One of my new favorite aspects of running the ministry of Scripture Speakers is that I get to connect with other professionals in the field of dramatic recitation ministry. We share ideas and connections and get to be an encouragement as brothers and sisters in Christ working towards a common goal: the glorification of God and the edification of His Church through Scripture recitation. Last week I connected with Jeremy Kluth, founder of Scripture Alive and author of “Power to Remember: Scripture Memory that Works.” Not only did we have a wonderful conversation, but I also got to ask him more about his new book and the driving passion behind his writing it.
Jeremy’s book and ministry of dramatic recitation are driven by his desire to see more people in love with God’s Word. He told me, “My passion is for people to experience the power of God’s Word and to want that for themselves.” When he recites Scripture dramatically, he wants his audience to see that the Bible is about real people with real-life experiences. He said that he never wants his ministry to be about people admiring his ability, but rather about people encountering the Word of God and growing in their desire to know it and love it. Passion for his book and ministry flow from his servant-hearted love for the Lord, and you can hear that passion clearly in “Power to Remember.”
I’ve read “Power to Remember” from cover to cover, squeezing in the time between my own household responsibilities like chasing my toddler and retrieving snacks. It has been well worth the effort to dwell in Jeremy’s book. I was also very grateful that he has written his book in a very personable, accessible style which made it much easier to pick it up and read a few pages whenever I could and still keep the flow of thought in my mind. I can happily recommend this to readers who can sit down quietly and enjoy it all the way through at once as well as all the parents who will be reading it via struggling snippets of available time.
Several things stand out in Jeremy’s book that I absolutely love. First, he takes time to explain the history of memorization in ancient cultures and how it contrasts with the way our modern cultures use memorization. I found this section to be a valuable opportunity for the reader to examine the place Scripture memorization should have in their own life. It helps frame the natural barriers to Scripture memorization that the average person encounters. These barriers are because of a shift in culture, not because the average person is unable to memorize, which is what many people believe for themselves. This chapter of the book reveals that we aren’t necessarily bad at memorization, but unused to the idea and untrained in the practice.
The second part that stood out to me in a special way is that Jeremy also writes out unique approaches to Scripture memorization for each type of learner: Visual, Aural, Read/Write, and Kinesthetic. He explains these different types of learning styles and matches them with memory techniques that maximize the learner’s natural learning ability. These tips can help new memorizers or struggling memorizers achieve more success in Scripture memorization.
Finally, Jeremy ends his book with pages and pages of suggested passages to memorize. These have all been carefully curated to meet the need of the reader. The first section is full of verses to help meet certain needs or prepare the memorizer for certain spiritual battles. The second is a long list of stories of various lengths, all wonderful opportunities to share the stories of Scripture with others. The third and fourth lists are suggested chapters and smaller books of the Bible for the memorizer who wants to challenge themselves and memorize bigger projects than individual verses. These collections of suggestions will be so helpful to new memorizers, memorizers in need of inspiration, or even memorizers who have only just started to read and study the Bible. Those of us who were raised on the 66 can take for granted how big and intimidating the Bible can be to new believers. Jeremy gently meets this need with his passage suggestions.
All in all, I am very glad to get to know Jeremy as a colleague in the field of recitation ministry and to recommend his book to any reader. “Power to Remember: Scripture Memory that Works” is an approachable, accessible book full of wisdom and inspiration for Scripture memorization. Jeremy has also published a workbook and pack of memory cards that can work together to maximize the your motivation and success in Scripture memory. You can purchase each of these here: Store | Memorizing Bible Scripture| Scripture Alive. In closing, here is my favorite quote in the book: “The Word has power; it has authority; it sustains one who is weary and blesses those who hear it.” Amen, Jeremy. Let us treasure God’s Word in our hearts as much as we are able so we can see His power at work in us and in the lives of those around us!
May God be glorified and His Church edified!
If you enjoyed this book review, you might also enjoy reading reviews for the book by Simon Camilleri, “Public Bible Reading;” Dakota Lynch from Scripture Memory Fellowship, “Remember the Words;” Glenna Marshall, “Memorizing Scripture;” and my own book, “Speaking Scripture: How to Memorize and Recite with Purpose and Delight.”