An Approach to Extended Memorization of Scripture by Andrew M. Davis

Who knew that this 30 page booklet would cause a quiet revolution in my life? For years I've been wanting to memorize poems and larger chunks of scripture, but the busyness of life kept me from taking steps to actually do so. Some books I read on memorization (featuring mnemonics where each word is an outlandish mind picture) didn't appeal to me because that system robbed the literary pieces of their beauty. Enter Andrew M. Davis. In his book An Approach to Extended Memorization of Scripture, he gives tips for perseverance rather than mind tricks. With his system you choose a passage and decide how many days it will take to memorize it. (I chose Psalm 103 and scheduled in five minutes a day for 30 days.) You begin the first day reciting the first verse 20 times. The second day you recite it ten times and then add the next verse. So simple! I admit I hit a wall by verse 16 (of 22) so I spent an extra week on those initial verses before going on to the final ones. I'm still a bit shaky with the last six verses but I'm in phase two of the passage, which is to say the whole thing out loud for the next 20 days. I'm confident I will have it well in hand by the end of the month. Like a good meal, a good workout, or a good book, Bible memorization leaves you feeling fortified, energized and satisfied. I knew it would be work, but I didn't realize how rewarding it would be.  By the way, I've tried memorization before by placing a poem on my Kindle cover or in my purse to look at in off moments, but making the piece to be memorized a five-minute part of my daily devotions has made all the difference in going from haphazardness to consistency. Footnote #1 (added in 2021) - Davis recommends not trying to review old passages but I found this video on YouTube that helped me to retain all the projects if I'm willing to pace myself. It has worked very well. Footnote #2: For my own personal records I'm listing my completed projects. (about 3 new pieces per year)  2016: God's Grandeur, Ps 103, Salmo 23 2017: Land of Storybooks by RLS, Phil 3:7-21, "string passage" from Jane Eyre, Daffodils, Luke 2:1-12 2018: Intro to Tuck Everlasting, When I Was One-and-Twenty, JW's prayer for New Year, At the Seaside by RLS, Psalm 1, Jabberwocky, Luke 2:13-20, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (first half) 2019: João 15:1-8, 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (2nd half) 2020: Review of all the above, Colossians 1:9-20 2022: Psalm 121, "Minha Terra Tem Palmeiras," From a Railway Carriage by RLS 2023: On His Blindness, "The Lord's My Shepherd" (hymn) 2024: Psalm 91, Sea Fever by Masefield,  Psalm 4, Prefatory Sonnet by Wordsworth