Driving past First Baptist last Tuesday afternoon, you might have been surprised to find its east parking lot filled. You may have even noticed that cars and buses from FBC, Summit and Clinton’s Morrison Heights and an assortment of other steepled spots overflowed around the periphery to First Street as well.

Inside, more than 200 Bible drill participants milled among the pews, filling out registration forms and pinning yellow numbers to their shirts. There were a sea of them – the t-shirts – colored-matched and bearing church logos emblazoned with appropriate mantras, like “study to show thyself approved.” From third graders to seniors, they were there because they had memorized the required verses and could find passages that answer questions like “Who should I trust?” and “What does Jesus require of me?”

Having progressed through church and associational levels to arrive at what insiders call “state”, Tuesday’s competitors were in the final stages of one of Southern Baptists’ most popular annual programs. According to Steve Jackson of the Lincoln County Baptist Association, 3,080 Mississippi children and students participated in the church-led activity last year.

“Our state may come in last in a lot of things nationally, but not in Bible drill enrollment,” Jackson told me proudly. “In this, we rank number one.” And the sight of drillers standing straight and serious while flipping for Philippians is nothing new. Officials tell me they’ve seen photos of competitions dated as far back as the 1950s.

So what’s the purpose, I asked Debbie Brashier of the denomination’s Discipleship & Family Ministry Department. Busy giving out plaques in the winner’s circle, she told me how rewarding it is for the drillers, parents and leaders. “They’re planting God’s Word in their hearts,” she said simply. “These days, students have lots of activities that vie for their attention. They can’t do it all. Bible drills are a wise choice.”

She paused to present a thick, hardback study Bible to Jesse Anderson of Fair River, who achieved the program’s highest tenure award as a nine-year participant. His polite, eye-contact “thank you” caused Brashier to smile. “Kids like that make it all worthwhile,” she acknowledged.

For Jesse’s mom, though, it’s a bittersweet moment. “I’m sad to see him finish, but I’m happy for him, too,” Amy Anderson told me. “His father and I wanted to emphasize the importance of memorizing Scripture and using it for everyday life.”

Amy isn’t alone. I’m another parent who decided early on that I wanted this for my kids. I knew it in 1994, when I sat in a fellowship hall in West Point and watched spunky Mickey Henry and football star Jay Randle find Colossians in under eight seconds. Hearing them and the other members of their youth posse quote 25 memory verses didn’t hurt either.

I was thinking of this while I watched my own nine-year driller finish up his final round last Tuesday. I also thought of it days later when I read an article about the death of Kara Tibbetts, a 38-year-old pastor’s wife whose battle with cancer gained national attention this year. During the last stages of her illness the mother of four was asked by a reporter how she was coping. Tibbetts admitted some days she wasn’t, but one of the things that helped was knowing God’s Word.  “Now, as it’s hard for me to read, the energy I spent (in years of Bible study) is what carries me,” she explained.

So here’s the deal with Bible drills, for those of us in the know and those who’ve never heard of them: competitively skirting pages for the Parable of the Prodigal Son can be fun, but it’s not the end goal. The hope, as Isaiah 55:11 promises, is that God’s Word will not return void.

Congratulations, local drillers, on spending your energy so wisely.

Wesson resident Kim Henderson is a freelance writer who writes for The Daily Leader. Contact her at kimhenderson319@gmail.com.