she's bringing through her role,like the, the incredible grace
that of God's God being with usthrough her as as a willing
participant in a servant in thiscase, and those two ideas

(09:10):
together that she is, in a moreliteral sense, bringing God with
her wherever she goes. And she'sgoing to give birth to this one
and going to raise this one inher home. And she is the steward
of such immense grace with sucha mark of shame to go with it.

Vanessa Caruso (09:31):
I've never really thought about that
before.

Andy Withrow (09:35):
That crazy Yes.
And no, maybe there's not in theepisode we talked about last
week but the when she went Ithink it's after Jesus is born.
And they take him to the templefor the dedication. And I think
it's it's Simeon. I think you'dgo back and check, but I think

(10:01):
it's Simeon, who who blesses thechild and prophesize over him.
Yeah. And, and gets this glimpseof the significance of this
child who it is, and talks abouta sword piercing Mary's Heart
seemed like the overlappingideas of like the both the joy,
and the pain and sorrow, mixtogether of being in her unique

(10:23):
role as getting to be this one'smother, wow. In the world, in
light of all the goodness andthe grace that this one brings,
but also the sorrow and the thedarkness that's going to come.
Wow, Andy, I think this is abig, big ideas, but they're

(10:44):
also, I think, helpful metaphorsof way into the Christian life.
Because there's a sense in whichthis is unique, and maybe a one
off thing. But there's also asense of this is, this is the
nature of God's Kingdom in theworld that we are participating
in. And if we are in any sense,God bears, like Mary or Christ
bears, then can we participatein both sides of this, the glory

(11:08):
and the grace of it, and thegoodness, but also, maybe
bearing some shame. Maybe havingbearing some sorrow and
darkness, also as a fruit, whichis not something you always get
advertised in the Christianlife,

Vanessa Caruso (11:29):
no. Andy, that kind of blew my mind because I
knew we were talking about Godbears, but I only was thinking
of the, the bright sides ofthat, like the, the good parts
are, quote, unquote, good. Likethe invitation to be the hands

(11:51):
and feet of God in the world.
But I hadn't thought about thereality of bearing God as also
an acceptance of you know,wherever there's great love,
there's sorrow. And whenever Ihave risked truly loving, it
means that I'm susceptible andvulnerable to pain, and hurt and

(12:18):
loss. And so I just hadn't, Ihadn't put those two together,
that part of baring God in theworld is being willing to be
hurt, which is the definition ofvulnerable, it means the
capacity to be wounded. Sothere's such vulnerability and
there's such power and joy.

(12:40):
That's the side I was thinkingof was the, you know, I grew up
in my dad was a pastor. Sosomething that hasn't been super
helpful for me was kind ofadopting this worldview as a kid
that I have an obligation as aChristian to never say no to

(13:03):
anybody. Because I'm like apastor's kid. You're a pastor's
kid to me.

Andy Withrow (13:08):
Yeah. We're both nines, roll pastor kid. Wow.

Vanessa Caruso (13:11):
Bear with us.
It's like the kind of theobligation to be the image of
God, at church and in yourworld. As an elementary school
kid and teenage kid somethingabout that. I'm hoping to do a
little bit better now as anadult with a kid. Not that my
parents didn't do a good job,it's just having experienced it.

(13:34):
So this the the obligation to beGod to other people, like the
pressure, if you're a pressuresusceptible person, isn't
totally helpful. What is helpfulto me is the invitation. Like,
for me waking up to the reality,that the little things might
matter. That instead of thinkingyou, you bear God, if you go to

(14:00):
a foreign country and be amissionary, to say, No, there's
an invitation in whatever spotin life, I'm in whatever stage
of life, whatever vocation orcareer I find myself in, at the
moment, there's an invitationthere to be the hands and feet
of God. Yeah. And it reminds meShane Claiborne, tells the story

(14:24):
about being with Mother Teresaand the sisters in India. And
every morning they would Iforget what kind of prayer they
did, but it was some kind ofsilent, contemplative prayer. I
think they took you theEucharist every every morning,
and kind of soaked in silence,and there's all these needs

(14:44):
around them and I'm totallybutchering the story, because I
don't remember but it wassomething like him asking why do
you do this? Like why do youspend this time doing nothing?
Like an hour or whatever? Andthe answer was something along
the lines of we're soaking upthe presence and the love of God
because of all the needs. And itjust reminds me of like charging

(15:06):
our phone overnight, you know,we're like, Ooh, got to charge
my phone, like we need it onfull power. And so that's where
I was thinking about aboutbearing God was the idea of kind
of plugging in to God in aregular way. So that throughout
our day, at the post office,when we see a neighbor, when we

(15:27):
talk to a co worker, we're kindof poised and ready for this
invitation. Like you never know.
You might be full of attention,love, imagination,
encouragement, ideas, thatactually make a difference to

(15:47):
someone else, and then make yourday better to like, life is like
full of opportunity. With thatmindset, not the obligation,
when not don't make anymistakes, perpetually be
available to anyone who wants totalk to you about anything,
right, because you're a pastor'skid. Not that way. Yeah. But the
invitation.

Andy Withrow (16:07):
Yeah. Like an imagination shift. Yeah, that
this is initially what I thoughtof, when we first talked about
the idea or the topic was beinghaving an awareness. vocation of
calling of, this is who I am,this is who I am. And this is

(16:29):
what I do in the world as I bearGod with me, I bear Christ with
me wherever I go. And just as afirst step in awareness of that,
yes, not, oh, I need to do X, Y,and Zed. Yeah. Like Mary didn't

(16:49):
need to do anything. Right? Shesaid, Yes. Let it let it be. She
was supposed to call the child'sname Jesus. Right? In terms of
explicit instructions.
Everything else is sort of it's,it's going to happen. You will

(17:15):
go, you will be a fullparticipant, but not in terms
of, oh, I have to, here's achecklist of things to do. Now
you are going to bear the Son ofGod. Wherever you go, and when
you walk in the room. You'rebringing this presence with you.
Yeah. And in the next episode,we alluded to it last time, but

(17:37):
so much so that Elizabeth childleaped in the womb, John leaps
in the womb, in the Spirit is atwork there. Wow. And so there's
things so an awareness thatthings are happening, that if,
if you are in Christ, then thenthere is a there is a there's a

(17:59):
shift that has happened, andthat we have this this reality
of bringing God with us where wego. And even just being as I
think for our only goal, I thinkwas just like that first step of
awareness. Yes. It's like, okay,let this is an imagination

(18:20):
shift. It was a worldview shift.
I think that that we were notalways aware of or thinking
about. That seems important.

Vanessa Caruso (18:31):
I love that. I love that you said awareness is
the first step. And it feelslike plenty of work to just keep
working on the awareness bit.
Yeah. And trusting that thefruit of it or whatever we would
call it kind of comes from that.

Andy Withrow (18:50):
Yeah, yeah, it's so much so I mean, when when I
go to prepare a sermon, and thiscomes from my training at
trained for preaching underDarrell Johnson. And, and he, he
was always very careful in avery helpful way. When you
prepare sermons, you have tomake sure that you're not giving

(19:11):
rules for people to just kind offollow because it's not the
gospel. Right. And and ifthere's elements of obedience,
which is important. It you haveto be able to show how obedience
is also a way of saying trust.
Yes, like, here's the way thatGod is at work in the world. How

(19:34):
can I participate? How can Itrust in that? Yeah. And so
getting away from the thedutiful slave to the
participating child, maybe is away of kind of shifting the
metaphor a bit. I thinkservanthood metaphor can still
be helpful. Yeah, yeah. But, butfor a lot of us, I think we

(19:57):
sometimes we kind of canapproach spirituality as a list
of to dues and to not to dues?
And it's it's much bigger thanthat. I think those are, those
are sort of implications of amuch larger trusting
relationship. Yeah. Right. And Ithink that's, that's kind of
what we're getting at here islike, how do we shift our, our

(20:20):
AR imagination? I guess?

Vanessa Caruso (20:23):
Yeah, you just made me think about your opening
about how this invitation formarried a bear, Christ was
socially not cool, you know, tobe pregnant outside of marriage,
and how, you know, I can'trelate with that exact one, like

(20:48):
getting pregnant before I wasmarried, or something like that,
or the equivalent of that, whatthat would be now. But that's
kind of radical to me that Godwould sanction such a confusing
social situation for her, and tosay, bear with me here. You
know, like, there's, there'ssomething bigger than what this

(21:11):
looks like, or I trust you withthis. And I'm not I'm not
worried about you, in the longterm, suffering this trauma of
like, social uncleanness, orwhatever. So it just makes me
wonder about all the little waysthat I might disqualify myself,
or my situation in life, or mycareer, or my mood, or my

(21:35):
personality. And just think,like, Well, God's definitely not
in that, you know, or I got it,I have to get better, or I have
to change jobs, or I have tobecome more of an introvert or
be nicer to my kids before I canhave this awareness. Or before I
can bear God in the world,right, as a parent or a wife or

(21:57):
a friend, when kind of whatwe're talking about is it's
already there. It's notsomething we like muster up.
It's it's the audacity to trustthat God is

Andy Withrow (22:10):
in within that trusting obedience might make
you look bad.

Unknown (22:15):
That is weird. That's a hard one. That's hard. Like
that's,

Andy Withrow (22:20):
it might make us look bad too. too. Do also any,
any, I might make you look badto conservatives. It might make
you look bad to liberals, itmight make you look bad to other
Christians might make you lookbad. I mean, there's no nothing

(22:40):
really off limits. In terms ofthe potential

Vanessa Caruso (22:44):
that is so, so intriguing. One immediate
example that comes to mind iswhen I mean, you know, this so
well, from being a pastor, whenpeople who are involved need to
say no, for a season, yeah, tosomething. Yeah, that is an
example that comes to mind.
Like, you know, we've been partof those conversations, and have

(23:07):
probably been there ourselves incertain ways, where like, you're
all excited about something andyou feel like this is a great
opportunity for me to learn howto help or serve or lead or
whatever. And then you're payingattention to your life
holistically. And you feel like,I need to step back from this
position or something for atime. But it can feel really

(23:30):
counterintuitive to the typesthat come to church to say, this
is weird, but I actually think Ineed to say, Yeah, because one
time,

Andy Withrow (23:41):
you're right, because we want to, we want to
we want to equate obedience withdoing stuff like yeah, doing
this or that or serving in thisway. Yeah. But it may not always
be so yeah. It would make sensethat there's seasons of saying

(24:02):
yes to things and saying no tothings. Because we can't just
keep adding things.

Vanessa Caruso (24:10):
Yeah. We try.
Oh, I try. That's my go to is toadd to my list. So maybe we
could come back to this and tryto think of other practical
implications. Or applicationsfor what it means to Yeah, be
God bears.

Andy Withrow (24:32):
Yeah, right.
Bearing I just jotted down someidea, like just the idea of
bearing God, wherever we go inour neighborhoods and our
families, being aware of this inour places of work and our
school wherever, wherever we go.
I think of the Great Commissionat the end of Matthew 28. He

(24:58):
says Go into all the worldpreach the gospel baptizing.
discipling basically. But thatword in the original Greek Yeah,
Andy, which I don't know what itis, or remember what it is, I
just remember the the tense ofit or the impulse of the word go

(25:22):
isn't, that's not the mainimperative. Go out somewhere and
do this work. It's, it's themain imperative is, is on the
the discipling on the preachingon the on the work, the verb to
go, it means as you go, asyou're going through life,
wherever you find yourself dothis work, it's the same idea of

(25:44):
your bearing my presence withyou. And that's the point that
his presence is supposed to goanyplace and bring light into
dark places, whether that's inyour family, at your work at
your school, where youvolunteer, whatever you're
doing, there's nothing is offlimits. I am to you are to be

(26:07):
doing this. bringing me with youwherever you go.

Vanessa Caruso (26:11):
Andy, that should be the way it's
translated as you go. That's somuch better.

Andy Withrow (26:18):
I mean, I'm not.
I'm not a Greek scholar. Okay.
But supposedly people who areYeah. Know this. As you go as
you're going,

Vanessa Caruso (26:30):
as you go about your day as you go about your
job.

Andy Withrow (26:35):
Yeah, I think for a lot of us an important mind
shift back to your point about,oh, well, it's the people who
are going to these places to dothis special work. Right. But
the emphasis is much more on theday to day know, as you're going
through life. Yeah. Do thesethings? Well, to our point,
bring, be aware of my presencewith you. Yeah. And let, let's

(26:57):
just start with that mind shiftthat imagination shift. And
we'll let we'll tease out theimplications as they come up.
Because maybe that moves us toprayer. For other people, maybe
that moves us to TOS any otherany other routes we've been
talking about in this tableseries, a love that reaches out
and does something that isn'tafraid to fail at trying

(27:17):
something different. I thinkthat's for a lot of us. That's,
that's those are the barriers,right? It's like, well, I don't
know how to do that. Well, whatif I'm rejected, with? It's a
dumb idea, you know, whatever itis, wow.

Vanessa Caruso (27:30):
You're reminding me to that one of the best parts
about spiritual direction, maybepeople don't know what spiritual
direction is, but meeting withsomeone to talk about your life
with God. Like one of the mainrich benefits of that is just

(27:51):
offering someone your undividedattention. Like, I mean, therapy
similar, like you go in and youpay them and part of this
exchange is that in therapy, soyou have someone's undivided
attention, for you to process,and for them to look at you and
to listen to you and to askquestions. And they have a whole
bunch of amazing knowledge thatcan help you process. But even

(28:17):
thinking about the dynamics ofspiritual direction in the
world, like, you know, I schooldrop off and pickup as a main
part of my daily life. Sothere's that you're just around
kind of acquaintances. And theidea of bringing awareness and

(28:40):
attention while you're talkingto people, right? It's kind of
radical for me. Yeah. You know,to think that it is, it's
radical in the world to actuallylook at someone while they're
talking to you, and to try tolisten to what they're saying.
And then to sometimes reflectback to them what you see, like,
oh, wait, why did you just saythat? Or? Yeah, what were you
gonna say, you know, they'relike, nevermind, and you're

(29:00):
like, No, I'm actually engaged,like, what were you? What were
you gonna say? That kind ofpresence to me is an example of
baring God, like, just trustingthat the little things like we
talked about having the eyes andor the hands and feet of Jesus a
lot, you know, and I think ofwhen we had to move out of our
apartment, and the idea ofcleaning, the house alone made

(29:24):
me want to disappear and die.
And then women from the tablecame and helped me clean and it
was like the hands and feet ofJesus. You know, like, this
night overwhelmed me so muchclean. I don't know how to clean
an oven or behind a fridge. AndI have to clean this in like
seven hours before the nexttenants or whatever. And having
five women they're like jokingand cleaning with this. It was

(29:45):
Jesus. Not very disguised atall.

Andy Withrow (29:51):
Very well.
disguised.

Vanessa Caruso (29:53):
I just could have cried the whole time. But
so I think of hands and feet allthe time, but I think eyes and
ears Like how can we be the eyesthat that watch people when they
talk and share? Yeah. And howcan we be the ears that listen
that just listen to people arenot adding any time to our day?
Just the quality of being in theworld? Yeah, goes up a couple

(30:17):
notches. And that gets called adifference. That's

Andy Withrow (30:19):
a huge one. I mean, being seen and heard.
Yeah, some people don't feelthat at all. Or don't get that
at all.

Vanessa Caruso (30:24):
Yeah. So I've made all the difference in my
world when I'm seen in hurt Ifeel like we've been talking a
lot should we? What how are wedoing are gonna ring the bell?
Yeah, I forgot I'm gonna getabout the Benedict Bell.

Andy Withrow (30:44):
Yeah, we wanted to talk about an aspect of, of
bearing God with us or Christwith us. A practical aspect,
like a discipline something thatwe can do. Because some people
are into that practicalapplication. love that stuff.
Vanessa, for example, you likepractical application? So we

(31:08):
want to talk about Scripturememorization? Right? Yeah,
that's gonna be like just mesaying that's gonna be major
turnoff for like, a lot ofpeople. Yes, script
memorization. I know, that's notvery spiritual, memorizing
things.

Vanessa Caruso (31:22):
Or it's the opposite. I think people have
flashbacks to like sort drillsor something sort

Andy Withrow (31:27):
drills. This is exciting. I'm suddenly have
this,

Vanessa Caruso (31:30):
like, force Tom bible camp. You know, like, what
is that what they're called?
It's like John 316. In the firstone to raise their hands. Yeah.
Or raise their Bible in the airand recite John 316. Yeah, it's
a point. Yeah. And the personwith the most points is the most
Christian.

Andy Withrow (31:46):
Oh, like there had a title.

Unknown (31:48):
Or you know, that's, that was the conversation. Yeah.

Andy Withrow (31:52):
You actually get like, a thing that you were
running next, as most Christian,

Vanessa Caruso (31:56):
you might get a stash or something and like, a
boy scouts patch. They werecalled something like sword.
Okay, I think people could beturned off because it sounds
super kind of moralistic, maybelegalistic, churchy,
otherworldly, like who memorizesscripture like it feels to me in

(32:17):
a way, like the person on thestreet corner who's not very
engaged with reality, and ispreaching at you. That's the
That's the bad side of it. Yeah.
So what's the good side? Oh, mygosh, let's go to the good side.
Okay.

Andy Withrow (32:34):
I think, I think when I think about it, I think
about this image of, of, of howclosely Jesus is tied to the
word, both in his own life, heclearly knows it. But also
theologically like thescriptures, there's a close

(32:54):
connection between God and HisWord like, and I think it has to
do with the idea that Goddoesn't lie, that that he tells
the truth, that he is able torepresent himself through his
words. And his words are sopotent, and so powerfully you're
actually getting his presence,his presence is tethered to His

(33:15):
words, this, this comes out, asyou read through from Genesis to
Revelation. This is a consistenttheme in Scripture that God's
presence is tied to his words,so much so and so potent and
powerful as his words that thatit, that it becomes an image
Josh shared this in the firstever think of our routed series.

(33:37):
That becomes an image in JesusChrist. In the beginning was the
Word and the Word was with God,and the Word was God. Wow. And
he's tabernacled among us, andwe've beheld as glorious as John
one. Right? So there's thisclose association, that, that if

(33:57):
we're if we're connected andreally tied to the word in a
deeper way, that we that thereis, there is something of God's
presence in Christ presence,come and dwells with us. In
through the words, right? Yeah.
It's complicated because evenwhat you said about the
Scripture, memorization, there'san idea of, of Bible poetry that

(34:20):
we're using the Bible as like,as a weapon almost, yes. Sword
battles, sword drills. And I getthat I think there's a danger,
just as there's always a dangerfor us to misuse anyone's words
and abuse someone else's words.

(34:41):
Yeah. Like, did you hear whatVanessa said about you? Yeah.
And misrepresent maybe what yousaid or take it out of context
or use it in a way that you didnot intend that feels off? We
can do that. Yeah, we have thecapacity to do that. But that is
not a good reason. Nor is it anexcuse to no longer listen to
Vanessa. Well, because her Wordscan't be taken out of context. I
shouldn't I should just stoplistening to her. That doesn't

(35:04):
make any sense. But I feel likesome of sometimes we can use
that as an excuse. Like, ah, I'mmore into. I connect with Jesus
in other ways. Yeah. But this isthe way that God has chosen to
disclose himself. Yeah. So

Unknown (35:20):
yeah

Vanessa Caruso (35:26):
there's a loud car going by so waiting this is,
this is

Andy Withrow (35:30):
part of just grins brings us back to reality.

Vanessa Caruso (35:34):
That's a great basis. were you gonna say
something else?

Andy Withrow (35:38):
Just that I kind of already said the these are
the words of life. Words of Godwords of Jesus. They have a
potency to transform us. So Ithink we neglect them to our
peril. Yes. But I won't be alldoom and gloom. So you take it

(36:03):
away? Oh, I'm the good cop.
Yeah. Wow. Obviously, was thatnot clear?

Unknown (36:12):
I think of you as the good cop in most situations. So
it's weird that maybe we're bothgood cop types.

Andy Withrow (36:17):
Oh, yeah. It's not gonna work. Yeah, so dynamic
that does not really exist.
Okay. Yeah.

Unknown (36:26):
What were you gonna say? Well, I

Andy Withrow (36:27):
just, the point is, how can we come to the
scriptures for a deeperlistening? Like, the idea of
consuming something like you?
And it's good way in Scripture.

Vanessa Caruso (36:40):
Yeah. But it's in a good way. Because
consumerism, right doesn't

Andy Withrow (36:43):
feel like buying something No, like, Can like
taking something into yourselfthat actually sustains you
transforms you.

Vanessa Caruso (36:51):
Yes. Wow. Yeah.
So scripture, memorization hasbeen really good news for me.
Like, it's, it's really beenlife giving to me, it hasn't
been something that, like, ifI'm, if I was more spiritual,
I'd memorize more scripture, sothat I'd look better in

(37:11):
conversation. Like, that routedoes not sound good at all. But
sometimes you hear pastors whoknow a lot of Bibles and or
Bibles, they know a lot ofverses, you know, and it, it can
make you feel like but sogetting back to the good news
part, partly because I, I haveheard the Bible for a long time,

(37:34):
it's very easy for me to read apassage or hear what the sermon
is going to be on, and kind ofsubconsciously to now, or say,
Oh, I already know this one.
Like, we're going to do Mary andMartha, we're going to talk
about the prodigal son. And I'mlike, why don't want like
prodigal son, I've been there,I've done that. I hope other

(37:56):
people don't have that kind ofinstinct. But with anything
you're really familiar with youcan, I can really take something
for granted the people and thewords that I'm very familiar
with, and the Bible is one ofthem. So scripture memorization,
for me as an adult has been away for it to come alive. So

(38:17):
kind of the opposite. Likeinstead of writing it off, it's
allowed it to come alive. And Ithink one of the reasons is
because we are in a in an agewith so many words and
resources, like you can find aninteresting article or podcast.
Oops, that's what we're doing onanything. And just think that if

(38:39):
you take more and more and moreand more and more in you'll be
better, you'll get better you'llknow more. When in reality, my
system my like inner system justgets overloaded and I don't
retain almost everything I getthings don't sink in. So
scripture memorization is takingsomething smaller. Yeah. And
then sitting with it for a weekinstead of reading seven

(39:02):
articles on Mary and Martha.
It's it's memorizing the Maryand Martha Martha story or
something. Yeah. And then, likeyou shared last week, some weird
word or phrase just comes tolife in a way that I could not
have forced if I had myhighlighter out in my like, 10
minute like Bible readingsession, you know? Yeah, because
it comes out like in the shower,it comes out while talking with

(39:25):
someone. Yeah, I wrote down afew that have been meaningful
for me like things I memorizedthat I you know, eventually was
like, Oh, my gosh, one of thefirst ones was from Hebrews six.
I memorized a passage. And thiswas when I started going to
orange theory, which is anexercise place because I hate

(39:46):
exercising. So it's reallyuseful psychology that if you
pay in advance to say I willcome to one class a week to give
you don't come you paid for it.
So you're

Andy Withrow (39:57):
saying that you should pay for it. A class on
memorization of Scripture. Ididn't even think of that fit.
Yes. And then people, then we'lldo it. Yeah, more. We would.

Vanessa Caruso (40:07):
That's perfect.
Well, so So I paid for thisexercise class, so I had to go
once a week. But I dreaded goingbecause it seemed like a waste
of time. Like, who just runs onthe treadmill for 30 minutes. So
that's when I started memorizingagain, was I thought, if I'm
have something kind of memorizedthat I can rehearse on the
treadmill. I'm kind of going toredeem the time a little bit.
Yeah. And it seems like flattime like, well, just just,

(40:31):
you're just running. Yeah. Soone of the first things I
memorized was was from Hebrewssix. And one of the lines that
you know, didn't mean anythingto me at first and overtime,
came to mean something. To me.
It was it's something like, wewho have taken refuge are

(40:52):
strongly encouraged to seize thehope set before us. Just sounds
like Bible words. Yeah. sees thehope set before us. Then it
occurred to me sees means likeyou choose to go and get
something. Yeah. which I had notthought of hope, like that I
thought of hope is somethinglike you earn or that falls on

(41:12):
you, or that you wait for Ididn't think of hope as
something that God was saying.
You're going to have? I'm askingyou to choose and to take hope.
Yeah, not wait for it to not tofeel hope from the inside out,
which doesn't happen much in theworld we live in. So it was just
a little like cease hope wassomething that really came to me

(41:33):
more to me like two weeks inright to rehearsing it. Yeah.

Andy Withrow (41:40):
Yeah, that's really that's really good. I, I
makes me think of it makes methink of actually a practical
way of baring God with us is, istaking his words into us and
letting them letting have like,just be in our bones. Yeah. Be

(42:02):
in our hearts be in our minds.
Saturate us, I guess, yeah.
Marinate in a good way. I want Ijust I'd wrote down just like,
my process, love it ofmemorization. And then I think
you've got an exercise for us.
And they'll they'll wrap up ourtime, I think, yeah. But we, in
my lifetime, I have noticedwe've gone from a habit of

(42:27):
memorizing, to a habit of notmemorizing, you are correct.
Like, there's certaintechnologies that now exist that
did not exist. I don't know ifeveryone's aware of this, when,
you know, 30 years ago. And Iused to have probably a dozen
maybe 15 Phone Numbersmemorized.

Vanessa Caruso (42:54):
And phone numbers are the worst things to
memorize just a randomassortment of numbers. I think
the psalms are hard to memorizebecause it's like, so flowery.
You know, like, the tense of theheavens of the stretching of the
like, oh my gosh, there's somany adjectives in this. But
numbers

Andy Withrow (43:14):
was memorizing numbers. We don't memorize as
much stuff anymore now. Andthat's just one example. But but
we still do like you You broughtbefore we started recording the
song lyrics, quote, rememberquotes, quotable, like
rememberable quotes and stuff,that that impact us or we'll
sing songs all the time that weknow. Oh, yeah. Musics an easy
way to kind of remember thingsover and over again. But so

(43:38):
anyway, I just mentioned thatbecause I think there might be
for a lot of us a learning curveto this. You're right should not
discourage us. You're right.
It's like, okay, we've gottenout of the habit. Generally, as
a people who memorize things,yes, we I'm here to tell you
that we can get back into thehabit, you are right. And it's
it's not a lost cause. Now, Iwant to, I'm just going to give
you a few brief things, this ishow I memorize Scripture. And

(44:00):
the first thing is veryimportant is selection. Because
if you're like me, one thingthat can keep you from moving
ahead in a discipline is theparalysis of not knowing where
to start.

Unknown (44:16):
Totally, there's a lot of Scripture. Yes.

Andy Withrow (44:19):
There's a lot.
Right. And so if you're like,I'm gonna memorize a portion of
Scripture today, so I can justhave God's words in me and let
them see if God you know, kindof engage with God a bit.

Unknown (44:30):
decision fatigue randomly. Oh, shoot, it's

Andy Withrow (44:33):
a big Bible. Yeah.
So a good place to start iswhat's called a lectionary. And
these are easy to find online.
It's lectionary is just thereadings through the church
here. That's a great place tospot if you want to be on God
time as well. And if you don'tknow what I mean by that, check
out our last episode. Yeah, bearwith me episode one. But that's

(44:55):
an easy place to start. Andthey've got readings for every
single day, multiple reasons butreadings So pick one, pick
something out of the Gospels isa good place to start one of the
readings out of the Gospels, youcould just do the Sunday
readings. Once a week or one,you know, however you want to

(45:15):
start, but do something that orpick the sermon series in your
local church. Oh, what's comingup? What did they just preach
on? Or what did we just what wasthe discussion about? Or a few
days ahead of time? That couldeven be great? Because then
you're coming? Oh, yeah, soakedin it. That would be cool. And
then you can interrupt thepreacher like, Excuse me? You

(45:38):
use the wrong preposition there.
Yes, actually, this or whateveryou however you like to
interrupt.

Vanessa Caruso (45:43):
Or Andy, on selection. Sorry to interrupt.
No. Oh, good interruption.
Honestly, one of the prayers Godalways answers, I think would be
if we said, God, I'm open tomemorizing something, but I
don't know where to start. Couldyou show me this week? Something
to memorize. I feel like Godwould be like, well, greenline
like, yeah, like I will. I willbring something to you through

(46:07):
someone. Yeah. If you actuallywant to know. Yeah,

Andy Withrow (46:12):
that's Yeah, great. Or if you if you have a
devotional at home, based inScripture, use those. Basically,
the point is, I need somesystem, or else I'll get
paralyzed. Totally. I don't wantto have to think about I don't
want to spend energy. I want tospend my energy on the thing
that's hard. Not on the thingthat doesn't need to be hard.

Unknown (46:32):
Good point, Andy.

Andy Withrow (46:35):
And then the actual practice one, it does get
easier. I get better at it overtime. Yeah. Like, if I'm in the
habit of it, then I noticed Iget faster actually memorizing a
paragraph

Vanessa Caruso (46:44):
of the Bible.
Yeah, it's it's a muscle and itgets better with use.

Andy Withrow (46:48):
So be patient.
Give yourself some time. Andthen I just do one part of the
time. And so it should beespecially to get pretty short
section of scripture. Like thethe the Mary episode we talked
about last week is I think 12verses. So I wouldn't go much
longer than that. And that thatstory, that narrative is a good
place to start. Because it'skind of it's a bit easier to

(47:09):
rather than starting with likean epistle like Oh, letter from
Paul or Peter or something. Forme anyway, the story structure,
because there's more imagesthere to kind of help remember.
Yeah. And one part at a time.
Like one very small part of thetime. Yes. And then another
small part? Yeah. In the sixmonth. Okay. In the six month.

(47:33):
Yeah. The angel Gabriel, theangel Gabriel. Okay. In the six
month Angel Gabriel. Yes. canseem slow in mechanical and not
very spiritual. Yeah. It's gonnafeel not very spiritual. That's
an important distinction. Yeah.
But I think, I think that isvery spiritual practice. And the
first goal for me is justgetting the whole thing. And

(47:56):
it's gonna feel it might feelvery counterintuitive, not very
special. It's just, it's somework like, Okay, I want to get
the whole thing. Okay, I've gotthe whole thing. And when I've
got it, and I can go over it andnot have to work too hard at
remembering it. Now, it's easyto remember. That's the goal
getting there. Because that'swhen when it's easy to recite,
that's when I feel like themagic happens. Yes, where now I

(48:19):
can just think about it anyplace, I go in the shower,
laying on my bed, when I can'tsleep in line at the grocery
store, as I'm shopping at thegrocery store, you know, things
that don't require mentaldriving. Instead of turning on
the radio or listening to thenext bear with me episode, I can
say, Oh, maybe I won't popsomething on maybe I'll go over

(48:41):
it in my head and just kind ofslow down and think about why.
Why is he using those words?
Yeah. So I shared last time,that's when I slow down enough
to think about in the six monthsor less in relation to med go
back and open my Bible go back.
So I didn't memorize the firstchapter one, like what is this?
Oh, it's, it's the only optionis it's in relation to

(49:06):
Elizabeth's pregnancy. Yeah. Andthen that kind of that's where I
started thinking about theKairos time the god timing type
stuff and how we measure time,you start asking other questions
like why, why such a focus in onan on the Orient, Luke's

(49:28):
orienting us and naming thingsthe angel Gabriel sent to a city
in Galilee, named Nazareth toaversion patrol to a man whose
name was Joseph of the house ofDavid and the virgin's name was
Mary. It's like all this like,yeah, choreography of is is Luke
and then you start askingquestions. Well, why that is
Luke emphasizing Mary's lowstatus, because he's naming the

(49:48):
man in house he's in Oh, namingthe city and where it but oh, by
the way, the mayor is thevirgin's name was Mary. But
she's going to have a centralrole in this against all
expectation. Yeah. Right,because this is how God likes to
work. bring light and darkcorners type thing. So all these
things come bubble up, when I'mslow down enough to memorize it

(50:09):
and think about it throughout myday or throughout my week. And
then and then that's where Istart to sense. Okay, God is
shifting my imagination for howhe works. God is speaking to me
specifically about the thenuances of my family life, or my
work life or this relationship Ihave with this person, because

(50:30):
now I'm seeing it through neweyes.

Vanessa Caruso (50:34):
Yes. When you describe it, it's like that's a
tool. Why would I not use thattool? It just sounds too good to
be true.

Andy Withrow (50:42):
It's i I showed last time I feel like we're at
least in this season. That's theprimary way I sense God speaking
to me is scripture.
memorization, is when I slowdown enough. And scripture
memorization, I think is just atool to get to that spot of
slowing down and listening forme like, yeah, it maybe maybe
some people can get there justby reading their scripture,

(51:03):
reading the Bible slowly. Butfor me, I it forces me to slow
down and go back over it in away that is fresh. And I hear
things that I didn't hearbefore.

Vanessa Caruso (51:16):
And it's a real non striving, way of learning.
Yeah, because it doesn't happenwhen we are like, gritting our
teeth. It happens while we'redoing the dishes, like while
we're, we're like, not redeemed,but it gives meaning to like the
rest of our lives that I tend todiscount. Like all this stuff is

(51:37):
like necessary evil. Okay, whenyou were talking about the, for
the like, just memorizing themechanical way. Yeah. You
reminded me that Stephens, anactor? You know, I do know that.
So he memorized

Andy Withrow (51:51):
partials out, right. Yeah, he does. Put them
in the show notes.

Vanessa Caruso (51:56):
That'd be fun.
So enacting it's called whereyou memorize by rote first. And
so the idea is you memorizewithout an effect or meaning or
trying to figure it out or anysense. Yeah. So he just in so he
has me when I have to read withhim for an audition. I just have
to read by rote. So instead ofof being like, Chaisson don't do
that, you know, I have to belike, Jason, don't do that. And

(52:19):
then he does it. And he's, it'sa discipline to not to not go to
that next level yet. Because thefirst level is memorizing by
rote. It's really restrainingyourself and saying, This is a
mechanical part. Once I havethis by rote, yeah. Then once
it's in you, then you're freefor it to come to life as an

Andy Withrow (52:40):
actor. Yeah, you can do for my expert. I'm not an
actor. So applying that to theScripture memorization, it's
like, okay, now I can start toinhabit this text, I can start
to be there with Mary in thatmoment, and try to have a more
of an imagination for what'shappening. what's being said.
Yeah, yeah, that resume

Vanessa Caruso (53:00):
comes to life.
But I love that you highlighteddon't expect that from the
beginning. You need a half anhour walk or something for the
the rote time. And then there'srehearsing that happens. And I
just want to show you these aremy flashcards people can't see
them, but they, so it has likethe scripture on one side. Okay,
and then, you know, the actualone on the back,

Andy Withrow (53:24):
but some we take some pictures and put them put
links to the search people getan idea,

Vanessa Caruso (53:29):
because and I bring these with me, because the
other truth is, is that you doforget, like I do forget ones
that I memorized six months ago.
Yeah. Like I only reallyremember the one that I'm in
plus, like someone or something,right? Like the Lord's Prayer,
we still know by heart. Soeventually, these I can all know
by heart at all times. Butrefreshing them is really easy.

(53:50):
Like I just forget how to start.
And then I'm like, oh, SecondTimothy, one is this. Yeah.

Andy Withrow (53:58):
That's good point.
I mean, I think there is a valuein just having this repository
in my head in my heart. Yeah,that but you're right. It's
someone with me. Like, I can'tremember what has been rising
six months ago? No, but it'sprobably an easy refresher if I
wanted to very easy and bits andpieces. Like I remember parts of
Scripture that maybe I wouldn'thave remembered. Yeah, but I
think for me, the primary goalis, is hearing the voice of

(54:19):
Jesus today. Yes, that's theprimary goal. That's the primary
goal. Like those are good, likesecondary goals like, oh, I can
I kind of remember, if I'mhaving this time, it makes me
reminds me of this portion ofScripture. That brings me back
to it or whatever. Or if I'm inthe middle of a sword, drill

(54:40):
drill, then maybe that's reallygreat. Yes, a sash or something.
Exactly. Oh, man, but what Iwant today is I want to hear the
voice of the living God in mylife for me and for those that
that I'm with, and that's that'sthe point for me of
memorization.

Vanessa Caruso (55:03):
That that's the main goal to me too is the now.
Yeah, part that coming to lifetoday. Okay, do you do you
accept this sword drill said I'mabout to put you. Okay, let's do
it. Okay, so what I wanted to dowas prove to anyone listening
who actually is in a space wherethey could mumble under their

(55:23):
breath. I want to prove to youthat you can memorize so
quickly, one verse. So I didn'ttell Andy the verse, but I want
to have him memorize in realtime, this one verse, just as a
way to show that it's possible.
So if you're out there, and youare in a place where you can,
you know, repeat after me withAndy, please do so. Okay. This

(55:46):
is a really beautiful littleverse that you've never heard
before. I've never heard thisverse. Wow. I mean, that's my
guess.

Andy Withrow (55:57):
Okay, are you ready? Other than the Apocrypha
or

Vanessa Caruso (55:59):
no, it's from Isaiah 50. Oh, verse four. Okay.
Does that sound familiar?

Andy Withrow (56:04):
Well, I know that I, Isaiah sounds familiar.
Chapter 15 Verse four says, butput them all together and I
don't know.

Vanessa Caruso (56:12):
Okay, are you ready? That was the first line.
There's a lot of alliteration inthis one. So that helps a lot,
right. That's why the psalm saysthat we're across sticks. We're
across six because it's wayeasier to memorize something
that's ABCDEFG

Andy Withrow (56:25):
but it's like rustic in Hebrew. So you have to
learn Hebrew first and thenit'll be easier.

Vanessa Caruso (56:30):
DoorDash can memorize Psalm 119. Right? We'll
just do this. Okay, so the firstline, the Lord God has given me
the tongue of a teacher. Repeatafter me, Andy.

Andy Withrow (56:43):
The Lord God has given me the tongue of a
teacher.

Vanessa Caruso (56:47):
Yes, the Lord God has given me the tongue of a
teacher.

Andy Withrow (56:52):
The Lord God has given me the tongue of a
teacher.

Vanessa Caruso (56:55):
That's correct.
That I may know how to sustainthe weary with a word

Andy Withrow (57:02):
that I may know how to sustain the weary with
the word with our with our word.
So they may know how to sustainthe weary with a word.

Vanessa Caruso (57:13):
Yeah, so weary with a word. Three W's and
tongue of a teacher. Yeah. So doyou remember

Andy Withrow (57:20):
Okay, the Lord has given me the tongue of a
teacher, that I may sustain theweary with a word so close.

Vanessa Caruso (57:27):
The Lord God has given me the tongue.

Andy Withrow (57:31):
This is great.
Yeah, this is exactly how ithappens. Like oh, I forgot I
dropped a word. Yeah, I changedthe word Yeah. The Lord God has
given me the tongue of a teacherthat I may sustain the something
of the weary the way the

Vanessa Caruso (57:50):
great okay? And it's that I may know how to
build I may know how to sustainthe weary the weary with a worth
toward the weary with a wordthat I may know how to sustain
the weary with a word from thetop

Andy Withrow (58:03):
that I may know how to sustain the weary with
the word, the Lord God has givenme the tongue of a teacher that
I may know how to sustain theweary with a word Can you do it
again? The Lord God has given methe tongue of a teacher that I
may know how to sustain theweary with a word

Vanessa Caruso (58:20):
rate next part is more Morning by morning he
wakens wakens my ear

Andy Withrow (58:27):
Morning by morning he awakens weakens my ear.

Vanessa Caruso (58:31):
So there's two mornings and two weakens.
Morning by morning he awakensdash wakens my year.

Andy Withrow (58:41):
Morning by morning he awakens wakens my year

Vanessa Caruso (58:47):
yes. Double Double awakens there can you do
it from the top?

Andy Withrow (58:51):
The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher
that I may know how to staysustain the way the weary with a
word. Yes. Morning by morning.
He wakens wakens my year Yes.
Really? There was yeah, nomistakes. No mistake. Okay.

(59:11):
Okay, there's

Unknown (59:12):
one last line that's really surprising.

Andy Withrow (59:14):
Okay.

Vanessa Caruso (59:15):
Morning by morning awakens wakens my ear to
listen as those who are taught

Andy Withrow (59:20):
to listen as those who are taught. Can you do more
and more every morning? Hewakens wakens my ear. I
completely forgot

Unknown (59:31):
to listen. As those who are taught to listen as

Andy Withrow (59:35):
those were taught Morning by morning he awakens
wakens my ear to listen as thosewho are taught Morning by
morning he awakens wakens my earto listen as those who are
taught Do you think you can dofrom the beginning? The Lord God
has given me the tongue of ateacher that I may know how to

(59:57):
that I may know how to sustainthe We're here with a word. Yes.
Morning by morning he wakenswakens my ear.

Unknown (01:00:06):
Got it to Yes.

Andy Withrow (01:00:11):
To listen Yes. Has a deer pants for what to shoot?
No. It's okay to listen as thoseto listen as those who are
taught to listen as those whoare taught so

Vanessa Caruso (01:00:27):
Morning by morning God is opening my ear to
listen as someone who's ready tolearn basically to listen as
those who are

Andy Withrow (01:00:35):
taught and as those who are taught to listen
as those who are taught

Unknown (01:00:40):
to and taught to enter begins taught to listen as those
who are taught.

Andy Withrow (01:00:45):
The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher
that I may know how to sustainthe way know how to sustain the
weary with a word. Yes. Morningby morning. Morning by morning.

(01:01:07):
He awakens wakens. Might yearyes. That I may learn. Right.
No. To to listen. Yeah. Like oras as to listen as those who are
taught? Yes. Okay. And so Iwould keep so that wouldn't make

(01:01:27):
that's two verses. Yeah, it'sone or two. Okay. So that's a
good example of that's probablythat's been five minutes of
working right? Yeah. And I don'tfully have it yet. But I'm
close. Yeah. And probablyanother minute or two and I
would have that section. Yeah.
And then typically, I'd probablyhave maybe twice that long. For
Well, depends. I mean, you couldmemorize short, short verses are
great. And well, I

Vanessa Caruso (01:01:48):
think auditory memorization is even harder when
you're looking at it. Yeah, it'syou have the visual tool to help
you recall because, you know, Isaw the alliteration and that
made it easy wakens my ear tolisten as those who are taught.
And if you write out the verse,that's another level. You get it

(01:02:09):
through writing it out, then youget it through visual, and then
you get it through hearingyourself. Repeat. But Andy, you
did great. Thanks, Vanessa.
Yeah. Isn't that a great versethough it is, Lord God has given
me the tongue of a teacher whodoes not want to sustain the
weary with a word. Everyone'stired. Yeah, I would love to be
able to have the awareness toencourage you with the words of
my mouth when I see you and Isee that you're haggard or

(01:02:32):
something, or that you'reoverwhelmed. That's so
beautiful. Morning by morning,he awakens wakens my ear to
listen as those who are taughtevery day, it says to me, that
God has given me the capacity towake up and to be aware, and to
live the life God's given me.
And I can just be a perpetuallearner in it. That makes life

(01:02:55):
so exciting.

Andy Withrow (01:02:56):
That does make life so exciting. We're out of
time. Yeah, we got to we got tostop. Oh, gosh, it's been good.
Okay. But we, we had some otherthings we will save it for next
time. I think next time, don'thold us to this. But next time,
we want to talk about spiritualconsumerism, and that great
disconnect, and the greatdisconnect so that a great

(01:03:18):
disconnect is a documentary.

Vanessa Caruso (01:03:24):
It's Canadian made documentary on loneliness
and neighborhoods inneighborhoods and, and I thought
maybe technology's role in thatand isolation. We're gonna find
out we're viewing it at noon.

Andy Withrow (01:03:37):
Let's documentary reviewing at noon. So we're
gonna talk about next time.
Okay. Thanks, Vanessa. Thanks,Sandy. It was fun again. Yeah,
two in a row. Yeah, who wouldhave thought? And thank you for
listening. If you like what youhear you got ideas for future
shows, please email at us atBear with me at table church.ca.
And we don't want to do the workfor SSI. We don't like to do

(01:04:02):
work. So we don't want to do thework of figuring out how to be a
better podcast. We want you totell us as a well, we're new at
this. So take yourconsiderations. Yeah, who knows?
Check out the show notes forresources and links we mentioned
in this show. And any otherbonus items we throw in there
who knows I have some somereally great stuff in there.
Right? Bear with me is a tableradio, podcast and extension of

(01:04:25):
the life of the table church, acommunity in Victoria, British
Columbia. To learn more aboutour community. Please go to
table church dot See you nexttime.