Throughout our conversation at a local coffee shop, Crystal scribbled notes on a sheet of paper. She had asked me to meet and talk through some questions she needed to ask about God, and life as a Christian, and the workings of our church community. When we finished, she looked up with a surprised expression. "Now I have more questions than when we started!"

"Good," I answered, "that's what I hoped would happen."

Any time my students go home after some interaction with me, I want them to know the answer to any question they asked is more complex than I can explain in one encounter. Along with my teaching about a part of the Bible, I want them to have a reason to return to that text again later, seeking more insight. In the Episcopal Church, the denomination in which I serve as a youth minister, there's a prayer we say to thank God for the gift of Scripture. In this prayer, we ask for the ability and discipline to "hear, mark, learn and inwardly digest" the message of the Bible.

When I hear this prayer, the image that jumps to mind is of someone sitting down to enjoy a particularly great meal. Food that is made from quality ingredients and carefully prepared by a skilled chef deserves close attention during an extended period of time. Formal meals throughout the world take hours. Each course has its own silverware and presentation, and in between the diners clear their palates with water or fruit. This approach to meals ensures that the flavor of each dish will be fully enjoyed and that the dinner itself will be an experience that benefits not only the physical body by providing nutrients, but serves the whole person by providing space and time to be dedicated to just one thing.

Planning lessons for our youth groups, we often mine Scripture for the powerful or startling idea for this week's message. This can shortchange students in several ways. Making points too simple masks the richness and complexity of God's Word. Teaching in sound bites risks presenting Scripture as a simple rulebook rather than the unfolding story of God's interaction with the world in which we are characters. If we make it seem as if youth leaders have Scripture all figured out, we leave our students little incentive to wrestle with it themselves.

Psalm 119 is an extended song of praise for God's Word. Many times, the author of the psalm promises to "meditate on [God's] laws day and night." The word meditate suggests a slow, careful thought process. Psalm 119 calls for our thoughts about God's Word to be big enough that they can occupy our minds all day. What was the last thought that stayed with you all day long? Sound bites can't do that. Questions about connecting scriptural principles with real life situations can. Items on a checklist don't have that kind of staying power, but challenges to see the world in a particular way because of our desire to follow Christ do.