Imagine yourself in a different time, transported back to the year 1710. We find seven-year-old John Wesley and three-year-old Charles in their nursery at the Epworth Rectory in England. Their mother, Susanna, is teaching them Bible stories from the tiles surrounding the fireplace in the nursery.

As the boys continue to grow up, Susanna devotes herself to reading and instructing her young sons. Susanna was a mother deeply committed to educating her children, and yet we can guess that they may have had few or perhaps, no other books in their home. The Bible was the source of their learning about spiritual things, but it was also the best literature they read. The young Wesley boys learned about the world from the Bible.

Contrasting the lives of the Wesleys to our lives today gives us a clear idea of why Bible literacy is a concern among 21st century Christian churches. The Wesleys had no Barnes & Noble, no Amazon.com, no satellite radio, no flat-screen, high-definition television with 198 cable channels bursting with information, no Internet.

According to Barna Institute, the trend for the foreseeable future is that “pop culture will continue to have greater influence in society than the church. The church is not among the top 10 change agents in society.”

Some believe that increasing ignorance about the Bible may have to do with the lessening influence of the church on our society.

The Bible can be appreciated in many different contexts. One view is the understanding of the Bible as literature: powerful literature that had a critical role in defining our civilization. Many scholars agree that the Bible has “helped shape history, laws, culture, art and literature.” For example, one cannot fully appreciate the works of Shakespeare without grasping his biblical allusions and metaphors. There are 1,300 biblical references in the works of Shakespeare.

Focusing on the Bible as a foundation of culture, the Bible Literacy Project is an initiative that has invited dozens of scholars to participate in a five-year, $2 million project focused on the development of a textbook to teach the Bible in schools. The reason for this initiative is the belief that students cannot fully understand western literature or culture without understanding the underlying biblical context from which our Judeo-Christian culture has evolved.

But more important than these secular contexts for Bible study is the spiritual growth Christians can gain from study of the Bible. Churches have a role helping spiritual seekers understand and unleash the transformative power of the scriptures. The Bible leads people to greater understanding of the nature and purposes of God and Jesus. It provides a guide to how we should organize the church and live our lives as people of God. The power and influence of the Holy Spirit is often most powerful in people’s hearts as they study the Word of God.

John Wesley went from hearing his mother’s reading of Bible stories as a child to translating the New Testament from its original languages. He also wrote a comprehensive biblical commentary: an 11-year “mid-life” project that he started at the age of 51. Three centuries later, Wesley still gives us this relevant insight of the importance of Bible study: “The Holy Scripture [is] designed to maintain and improve natural religion, to repair the decays of it, and supply the defects of it.”

The Media Resource Center has a wealth of video-based Bible study materials. These videos can enrich your Bible study and help your explorations come to life through the visual medium of Holy Land location photography, dramatic recreations or biblical insights delivered to your small group by world class scholars and preachers.

This month we are highlighting Old Testament resources for adults. We also have many Bible story/study materials for children and youths.

Next month, we will highlight New Testament resources. You can learn more about what resources are available for your small groups and children/youth ministries by visiting the Media Resource Center Online Catalog or by contacting our office, (847) 931-0710, ext. 17.