There is something good about a new Bible. Maybe it’s the way the pages still stick together as if you the reader are the first person to gaze over the pages. Maybe it’s the way the gold edge of the pages shine.
Compared to my old Bible, this new one makes my old one look ancient. On the inside of the Bible, it says it should not be exposed to high humidity, excessive hot or cold temperatures…which pretty much rules out any outside environment in Tennessee.
It is the wide margin Bible I wrote about previously. Initually I got a hardback edition, but the cover screamed “college textbook” instead of the basic black I desired. And just for $5 more, I ended up getting a leather bound Bible.
Bibles were made to be used, so I suppose the newness will gradually wear off, literally if you take into account the gold edges.
Occassionally I’ll glance over my minister’s Bible during Sunday School (I’m fortunate to have him as a teacher). I can see there’s alot of history behind this Bible. Huge portions of text underlined, highlighted, notes in the margins. And I think how much this Bible has been though. From a sermon practically every Sunday to personal Bible studies to merely personal studies. And I think about my old Bible and the history behind it. From those daily Bible classes at Lipscomb, where I first was truly made to study my Bible, to all those weeks at camp…with the heat and humidity. Preparation for a cabin devotional, to studying for a camp wide devotonal….and how I could never find the exact passage I was looking for. Isn’t that always the case in Bible class? Someone will always begin a sentence with “Somewhere in the Bible…I can’t remember the verse it says…” Maybe it will change with the right underlining to it and notations….
I guess in some instances I’m rediscovering the Bible. Maybe its the idea of a new transtion without all the thee’s and thou’s. Maybe its the assurance that I don’t have to use a KJV or NKJV and feel reasonably sure I’m getting an accurate transation and adequate message for my needs.

Dale Jenkins raises some interesting issues in his latest blog post.
Today it seems that baptisms are planned. No so just a few years ago. I can remember being present at a Gospel Meeting in 1987 where 10+ people were baptized during the week because they were provoked into doing it. They didn’t come to the Gospel Meeting thinking that tonight was the night they’d be dunked.
And later on in 1991 I remember being at a church camp where we’d have late night baptisms because somehow they had been cut in their heart to change their life for the better.
No so today. Today baptisms are planned. Invitees are summoned. Just last month there were a few baptism at camp. And yet only certain people from certain cabins and certain churches were invited. Why? I suppose the baptizee’s wanted some type of control on who witnessed it. Maybe they were ashamed of their belief or past sins they were washing away. Maybe it was stage fright.
Our ministers speak against waiting, using verses like Acts 8:36 and Acts 22:16. And yet parents seem to be all about waiting until they are able to present or until it is right time for their child’s baptism.
I’m certain the right time falls somewhere inbetween. Big decisions with baptism shouldn’t be made on split second decisions based on emotion. Too many times we get overly emotional with our beliefs. And yet at the same time we shouldn’t wait to get baptized when we know what we believe.

I’m guilty of coveting Bibles. It seems like such a minor infraction. Lately I’ve been dreaming of those wide margin bibles to write lots of notes. So I got one from Ebay. It hasn’t arrived yet.
There’s a part of me that wants to take detailed notes during sermons and Bible lessons in the margins of the Bible. This new one will help in that endevor. The problem is that I can never find that right verse at the right time when someone is asking a Biblical question…whether it is in class….or in a casual discussion.
The canidates were the NASB and NIV. From my teenaged years and onward I had been warned about the NIV…jokingly called the “Non-inspired Version” within my fellowship. So I managed to get the NASB because I don’t think I could reasonably study the NIV without feeling guilty.
And to some extent I feel guilty if I’m not using the NKJV. Therein lies the conflict. God wants us to understand His Word. Merely to understand the word, one might have to use a contemporary translation which might just be a paraphrase of the original Greek/Hebrew. Preachers have told us forever that one can easily understand the steps to salvation merely by picking up the KJV standard. And yet we all scratch our heads when we read “begotten” or that Mary and Joseph were “betrothed.” Still, for me it takes some explaining by my preacher/minister/elder(s)/Bible class teacher/someone in the know.
Growing up I had heard stories that at my church, Bible class teachers were required to use NKJV, KJV, or some other conservative (read non-paraphrased version). NIV was out.
And yet today, I see “God’s Word” versions as the classroom Bible. And when I ask my class to read, I get all sorts of version…many more version that what we had in my youth. I guess with the advent of more and more Christian bookstores, easy-to-read versions have become the norm, at least among parents who wanted their child groomed for Christianity by reading the Bible. It is merely that they are reading some kind of Bible, not necessarily the one my father used.
And yet should I feel guilty for wanting a Bible that is easy to understand? Possibly not, but I still do. Maybe its all those memory verses I had during VBS and Sunday school, seemingly all learned in standard KJV version. When I hear those verses from my youth being read within some other version, it seems watered down.
The wide margin bible? Still waiting on it to be shipped. It’s a hardback, so I’m not sure of how it’ll look. I’m hoping for a decent cover (read no-flair), but in all likelihood I’ll get one of those ugly designed cover using the latest design tools from Lifeway.
In any case I’m hoping for a tool so that I’ll be able to come up with my own cross references as I study, and not necessarily some other cross reference that some other Biblical scholar thinks is important.

When did life become so complicated? Take for example my church duties. For better or worse I’ve managed to take on quite a bit of responsiblity at church. And now, due to the absence of a fellow churchworker, I’m probably going to have to take on even more responsibilty. I’m nearing burnout.
And yet I look back on what is the most fulfilling worship I always have. It’s the worship I have on the Sunday morning in June before church camp starts. A group of us arrive on Saturday afternoon to get ready for camp. Then on Sunday morning about 20 or so of us worship God. And then the most complicated thing for me that day during that worship service is picking out the songs to sing.
Have we lost sight on what is most important? I don’t know.

“Choose Your Own Adventure” was a set of children’s books geared toward the preteen. I had a few of them, but I always chose the same adventure over and over again.
And yet I look back at my real-life career choices, and things might have gone much differently if I had the mindset I have today. If I had it to do over again, I envision myself as a minister working with a rural congregation, having a part time secular job during the week and preaching on Sundays.
Growing up I was much more of an introvert, with very little speaking skills. And yet today I’ve preached or spoken a dozen times at rural congregations and at youth devotionals. Do I enjoy it? Yes. And yet there is something about the aspect of rural congregations that draw me there. Perhaps its the idea of everyone having a purpose. Everyone knows everybody. And everyone has a job to do.
Why did things turn out as it is now? I guess at that time during those formitable teenaged years I was discouraged by my own self doubt. I saw great speakers around me and thought there would be no way for me to live up to those standards.
And I’ve thought about going back to school to get a graduate degree in Bible. But those passing thoughts never make it further than a blog. No application. No entry. No packing up my stuff and moving to grad school.