Bring Your Own Bible

For a few decades - at least three, ministers have told their congregations to bring their Bibles to church with them. Some ministers have even said if you come into the door have your Bible and call you out if you don't have it.

I remember a time when the church herself was full of Bibles on each pew. Some people brought their Bibles but most didn't, they relied on the Bible in the church. Most of the churches today no longer have Bible and I asked why? Any reasons?

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shuhak · M

I would like to say that they (bibles) were given out to those who needed them. However, I'm afraid it's come down to laziness. People would rather rely on what the "preacher" says instead of seeing whether or not what was spoken was true. Looking into a bible takes effort and many people these days don't want to put forth that effort.
Having a bible on a phone is nice, but phones have a way of taking ones mind away from what's being said (in the bible) and focusing it on something else (games, texting, internet, apps, etc.). Looking up things in a book sticks more in one's mind than doing so on a phone.

FreddieUK · 70-79, M

@shuhak I remember a great preacher coming to our church many years ago and he exhorted us to have our Bibles open in order to check up on him.

shuhak · M

@FreddieUK The bible tells us to check up on what we're being taught to make sure it's true, lest we be led astray. All humans are fallible. Some purposely teach error, while some do so unknowingly.

faery · F

It's the most stolen book in the world, so it probably gets expensive for churches

exexec · 70-79, C

A lot of churches stopped providing Bibles in the pews because nobody was using them. Most newer churches have everything on a screen, so there is no need for paper Bibles or hymnals.

FreddieUK · 70-79, M

@exexec Except that sometimes I want to look up another reference during the sermon to confirm something. If you don't like waving your arms around, a book is handy to cling onto. 😄

exexec · 70-79, C

@FreddieUK I agree. I have mine with me because I teach a class every Sunday, and some people also bring their own.

peterlee · M

I travel light in Spain. I bring just one Gospel booklet which I read daily and a small booklet of mediations. At the moment, Meditations: John 1,2,3 by Brandon Woodard Snr.
Trying to follow a service in Spanish is joyful, with passage read from a lectern:

In England, the three churches I join in are very different in approach. The village one uses the quaint 1662 Prayer Book, no signs of any Bibles. The Anglocatholic one treats the Bible as a source, with little emphasis on it. The Bible passages are on the service sheet. And the charismatic Anglican Church prints Bible passages on multiple screens. That seems the way forward:

FreddieUK · 70-79, M

I have my Bible on my phone. Would I get 'called out' or judged for using it in church?

I hope not. We have church Bibles, but many of us use our phones.

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