Why the Change?

Why can’t things just ALWAYS stay the same?!? Nobody likes change!

When Scripture Memory Fellowship, the wonderful Bible memory ministry operating out of Texas today, coined the term Scriptorium and began their Scriptorium events back in the 2000’s in Hannibal, Missouri, little did they know or envision that their creation would explode across the United States and impact thousands of people.

The very first Ohio Scriptorium & Bible Festival began in 2015. It was an ambitious 3-day event, full of recitations, workshops, Q&A’s, and sweet fellowship. Over the years, word-of-mouth spread, primarily at the National Bible Bee each year, with unfamiliar folks ALL asking the SAME universal question:

What’s a Scriptorium?

When anyone looks up the definition of Scriptorium online, enquirers find that a Scriptorium is NOT a gathering of people for Bible recitation; it’s a place where some men would solemnly come together in ancient times to handwrite copies of manuscripts, typically the Bible, in a private room.

So, from its onset, the word Scriptorium would unintentionally breed confusion. People new to the word would NOT instantly know that it is an Bible recitation event, and when they would go to look its definition up, it would lead to more confusion. Yet all of us “in-the-know” know that Scriptorium would indeed be made to represent an event of Bible recitation; we would know immediately what it means to us and all of the memories sealed within.

I mean, who cares if the word doesn’t really capture what we’re actually doing?! We came to make it mean what we wanted it to mean, even if the internet roundly says otherwise. In fact, who believes anything on the internet anyway?!? It’s like the word racism. For years, racism meant …… oh, wait! That’s not a good analogy. Take the word gender. We all know that THAT word is synonymous with …… uh, hold on! Again, not a good comparison.

So, you get the point. Words can change their meaning. We see it all around us, for better and for worse.

2023 marks the 10th “gathering” Ohio will have hosted since the OSBF inception in 2015. What better time to rename this event AND other similar, likeminded, kindred-spirit events around the country with a name that REALLY captures what it is we’re doing and what we hope to accomplish over and over and over again in the homes, churches, and communities of people who attend these unique, family-enriching, Bible-centered extravaganzas?!?!?!?!?

And what is it we’ve been doing? What is a name that would INSTANTLY inform unfamiliar enquirers about the nature of our extravaganzas, for better or worse?

Well, for years, here in Ohio, we’ve kinda, sorta already been using a supplemental title to our Scriptorium, calling it the Ohio Scriptorium & Bible Festival. We found that if you just MASH those words together, you get a NEW name that encapsulates our vision and mission for all attendees in all the states:

ScriptureFest

It’s simply a festival of Scripture. A festive time and place where families can attend and rest assured that the content, the activities, the schedule, the fellowship, and even the meals will ALL be centered upon God’s Word. It’s not a solemn room of manuscript copying or only a time of Bible recitation (and there’s NOTHING wrong with either of these two activities — they will live on in their own capacities).

ScriptureFest is pretty much the same, old event you’ve gotten used to in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Texas, North Carolina, etc., still reciting, dramatizing, quizzing, teaching, preaching, singing, and fellowshipping around the same, ancient Word of God; BUT with a renewed vision and mission to ALWAYS and EVER make sure these events revolve around, concentrate upon, and saturate themselves with the LIVING, BREATHING Holy Scriptures.

But WHY?!? Why change what wasn’t broken? Why FORCE us to change our vernacular? You KNOW we’re still gonna accidentally say Scriptorium instead of ScriptureFest!! You KNOW that change is NOT readily embraced by most people!!!!

Well, just like Abraham & Sarah’s servants had to get used to no longer saying Abram and Sarai, respectively, catching themselves messing up whenever they would address their masters early on; and just like the 12 disciples would stumble over calling the Apostle Peter, Simon or Cephas or The Rock or Levi to Matthew or Saul to Paul or Tabitha with Dorcas, there WILL me flubs and misstatements and new conglomerations of words, like Scriptori–Fest or ScriptureFestium. It’s all gonna take awhile…..but eventually, it WILL take.

In fact, ScriptureFest, has been endorsed by our brothers and sisters at Scripture Memory Fellowship; it will serve as a parachurch ministry that encourages people, young and old, to get into God’s Word and store it like a precious treasure in one’s own heart.

So, enough with WHY! Now, ask yourself WHICH? Which ScriptureFest(s) will you attend in 2023?!?

Go to http://www.scripturefest.com to see how many ScriptureFests you plan to support by prayer, attendance, and/or donations.