neuroBIBLISTICS

The Holy Protection Monastery – New Gracanica, Third Lake, IL

Date:
March 14, 2020

A Contemplation on Ps 119

Considering this psalm as a formative work of the church, its literary beauty, theological complexity, and eternal qualities, I would argue that the promising syllabus is its most appropriate genre. The very first association of the syllabus is an outline composed of the course description, course objectives, course requirements, course textbooks, and course schedule. However, this is quite rusty association for several reasons. Respectively, Ken Bain significantly changed the way the syllabus is envisaged. His groundbreaking work What the Best College Teachers Do, aims for an outstanding teaching experience, grounded in the six-decade-long research. Well explored teaching attitudes and practices resulted, among others, in the development of the promising syllabus, which is summarized in: “Trust, rejection of power, and setting standards that represented authentic goals rather than schoolwork are apparent in the kind of syllabus the best teachers tended to use.”^[1] As a result, this syllabus breaks the stereotypes and proposes threefold structure: promises, action needed for promises to be carried out and finally the dialogue about this learning experience.

Before exploring the constituents of the promising syllabus, it is important to recognize the instructor who is offering the course. Ps 119 could be seen as a promising syllabus for it has the instructor or teacher, who is namely God the Father. Next, Holy Spirit could be seen as a teaching assistant, who is always present and ready to help and intercede for the students. Finally, Christ could be seen as the exemplary student of this divine course, along with Paul and all the readers of this psalm.

Firstly, as Ken Bain explains, the core part of this syllabus is the promised, or what the student will learn and get out from the course:

“Trust in the students also depended on the teacher’s rejection of power over them. The educators we studied invited people to pursue ambitious goals and promised to help them achieve them, but they left learners in control of their education, avoiding any sense of “commanding the troops into a tough battle.” Thus the “more” was as much a promise they made (“here’s what you will be able to learn/achieve in this class”) as it was a set of expectations… “What you bring to this class is yourself and your desire to participate,” Paul Baker would tell his students, “and what you do in here depends finally upon that.”^[2]

Accordingly, students’ free will to participate in class aligns with the promises that the teacher provided in the syllabus. Henceforth, the syllabus being different, bereft of “you must do this” forms, stimulates the student to grow, by finding a way to express himself to achieve what is promised to him. Along these lines, the genre of the promising syllabus befits Ps 119 for it abounds with the promises on one hand, and for stimulating the reader to achieve the state of being God/like, on the other hand. The word אִמְרָה denotes the given, assured word of God, which is the promise that gives the confidence. The changeless quality of this concept is rooted in the giver of the promises, God himself, and this fact upholds the firm and enduring relationship that promises build. In Ps 119, these promises are seen as the very source of life (Ps 119,50), which is to be stored in the heart (Ps 119,11). Also, the promise leads toward the prevention of one to go astray (Ps 119,67), and yet enables one to hope that God will provide help and comfort (Ps 119,76). Convincingly, God’s promises are sweet and pleasant (Ps 119,103). The reader, or the student, is invited to consider the promises and strive to advance in obtaining the promised. Knowing that the promised is beyond comparing with any of the earthly knowledge, specifically, the eternal communion with God, thus the aspiration toward the promised should be much greater, as well as the desire to participate. 

Secondly, the student is to explore the ways and take proper actions to receive promised. Active participation is applied ministry for: “Everything you learn,” Ralph Lynn often said, “influences who you are and what you can do,”^[3] points out that learned is a part of a person, which leads toward comprehension and use of the understood. Accordingly, Ps 119 is the psalm of involvement, 176 verses of statements about the acts done, acting, and urge for action. Also, the involvement of the reader is best understood as a ministry or specific service that enables eternal promised qualities to be reached and enjoyed. Simply put, participation is what is needed to get to the fulfillment of the promises.

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^[1] Ken Bain, What the Best College Teachers Do, (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004), 74.

^[2] Ibid.

^[3] Ken Bain, What the Best College Teachers Do, (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004), 84.