I was tempted to title this blog, "MYBFSD", or "Make Your Bible Feel Special Day", but that just sounded ridiculous. But that is exactly what I was thinking about in putting this together.
So, Olaf hinted at this, but last week, I got to spend some time with some Bibles.
And not your average Bibles - but like ancient manuscripts.
A confession before we begin:
I was SO excited to be in this room with the books that I only caught on to a couple of details, and the details that probably won't help you identify what I am looking at. My details stem more from random facts then actual helpful things. So for that, I apologize. I am hoping to meet with someone who can help me place them and then fix it on the blog. So, you're going to have to wait for the pictures...and for that, I apologize too. But, patience is a virtue, so there's that.
(But in all fairness, anyone who has ever seen me excited about something - you know how my mind works...)
So why the "MYBFSD" business? Time for another confession:
I, Katy W, did not even bring my Bible with me to Cambridge. Yes, I do have a kindle version that is awesome, but I didn't bring my favorite one. Well, either of my favorites. One is a beautiful Austin College Crimson (GO ROOS!) that my parents gave me when I started college. It is great, but isn't NRSV (not that it matters) but sometimes in seminary, NRSV is what I need. So, enter in The HarperCollins Study Bible. I LOVE THIS BIBLE. The notes are amazing and it is just a great Bible. But, it weighs 3463121376879 pounds. Ok, slight exaggeration, but if the paperback ways 3...imagine the hardback. It did not make the cut for being packed for a long, long journey.
I didn't think I would regret this decision, but about 2 weeks here, I did. I really found trying to flip back and forth on the kindle annoying more than convenient. So, I looked for a Bible. I felt a bit like Goldilocks - many were too big, some were too small - the language wasn't right, the version wasn't my fave - it was ridiculously expensive, and so on and so on.
A little history on my Bible (s). I grew up with parents who took notes during sermons and often times, wrote in their Bibles. My parents have Bibles that if someone were to find them way after they are gone, there will be a history recorded in them: a collection of thoughts, musings, reflections, or just words regarding scripture. I grew up wanting to have a Bible like that. But, I have Bible A.D.D. I have a collection of Bibles that all serve different purposes. There's the Message/NIV joint version which is great for youth retreats (and already partially destroyed by water), there's the 1800's one that just looks SO NEAT,there's the 365 Daily Bible, the woman's one, there's the familiar crimson one full of love and memories, there's the study one, the Greek or Hebrew one (this isn't used a much as I wish it was), there's the children's one (ok, I have like 52161651 of these), there is the Lego one, and more.
Maybe it is more of a lack of a commitment to a Bible rather than my A.D.D.
But that's where the "MYBFSD" happens - these varieties of Bibles, as I said earlier, all serve different purposes. I show them all lots of love. They don't just spend there time on shelves (ok, for this semester, they do). Many have been sprawled out onto my bed in the midst of sermon writing. Many are well worn, scribbled in, underlined or highlighted. Some are watermarked where tears have fallen from my eyes in times of sorrow or hurt. Pages have been dog-eared, post-it notes remain as well as a drawing someone has doodled for me at some time and place. And when I am trying to remember which Bible I took to Montreat 2008 or on SHYC 2004 or YouthQuake 1998, or even which one I used for a certain text, it's like a scavenger hunt. SO. MUCH. FUN.
I sometimes envy I don't just have "a" Bible (especially when I see my sister with her well loved and well used Bible that goes EVERYWHERE with her), but in using a variety of languages, translations, interpretations, colors, and more in my reading of Scripture, I know that's a good thing for me. It is good to shake it up once in a while. It's also like a walk in my own Bible knowledge history. These books have been a part of the journey I'm on - not only in seminary, but the journey called life, as well.
Back to my Goldilocks story though...a friend here at Westminster mentioned he had an abundance of Bibles and offered to bring one for me.
He brought the most perfect one I could have imagined. I am in love with this one.
I'm excited about the journey this Bible is going on with me. It might sound silly, but this gift of a Bible was so caring and thoughtful, that I feel just a bit special. I tend to be 97.4% excited to read the Bible most days, but I have just dived in with this one.
So, go make your Bible feel special. They're kind of neat and amazing things - full of wisdom and words of power, love, grace, and some laughs too. And stay tuned for the Bible are Really Neat, Part 2, which will have the pictures and commentary of the manuscripts.
A confession before we begin:
I was SO excited to be in this room with the books that I only caught on to a couple of details, and the details that probably won't help you identify what I am looking at. My details stem more from random facts then actual helpful things. So for that, I apologize. I am hoping to meet with someone who can help me place them and then fix it on the blog. So, you're going to have to wait for the pictures...and for that, I apologize too. But, patience is a virtue, so there's that.
(But in all fairness, anyone who has ever seen me excited about something - you know how my mind works...)
So why the "MYBFSD" business? Time for another confession:
I, Katy W, did not even bring my Bible with me to Cambridge. Yes, I do have a kindle version that is awesome, but I didn't bring my favorite one. Well, either of my favorites. One is a beautiful Austin College Crimson (GO ROOS!) that my parents gave me when I started college. It is great, but isn't NRSV (not that it matters) but sometimes in seminary, NRSV is what I need. So, enter in The HarperCollins Study Bible. I LOVE THIS BIBLE. The notes are amazing and it is just a great Bible. But, it weighs 3463121376879 pounds. Ok, slight exaggeration, but if the paperback ways 3...imagine the hardback. It did not make the cut for being packed for a long, long journey.I didn't think I would regret this decision, but about 2 weeks here, I did. I really found trying to flip back and forth on the kindle annoying more than convenient. So, I looked for a Bible. I felt a bit like Goldilocks - many were too big, some were too small - the language wasn't right, the version wasn't my fave - it was ridiculously expensive, and so on and so on.
A little history on my Bible (s). I grew up with parents who took notes during sermons and often times, wrote in their Bibles. My parents have Bibles that if someone were to find them way after they are gone, there will be a history recorded in them: a collection of thoughts, musings, reflections, or just words regarding scripture. I grew up wanting to have a Bible like that. But, I have Bible A.D.D. I have a collection of Bibles that all serve different purposes. There's the Message/NIV joint version which is great for youth retreats (and already partially destroyed by water), there's the 1800's one that just looks SO NEAT,there's the 365 Daily Bible, the woman's one, there's the familiar crimson one full of love and memories, there's the study one, the Greek or Hebrew one (this isn't used a much as I wish it was), there's the children's one (ok, I have like 52161651 of these), there is the Lego one, and more.
Maybe it is more of a lack of a commitment to a Bible rather than my A.D.D.
But that's where the "MYBFSD" happens - these varieties of Bibles, as I said earlier, all serve different purposes. I show them all lots of love. They don't just spend there time on shelves (ok, for this semester, they do). Many have been sprawled out onto my bed in the midst of sermon writing. Many are well worn, scribbled in, underlined or highlighted. Some are watermarked where tears have fallen from my eyes in times of sorrow or hurt. Pages have been dog-eared, post-it notes remain as well as a drawing someone has doodled for me at some time and place. And when I am trying to remember which Bible I took to Montreat 2008 or on SHYC 2004 or YouthQuake 1998, or even which one I used for a certain text, it's like a scavenger hunt. SO. MUCH. FUN.
I sometimes envy I don't just have "a" Bible (especially when I see my sister with her well loved and well used Bible that goes EVERYWHERE with her), but in using a variety of languages, translations, interpretations, colors, and more in my reading of Scripture, I know that's a good thing for me. It is good to shake it up once in a while. It's also like a walk in my own Bible knowledge history. These books have been a part of the journey I'm on - not only in seminary, but the journey called life, as well.
Back to my Goldilocks story though...a friend here at Westminster mentioned he had an abundance of Bibles and offered to bring one for me.
He brought the most perfect one I could have imagined. I am in love with this one.
It is about the size of a composition notebook, but slim.
And look at those wide margins for note taking!
I'm excited about the journey this Bible is going on with me. It might sound silly, but this gift of a Bible was so caring and thoughtful, that I feel just a bit special. I tend to be 97.4% excited to read the Bible most days, but I have just dived in with this one.
So, go make your Bible feel special. They're kind of neat and amazing things - full of wisdom and words of power, love, grace, and some laughs too. And stay tuned for the Bible are Really Neat, Part 2, which will have the pictures and commentary of the manuscripts.
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