Pastor’s Note

The You Bibles - Part 1

Almost a year ago an individual came to me and asked why we don't have any Bibles in our sanctuary. "You ask people to open their Bibles every Sunday," this person observed, "and that's good as long as they have one to open." Now, I have never been a proponent of the "pew Bible." I love to see people bring their own Bibles to church AND USE THEM. But this conversation produced a new vision. What if someone felt that bringing a Bible was too conspicuous-it made them feel hypocritical. Or even more, what if a person NEVER HAD A BIBLE?

I had to admit the concept of having Bibles accessible for anyone who comes to SMC is a great concept, but what Bibles do we use? My other pet peeve about most pew Bibles is that they are generally cheap, hard to read, and have no helps in them.

I was given the prerogative to choose, and so we have the New International Student Bible, hard back, full-sized edition. I have carried that Bible since I was 16. It remains the best -selling study/youth Bible on the market. I preach from it every Sunday and probably will, until it goes out of print or I find a better Bible.

There are several other reasons for my choice that I'd be glad to tell you but I'd rather tell you what God is doing with these Bibles. Shortly after we placed these Bibles, a man stopped in at the office. He came in looking pretty rough. He told me that he had lost his job and his place to live. He was currently living in his car, and was on his way to a job lead when he felt God tell him to turn in to S.M.C. Now folks, at that point I was sure he was going to hit me up for gas money, rent money, food, or something to help him out. But 1 almost fell off the couch when he looked me right in the eye and said, "I was wondering if I could have a Bible."

I said, "WHAT?" He said he knew he needed to get his life on track, and he knew a Bible would help, but he didn't have one. Still in shock, I asked, "why would you come here for a Bible?" Without missing a beat, he looked at me funny and said, "well, you're a church, aren't you? Why wouldn't you have a Bible?"

Then I told him about the Bibles we just got, that I believed God gave us vision to get him a Bible before he even got here, and that I believed God would continue to provide for him. We prayed together and he left. Honestly, if he was real or an angel in disguise just checking up on us, I'm so glad I had a Bible to give him. This doesn't even tell half the "you" Bibles story, so I guess part 2 will be coming.

Amen,

Todd Martin