It’s Time for a New Bible
December 20, 2007 | Leave a Comment
On November 25, 2007 our home was destroyed by fire. Virtually everything that we owned was lost. It was quite the surreal experience to stand that day at the sight and for a brief moment realize that virtually the only thing left of what we owned, we were wearing. Although the fire didn’t reach the basement, everything downstairs was ruined by about five feet of water collected from the heroic attempts of the Platte County Fire Department to put it out. It is funny how the remembrances of all that was lost seem to come in waves. On the day of the fire the American Red Cross had given us some money to buy some very basic staples for our family – like socks and underwear and coats. That night at Wal-Mart as we were each buying a pair of jeans, I asked one of the boys to get a belt. He started to reply, “That’s okay, dad, I don’t need one. I have one at h…” No, we didn’t have any belts at home anymore. While lying in bed that first night it hit me that the fountain pen which Don Whitney had given me during seminary was gone. All our titles, deeds, Social Security cards, birth certificates, tax records, receipts, passports, diplomas, wall pictures no longer existed. We did find a few gun barrels. All the polyester suits hanging in my closet were turned to plastic. My favorite and absolutely most comfortable house slippers that I had for years were gone. And except for a few fragments, our journals were gone. Lori had kept a prayer journal for most of the nineteen years we had been married. We have found sifting through the ruins a surprising number of fairly-well preserved pictures. Those have been special blessings. Lori has already started our “post-fire” picture album.
But to bring me to the topic of my blog, I also lost all my personal Bibles. I lost my much beloved hardback ESV (the English Standard Version) that I received free from Crossway while in seminary. I lost my NET (the New English Translation) Bible that had been given to me a couple of years ago from a brother in church. I also lost my NAS (New American Standard) wide margin leather gift Bible that I had received at graduation from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. They all perished at the same spot: In the basket right next to my favorite chair by the fireplace. All these Bibles weren’t just mine, they had become me. They had my markings and rantings and comments and notes and stains. This was a particularly heavy loss to me. So it is time for a new Bible. For quite awhile I had been toying with the idea of switching to the ESV (the English Standard Version), but it has been a tough sell. I love the NASB. However, the fire has provided for me a moment to make a decisive break. One of the biggest hindrances I had to switching was Why? I didn’t think the ESV was necessarily a better translation than the NASB and I still don’t. However, there is a readability to the ESV that I particularly enjoy. So today I bought my new Bible for preaching, and I bought the English Standard Version. The translation philosophy of the ESV is the same as the NASB. Rather than a “thought for thought” translation like the NIV (New International Version) the ESV and NASB follow a “word for word” translation. For more information on the ESV visit www.esv.org . So starting in 2008 I will be reading and preaching from the English Standard Version.
I have been reluctant to change translations because changing any tradition always rocks the boat. And rocking boats create waves. And some people don’t like waves. I don’t expect everybody at Faith to run out and buy an ESV (although I did purchase 10 ESV pew Bibles for the church bookstore!), but I would encourage anyone who is in the market for a new Bible to take a good look at the ESV. I can’t wait for Uncle Sam to deliver it. I will start by putting my name on it (you would be amazed at the number of Bibles we have in the Lost and Found THAT DON’T HAVE A NAME IN THEM!). Then I hope to start adding me to my Bible: My notes, my underling, my highlighting, and yes, even my coffee stains.
Blessings,
Tim
Youth Shepherding Group Christmas Party
December 17, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Saturday, December 15
At the Juergen’s Home 5 pm to 9:30 pm
Meet at the church at 4:30 pm Youth Christmas at the Worleys
December Ladies Hobby Night
December 17, 2007 | Leave a Comment
There will be no Ladies Hobby Night in December. Mark your calendars for January 28, 2008 and join us for an evening of fellowship.
Ladies Book Discussion Group
December 17, 2007 | Leave a Comment
The Ladies Book Discussion Group that meets on Tuesday afternoons at 1:00 is taking a break and will begin meeting again on January 8th. They will be starting “The Discipline of Grace.” If you are interested in joining them contact Susan Verstraete at homeworks@linkcity.org.
