Why summarize comments?

Why summarize comments?

When a leader summarizes the comments that have been made, this shows that the person leading the study is listening. It also indicates to others that this is about learning what each one has to contribute. As each one’s comments are summarized, each person feels he or she has contributed something of value and does not look a fool. Moreover, other participants realize that the leader is considerate and is worthy of respect; thus ensuring a more blessed gathering.

            Summarizing comments also has the effect of silencing those who love to hear their own voice and want to dominate conversations or group discussions, because it reinforces who is leading. Long-winded people become to realize that what they had to say can be said in less words and they ought to think more about what they are saying rather than blowing wind.

            Another benefit that comes from summarization is that people begin to focus on the text under discussion and tend to waffle less about irrelevant matters. For once the text has been discussed to everyone’s satisfaction, the leader is then able to summarize more readily what has been derived from the text within the group discussion, before moving on to the next scripture. The benefit of this is the points which have been missed can easily be brought into focus as well.

            As already noted, sometimes people have thoughts that did not occur to them when it was their turn to make a comment. These can also be accounted for in an orderly way. Summarization of each contribution aids the flow of orderly discussion and enables each person to feel that they are making valuable contribution to the group discussion.

Summarization is helpful in not only getting people to focus on points raised that are relevant to the topic under discussion, but also in improving the morale of participants. This is especially the case when a participant feels the need to share a deep and meaningful experience they had and then become aware of the fact they have just confessed personal details about which he or she is embarrassed.

Summarizing the feelings of the person and incorporating a prayer of forgiveness at this particular time alleviates any anxiety or guilt that might arise.

            Summarization therefore can be the summarization of feelings expressed, or for people who are having difficulty expressing what they mean, even if it is a little off topic, a short statement in summary of what they might have meant can be valuable in restoring a positive demeanor, and a desire to delve into the Word of God.

            A summarization of a person’s feelings is different to reflecting feelings back to a person. Summarization means stating what the person has declared about how he or she felt and what it means when people feel as the person has stated. For instance, if the person stated they felt embarrassed and put out and found the experience difficult to endure, a summarization would be along the following lines: “You said you felt embarrassed and put out and you do not feel the experience was something you would like to endure again.

A summarization of meaning requires a slightly different approach. As with all summarizations, it is a concise statement of content but requires an assumption to be made. Say the participant, whom we will call, John, was having difficulty in trying to get to the point and in a very long-winded and convoluted way said, “An eye for an eye is not very good, because the person is not going to be able to see and will be blind forever, if both eyes had to be removed and if the person is supposed to repent and because what he sees himself doing is wrong, he is not going to be able to see at all because he is blind and this is not going to help him repent. We are supposed to be helping the person to repent from doing wrong, not ripping eyes out so they cannot see.”

A summarization of meaning could be along the lines of: “As John has just said, “Two wrongs do not make something right, and everybody needs to be given the opportunity to repent.”

A summarization of meaning is not really a paraphrase because it is much shorter and incorporates the main point that is meant by the statement. When something is paraphrased, the aim is to convey what is meant, only with much greater clarity. What this means is that paraphrasing tends to be a longer explanation than a summarization. A paraphrase of meaning in the above case would result in something like, “John appears to be saying that an eye for an eye is going to do more damage to a person because rather than providing greater vision, the person is going to be made blind. In which case, this is not going to lead a person to repentance but more than likely harden the person’s heart. Rather than permit this to happen, the person needs to be given the chance to repent. This could require more time for the realization of the need for repentance, before any drastic action is taken such as ripping out a person’s eyes.”

The difference between the summarized version and the paraphrased version is quite evident in respect to the length of each statement. Paraphrasing of meaning therefore is not the same as summarization. Paraphrasing has its place but takes on a different form to summarization and is best used for different circumstances.

Overall, the value of frequent summarization, providing it is not long-winded becomes evident at the beginning of the following meeting, when participants are asked to recall what they got out of the previous Bible Study and produce a higher rate of recall than they would otherwise. Participants have a more meaningful experience because they were able to cogitate issues more clearly as a consequence of the frequent summarization.

            When people feel awkward and misunderstood, they are disinclined to continue in attending a group Bible Study. Our aim as leaders is to make the experience as enjoyable as possible, so the Word of the Lord can take root in the participant’s hearts. Amen!