Remember and Rehearse: A Review

English, J. T. Remember and Rehearse: An Invitation to Participate in God’s Story. Brentwood, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2025.

Stories are important. They are how we learn and relate to one another. When you meet up with your friends or family and discuss how things have been going, you do not just start listing events—at least, I hope that is not how you do things. No, you tell a story. Some people are great at telling stories. They know how to emphasize just the right parts to make it seem like the listener was present for the events being described. We love stories. If you were to look up a list of the best-selling books of all time (there are apparently multiple lists that do not all agree), you would not find history textbooks or scientific treatises. What you would see are stories. Stories like The Lord of the Rings, Don Quixote, and The Pilgrim's Progress.

More than simply having a love for stories, we all have our own story. We have events in our lives that have shaped us. When we share our story and listen to the stories of others, we understand one another better. J.T. English adds, "We can’t truly know ourselves unless we know what story we are living in. This story is not simply about where you live, who you love, and what you do. Your story is intertwined in a million ways with the stories of others, individual and communal." (p. 2) Why does this matter? What is the point of saying stories are important? Because the most important story is one that far too many people do not know and cannot tell.

The Reason Behind the Book

In his new book Remember and Rehearse, J.T. English seeks to help the church be better equipped to tell the story of the Bible. Not just the individual stories like Samson or David, but the whole story from Genesis to Revelation. He writes, "The goal of this book is very simple: it is an invitation to participate in the one true story of the world—the story of Scripture." (p. 5) Certainly, the story of Scripture is essential. The question is, do we know that story? If someone were to ask you to tell the story of the Bible in 15 minutes, would you be able to? Odds are that the vast majority of people who claim to be Christians would not be able to do so. English wants to help fix that situation.

Looking At the Details

This is not a deep, sophisticated book. English is not seeking to contribute to the theological conversation or convince anyone in the academic theological world of some important truth. Rather, he is writing a book for families and churches. He is writing a book that I could sit down with my children and use for family worship. As a matter of fact, I just might. They need to be able to communicate the story of Scripture as well as anyone else. The way that English lays out the story through the lens of the covenant promises makes it easy to follow and remember. At the end of each chapter are a number of discussion questions and a short summary to help everything sink in. In chapter four, English starts to outline the story of Scripture. This brings an additional section to the end of the chapter: the remember and rehearse section, from which the book gets its name. The idea is that the more we remember and rehearse the story of Scripture, the more real it becomes to us. In English's words, "When we remember, we remind ourselves that the story of the Bible is ours to put on. When we rehearse, we invite ourselves into the future story of Scripture that is also ours." (p. 10)

A Simple Resource

So, how well does English accomplish his goal? I believe he does a great job. The book is laid out so that it can be used by either an individual or in a small group setting. We all need to know and understand the story of Scripture. As Jesus says in John's account of the gospel, we are to abide, that is, live in, his Word, and it will set us free. If you want to become better acquainted with the story of Scripture, I highly recommend this resource. I especially recommend this book to church leaders looking to help their members grow in their understanding of Scripture. There are so many stories out there competing for our time and attention. We need to give our attention to the only story that truly matters.

Soli Deo Gloria