Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105

On the first Sunday of this month, Abiding Presence Evangelical Lutheran Church gave the gift of a Bible to each Sunday school child entering the third grade of school as well as to children starting their preparation for confirmation. As part of that moving portion of our worship service, the Bibles for the third graders were placed into their hands by their parents while the older students received their study Bibles from Pastor Dan. This exchange -- i.e., the giving and receiving of scripture -- started me thinking about recent such exchanges at our house.

A few years ago, when my husband was still able to read large print, one of our sons and his wife started the practice of giving him a large-print Bible for Christmas. Each year the size of the print increased and allowed him the independence of personal study as well as the ability to read passages of the Bible aloud during our daily devotional time together.

Now, my husband can no longer read large-print. Knowing this, one of the members of our congregation loaned him her copy of the Bible on cassette tape. Jack listened to the tapes daily until he had "read" the entire Bible before returning them to her.

This summer my cousin gave me two very used copies of the New Testament. My maternal grandmother had given these to her oldest and youngest daughters. Each is inscribed with the name of the child who received her copy of the "good news" printed in the New Testament. Each book also has the date it was presented and is signed as being a gift to my aunts from their mother. The death of my grandfather forced my grandmother to raise eight children, ages 18 to 4, in a coal-mining village on a small pension and the generosity of neighbors themselves living at, or within, various levels of poverty. My grandmother felt it was important to purchase and present a copy of Holy Scripture to each of her eight children. The purchase of such for the two oldest daughters was made prior to the death of my grandfather. However, the purchase and presentation of the New Testaments were done for the six younger children during the time that she, and they, lived in dire poverty.

Giving and receiving of Holy Scripture is for all ages and for people in all stages of their life's faith journey. Current technologies have increased the ways we can deliver and receive the message of the Bible. I plan to give several Bibles as Christmas gifts this year. Why not join me?

Lord, be with those who study your word
and attempt to put it into practice. Amen

Contributed by Nancy E.
Sunday October 29, 2006
Liturgical Year B Week 49