Yesterday at Grace Bible Fellowship (Grace) we had a guest preacher. Dr. Studenroth is a humble man who serves the Lord as a missionary (of sorts) to Kutztown University. He works the campus getting to know the faculty and staff, as well as the students, and he seeks to serve those whom he meets by his gracious and ministerial ways. Through his kind outreach, he shares Christ, not just in what he says, but in how he loves and serves those with whom he comes into contact. I know this first hand because I was impacted by his ministry in my own life.

Dr. S. was engaging as he shared with Grace the importance of living out our Christian faith. He developed the idea of living a life that is “God-entranced.” For those of you that know the teachings of John Piper (or Jonathan Edwards – who has greatly influenced Piper), you will recognize from where this idea originates.

The importance of this God-entranced view of life was teased out to mean, among other things, the importance of being impacted in all the areas of life by a view of the majesty and awesomeness of the God who both created and sustains us (and the world in which we live).  As is often the case for me, I began to ponder a comment that was made by the good Doctor. And as I pondered, I wandered.

“Books don’t change a person, but sentences and words do.” Hmmm. Dr. S. was “sidelining” about how he reads a lot, but does not necessarily finish all the books that he reads. He was, in a sense, saying this with a tinge of regret, perhaps, but he seemed happy and accepting of the fact that he will no doubt continue on in his ways.

My wanderings took me back to the words of Charles Spurgeon and one of his books, either “Lectures to My Students” or his book about books, “Commenting and Commentaries.” Spurgeon said about reading, “Let your reading be much, not many.” He was saying that it is not so important that one be able to check off that they have read a great number of volumes, as much as to actually be engaged in the act of reading.

Similar advice was offered up to me once in a conversation with a now-retired Messiah College professor by the name of Dr. Ed Kuhlman. Dr. K. is one of those who is always reading broadly about a whole host of topics and who is especially knowledgeable of the Bible.  He once said to me that it took him a while to learn that he did not have to finish every book that he ever started, and that this was a real help to him in the area of study and academic development. Now this is coming from one of the most well-read individuals that I have ever met. At the time (at least 20 years ago) that both impressed and encouraged me.

As I type this post, my mind still wandering, I am taken back to a literacy campaign slogan that has stuck with me since the time I was a little boy. “A person who doesn’t read is no better off than a person who can’t read.” Wow. That grabs my attention. A bit melodramatic? Perhaps. Powerful, none the less.

So then, here is where my wandering has led me, at least for the moment.  In the best traditions, Biblical, classical and otherwise, the importance of reading cannot be overemphasized. We should be always reading. Ongoingly. All the time. Always reading.

But, in a busy world that is filled with distractions and which bombards the senses with video and graphic entertainment at nearly every turn (the big screen, television, iPads, iPhones, Droids, even video billboards, you name it.), we must still take the time to hear Spurgeon’s exhortation. Even though you may not be able to read a great number of books, you must still read.

If, like Dr. Studenroth, you feel a tinge of remorse that you don’t read as many books as you would like, don’t despair. You, and he, and I are in good company.

Nevertheless, let your reading be much.

Happy Reading.

Tony Feliciano
CCA Board Member

Upcoming posts will include: “A Case for eReaders”; “My Library: A Dukedom Large Enough.”; A review of the book, “The God I Don’t Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith” by Christopher J. H. Wright; etc.