Monday, May 17, 2010

Monday music: "Bible Book Bop," by Go Fish

This little dittie by Go Fish serves nicely as an antidote to the sad state commented on in this Pyro post. Thanks to reader Angie for the suggestion.


I know this has helped adults memorize the books of the Bible. I don't think it would have worked with me. Too fast, and too much besides the Bible books. With my kids, I used a books of the NT song that (I think) I got from my dear wife.

For the books of the Old Testament, I made up my own song to teach them, using some familiar tune I can't possibly name for you. The lyrics are just the names of the books. Well, apart from the "ba da da da da" and the "ba-dum bum."

25 comments:

sem said...

I used a song by James Ward called 'Holy Books'.

It's a rap but still has a bit of a jazzy feel to it, plus I love his voice.

Merrilee Stevenson said...

Thanks for the fun-boppin' music. Great for Laundry Day. I think we'll give it a few repeats and see if it takes. It's a bit fast for me, but my kids are quick learners, and the music style is fun.

VcdeChagn said...

Our kids like Go Fish quite a bit. There are some songs I don't like (My Church and American Kid) but in general their stuff is pretty good.

My favorite song is "Gotta Move"

BTW, epic win for the correct pronunciation of Haggai.

DJP said...

True dat; but I'm not loving HABakuk.

Herding Grasshoppers said...

Very fun!

I agree though - too much extra stuff to be efficient for me.

Singing is a great way to memorize. My kids have learned (literally) hundreds of verses because we put them to some silly tune they already knew.

I think the books of the Bible we just sort of chant... get a rhythm going and GO.

In fact (*bragging mom moment*) my littlest, Gunnar, just graduated from AWANA Sparks, having completed all three Sparky books twice, meaning he has learned the OT/NT and recited somewhere in the vicinity of 180 verses. (Picture at HG.)

It's never too late to memorize, (you remember our phone number, don't you?), but there's a huge advantage to memorizing as a youth.

Julie

DJP said...

Sweet, and true. I probably would've gotten my kids into Awanas, if we'd ever gone to a church that had it.

So, is it GOO-narr, or GUNn'r?

Herding Grasshoppers said...

GUN-er. We don't pronounce it ethnically correct. More like a military term.

And Dan, our church doesn't have AWANA either. He goes to AWANA at a different church.

And - in case I forgot to tell you Friday - they are still laughing, and telling everyone who will stand still and listen, about the little boy who has "altered" the pool.

Oh, it's a laugh a minute over here...

Julie

John said...

Go Fish is great. They sing one of my favorite Christmas songs too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyR0lwO-nXc

Jason said...

This one did it for me, LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmFAHBTmQbk

Gabby said...

I don't often comment, but this morning I feel the need to tell you thank you, Dan, for the wonderful things you teach-for your hard work and your devotion to Christ that leads you to make the effort to write down your thoughts and share them with us. I can't tell you how often I've taken a post of yours and shared it with my daughters, and chewed over and looked up the verses in the Bible and found my understanding being opened by something you wrote.

Your post on Baby Man was nothing less than amazingly convicting and edifying. I was saved 4 years ago, and God gave me a thirst for His word, a hunger that (oh, thank You, Lord) hasn't dimmed with time. I say that to explain that I spend a lot of time studying theology, and digging in, but by doing so I have neglected the simple things like memorizing each of the 10 Commandments, or like memorizing ALL of the books of the Bible. Thanks to you, my daughter and I are now commiting to memory the 10 Commandments, and I am memorizing the names of the books, and have found a verse which explains this glorious salvation. I've memorized some lengthy passages, but hadn't realized I didn't possess one that sums up what salvation is.

What I'm saying is that I took it for granted that you would know there's a woman (and her family) in Dallas, Texas whose life you've impacted on almost a daily basis, so I just want to tell you thank you and let you know that there are probably many of us who don't comment but have been blessed in some wonderful way by your teachings.

All this to say that I realized this morning that it's rather rude to keep eating the fruit yet never take the time to say thank you.

So- Thank you and may God continue to bless you and keep your mind and abilities razor sharp, for there are many that you aren't aware of who are blessed beyond measure by the talents He has given you.

DJP said...

Thanks for taking the time, Gabby. It's encouraging and humbling at the same time.

Being able to do this, at both blogs, has meant a huge lot to me as well, and I'm grateful that anyone reads, let alone a few anyones.

But now of course I need to know: what's the verse?

(c:

Gabby said...

2 Cor. 5:21 - For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Short and sweet, yet explains the hope that lies within me.

Paula Bolyard said...

A little girl at church sang the books of the Bible (with her daddy) yesterday - she couldn't have been older than four or five. It was SUPER cute! Her grandma had taught them to her, to the tune of "Blessed Assurance."

Stefan Ewing said...

Dan wrote:

"The lyrics are just the names of the books. Well, apart from the 'ba da da da da' and the 'ba-dum bum.'"

Unless you believe in a leaky canon!

tobekiwi said...

See what you mean about all the extra stuff....I can't say 1st and 2nd Chronicles without adding "makes me want to sing and do the bop".
:o)

DJP said...

Jason, I love it.

Here it is linked.

Stefan Ewing said...

Or you can just memorize the initials on the books:

GELNDJJR12S12K12CENE
JPPESoSIJLEDHJAOJMNHZHZM
MMLJAR12CGEPC12T12TTPHJ12P123JJR

No, on second thought, don't try that.

What worked for me was visualizing the order of the books:

Pentateuch: 5 books

Historical books: 3 books (2 starting with "J" and the 3rd named after a woman), then 3 pairs of books, then 3 more books (2 starting with "E," of which one is the 3rd and named after a woman)

Poetical books: 5 books

Major prophets: 5 books

Minor prophets: 3 books with an "o" in them, then 3 books ending in "ah," then 2 with a "u," then 2 pairs of "Ze...a...iah" + a book ending in a long "i"

The Gospels and Acts: 5 books

Paul's letters: Well, here's where nothing works but straight memorization. But you've got Romans, then a pair ending in "...ians," then 4 single letters "...ians," then another pair ending in "...ians," then a pair of "T"s, then a single "T," then Philemon.

Hebrews, then a bunch of letters starting with "J", with Peter's 2 letters in the middle.

Then Revelation.

David Regier said...

Have you ever tried it with "25 or 6 to 4?"

DJP said...

I take it you're kidding. But it's a kid I like.

I don't think the timing would work. It'd take forever.

Genesis and Exodu-us
Leviticus and Num-bers
Deuteronomy and Jo-shua
Judges, Ruth, and both Sam-uels

Both the Kings and both the Chron-icles
Ezra, Nememiah E-e-sther!


Ahem. Must get back to work. Post tomorrow.

Aaron said...

Julie:

I'm a living testament to it. Every night my daughter and I (ok, maybe every other night) recite the OT books. She memorizes them and I can't seem to quite get it.

Paula Bolyard said...

Hmmm...maybe not 25 or 6 to four, but your 'lyrics' might work for Saturday in the Park...

Genesis....Ex-o-dus
Leviticus and Nu-um-bers (da-da-da)
Deuteronomy and Jo-shu-a
Judges, Ruth, and both Sam-uels

Both the Kings and Chron-icles
Ezra, Nememiah

Esther, Job and Psalsm


Yep...I like it!

Rachael Starke said...

Me too with too much filler. Sword drills would take days. :) But their other stuff is kinda fun! I'm a die hard fan of Seeds Family Worship for really solid Scripture memory music for kids, but this would be kind of fun music for cleanup or morning prep time. Hey, as long as they're not singing that song about "chock full of potensheallitee", I'm fine with it. :

DJP said...

Paula - you rock! Who knew? I like it, too.

Stefan Ewing said...

Since we don't have children, I don't keep up on what's all going on with the children's ministry at our church.

But I was tickled to learn that the kids are being taught songs right now to memorize verses from Habakkuk (!), the book that's currently being preached through.

Paula Bolyard said...

Start working on it with baby Timothie! : )