Practical Tips & Resources for Hand Copying Scripture
Hand copying passages in the Bible can be a wonderful way to engage with Scripture. It forces us to slow down and notice details we might otherwise miss if were simply reading the text.
If you are considering engaging with Scripture in this way, here are practical tips and resources for the journey.
What to expect:
1. Expect the process will be slow. Hand copying is supposed to be slow. The primary intent of hand copying is to slow us down to a “walking pace” through Scripture. Don’t rush. Take your time and learn to enjoy the journey more than the destination. The goal is not to check the box that you completed the book; it’s to engage deeply in the Scriptures to see what the Holy Spirit might want to teach us about God’s story.
2. Expect to see elements that you’ve never noticed before. Seeing details, elements of dialog and/or additional elements of a story you might have read before is common with hand copying. As I engage in this practice, I find myself thinking often, “Wow, I never noticed that before!” I also find myself asking questions about the text for the first time, oftentimes catching myself mid-sentence thinking “I wonder why…” or “Could it be that…”
3. Expect your hand to cramp up from time to time. It’s okay. It happens. In a digital age, we’re not used to writing so much out by hand. If your hand hurts, just take a break or start again tomorrow (and remember: your handwriting doesn’t need to be perfect).
4. Expect God to meet you in this journey. This has become one of the most important ways I encounter God in Scripture. Jesus meets me in this process in powerful - and oftentimes unexpected - ways. Expect him to meet you in this experience as well.
Practical tips:
1. Decide on a translation of your choice. Some people choose a translation they are familiar with; others choose a new translation so they can “hear” Scripture differently than they are used to. Whatever you choose, just stick with your translation all the way through.
2. Start with a fresh notebook. When I start a new project, I like to have a fresh journal or notebook. Several asked me what notebooks I use. I actually ordered four notebooks, one for each gospel. I use these notebooks. But of course, you can use whatever notebook or journal you wish.
3. Choose a pen you like. For some, any old pen will do. But I admit: I am pretty particular about the pens I write with (some would call me a pen snob). Several years ago I purchased a fountain pen – and I absolutely love it. It helps me approach my hand copying time with a little bit more anticipation than normal. But use whatever pen you feel most comfortable with since you’ll be spending a lot of time with it.
4. Make a grace-filled commitment to write out ten verses a day. Just ten. Some people get overwhelmed and discouraged because they make a commitment to do a chapter a day or five chapters a week. That’s too much. Take your time, slow down, and enjoy the journey. If you do less than ten verses a day, that’s fine. If you end up doing more than ten, that’s fine, too.
5. Find a dedicated place and time each day. I like to hand copy each morning, right after I make my coffee. I do it either in my reading chair or, when the weather is nice, outside on the porch. Having a grace-filled rhythm helps me engage with it more easily on a daily basis.
6. Invite others to join you. It’s more fun to take a journey with others. Why not invite friends, neighbors, people from church and/or family members to join you (in person or online)? It can add another rich layer to experiencing God’s Word.
7. Before you begin each time, say a simple, heart-felt prayer. I usually whisper a short and simple prayer: “Lord, teach me something new today.” I want to make sure I am centered and oriented with an openness to receive from Him as he speaks to me through the process. Consider a simple prayer of humility, anticipation, and openness to the Lord meeting you in the process as you begin each day. Some have told me they light a candle while they hand copy to remind them the Holy Spirit is present with them.
8. Find - and settle in to - your own hand copying “personality.” Each one of us will find we have our own hand copying rhythm and process. It took me a bit to figure mine out, but I learned that I write best when I move through the text phrase by phrase. I say each phrase out loud…and then copy it down. Then I say the next phrase aloud…and copy it down. This is what works for me, but find what pace, rhythm, and style works for you.
9. Share your hand copying journey online. Share on social media what you are learning, being reminded of, or seeing for the first time. Also, take pictures of your journal throughout the experience and post them. Some have chosen to be creative - they’ve drawn pictures, painted, or even used different colored pens as they write.
10. Stay in touch. Speaking of joining with others, stay in touch with me. I’d love to hear what you are learning, how the process is going, what you are seeing afresh in John, and how the Lord is meeting you in the process. You can contact me here.
A word of encouragement:
Remember, the pressure’s off. You don’t have to have beautiful penmanship. And you don’t even have to have a perfect script.
The purpose is not perfection or legibility, but engagement. You also don’t have to pick a large book of the Bible. You can with another book – maybe even a smaller book if you wish, such as Ruth, Jonah, James, 1, 2, 3 John, or Jude.
Whatever you do, remember this is God’s Word— His life-giving and accessible gift given for us to encounter, understand, and join Him. He wants us to participate in His over-arching story of compassion to redeem, renew, restore, and reconcile humanity back to Himself through the person of Jesus Christ. Expect to be drawn further into this Story of God. Anticipate God showing up in beautiful and surprising ways as you journey through a book.
Additional hand copying resources:
Bible Gateway and The Center for Scripture Engagement at Taylor University partnered together to create valuable and wonderfully practical content to help readers with hand copying.
Link: an overview of hand copying Scripture
Link: Practical tips for hand copying