A Writing Experiment

Instead of using the common methodology of asking a question in a classroom setting with adults, what if we asked the question but did not permit anyone to answer until after he/she had written out a thorough response to the question, and then we asked participants to share their thoughts about the question. I’m convinced that class discussion would be quite different from the quality of discussion we often experience!

We’ve heard the statement, “talk is cheap.” Congregations are good at talk. There’s more gossip at church than there is at a family reunion! We’re experts when it comes to chit-chat and fellowship, especially when food is involved. We’re pretty good about getting in that quick word just before class begins in the hallway. We’re not bad at chatting a bit too loudly in the pew just before the worship service begins—to everyone, except guests that is! Church is a good place to pick up an occasional good joke. Once in a while someone says something that actually challenges us, but that’s the exception, not the rule!

One of the things I’ve learned is that the discipline of writing leads to clarity of thought. Writing is a thinking discipline. Writing, as a methodology for adult Christian education, is rarely practiced in most churches. When it comes to educational practice in many churches, we are lulled to sleep, trapped in the rut of practicing the same routine, week after week, with very little need or expectation to think. There’s little wonder why our learning experiences are boring and often perceived as non-relevant!

I believe one of the most important challenges facing Christian educators today has to do with helping congregations engage learners in meaningful thinking and dialogue. Dialogical learning is an essential methodology for understanding that provides time for thinking. We may need to change our organizational structures to provide more time for dialogical learning, because effective “talk” takes time. Telling stories; sharing how one’s experiences have been meaningful; asking tough questions; providing a safe place for diverse thinking, and using writing as a tool for learning and growth, are just a few ways that educators can help teachers provide learning environments that are effective and meaningful.

When we write something out, we discover how much we know and don’t know. The discipline of writing helps us realize when we know a little about a subject but really do not understand it. Through the writing process we begin to get clear about what we believe and why. We learn to think. We learn to talk. Talk at church can be relevant and meaningful if we are willing to work on things that really matter!