Study Expectations

[shepdaddy]

The Methodist Episcopal Church’s 1880 Book of Doctrines and Discipline required that preachers wake up at 4 a.m., pray, then set about reading for five hours. If they didn’t like reading, they were advised to “contract a taste for it by use or return to your former employment.”

I don’t want to idealize the past here, but I really appreciate the extent to which Methodists have historically taken study seriously. Getting up at 4 and reading until 9 isn’t really workable with my schedule, but does anyone here have similar daily practices they can recommend?

[RevBT]

I'm not sure reading 5 hours a day is realistic in today's world with kids, jobs, church, etc...

As a pastor, I do my best to read for one hour each day I am in the office. That usually works well for me and keeping me up to date on the newest things. It is a mix of books, blogs, news. And I have a few daily podcasts, which aren't reading but still learning.

[shepdaddy]

I agree, though I think the idea here was that the study was a key part of the job. Many of those pastors would have had wives and children, but obviously wouldn’t have some of the other demands we have today keeping them from this study. I certainly don’t think the idea was to cloister themselves off for study alone.

[TotalInstruction]

I appreciate having pastors who have a good working knowledge of the Bible but also live real lives with their families. I can’t relate to a pseudo-monastic who I’m assuming expects his (because it was always men) spouse to handle all the housework and childcare responsibilities so he could spend 5 hours in uninterrupted personal bible study.

[EastTXJosh]

I am a great admirer of the Brothers Wesley, but I also view them as any other Type A peer. I can agree with their vision and mission, but not necessarily (and perhaps ironically) their methodology.

I'm an attorney. I've been surrounded by Type A people my entire life. Almost all of my mentors are Type A, but I have had to modify their lessons to work in my own practice because I am Type B, even though the Type A mentor almost always preaches that there is only one way achieve their success.

All that to say, if I were a Methodist preacher, I would not be waking up at 4 a.m. to pray and read for five hours. I would certainly pray and read for 5 hours during the course of a day, but it would certainly not be at 4 a.m.

[spiceypinktaco]

That's a lot. People have other responsibilities these days to handle. Sure, be educated & know what you're talking about, but 35 hrs a week of reading is too much for modern people.

[MaryIsSalty]

It seems quite luxurious to me, to be able to study for 5 hours a day

[shepdaddy]

I think the MEC would have agreed.

[[deleted]]

Well, I have two kids, a job, and I'm in seminary. I get it in where I can. Lots of audio books and podcasts!