Favorite Bibles & Family Bibles
I fondly recall the Children’s Bible that would be retrieved from the bookshelf on many evenings when my mother would read bedtime stories to my brother and me. I especially remember the times she would pull me into her lap to read stories to soothe me after I had scraped my knee or simply needed a nap. These Bible stories introduced characters of the Bible far more effectively than a traditional Bible would introduce books of the Bible. I am not sure when I first received a personal Bible. When at church, we read from the Bibles in the pews.
When our children were younger, Robbye and I would read from a wide variety of books about key figures of the Bible, events of the Bible or favorite stories from the Bible. I do not recall them expressing a preference for a specific book of the Bible or a particular character or event. What was most surprising was the enormous interest they demonstrated in the Lego Bible. We were all impressed with the level of detail and accuracy so many of the essential stories of the Bible were portrayed through Legos.
Our children had been introduced to graphic novels in elementary school (when my wife and I were the age of our children, graphic novels were known as comic books!). The Lego Bible is arranged in a similar format. Seeing our children arguing for more time to read the Bible was almost comical! Most importantly, knowing that they were enjoying learning about God was quite fulfilling for us as parents.
After my paternal grandmother, Lydia McCoy, died, my dad discovered one of her Bibles that have been given to her as a New Year’s gift from one of her friends, Elizabeth Dunbar Murray (a noted author and instructor in Natchez). I was particularly intrigued by this gift because it seems somewhat rare to give a Bible to a friend as a gift. Bibles are typically given as gifts to celebrate a milestone such as a baptism, confirmation, graduation and weddings. Bibles are also given as gifts for Christmas and Easter.
Bibles also become not only heirlooms because of their connections to beloved family members, Bible also become historical records of births, deaths and weddings. Family Bibles served as the primary, and often only, vital records of births, deaths, and marriages before the advent of modern civil registration. Because they were frequently written at the time of the events, they remain highly prized, accurate primary sources for genealogists tracking family lineages and historical data. While enjoying breakfast with one of the families of the church, we began talking about one of the treasures of Christ UMC—a family Bible that belonged to Esther Wiedenmann (Jeff Wiedenmann’s paternal grandmother) that was published in 1874 and is written in the German language.
Next month, on Rally Day, Bibles will be given to the children (in addition to other special gifts) to celebrate the beginning of the school year and to encourage children and families to read together. There will be lots of other special activities to strengthen the connections among the students and to introduce the new programs and curricula at the church. Everyone probably has a story about their favorite Bible, their favorite Bible story and/or their favorite Bible character. You may also have a Bible that’s a family heirloom because of the loved one to whom the Bible belonged. Your Bible might also hold special significance because of the family record that it contains. Bibles can help anchor families to their faith across many, many generations. We’d love to hear your stories about your favorite Bible and/or Bibles that are special to your family. Please send us a brief email and/or video regarding your favorite and/or family Bible to Roxi@christchurchquadcities.com.
We’ll see you in worship, in class and on the mission field!
In Christ,
Jon McCoy
(For more information about the tradition of presenting Bibles to third graders, please see the article “I Got My Third-Grade Bible! Now What?”
