...what ought to be done with an old Bible?
It's falling apart and I can't even find all the pages. It's the NIV, for which I never had any use anyway. It's not quite an antique, but getting there, and looking it. It has no sentimental value, didn't belong to, say, any grandparent.
What's a reverent way to dispose of an old, unwanted Bible?
Another Look at Genesis 3:13-15
19 hours ago
13 comments:
Anastasia,
I don't know. I would definitely NOT throw it out. As I'm sure you know, the Bible is an icon and so it should be treated as such, and I know you would do that. I would suggest that, if you could find someone, you take it to a bindery and have them rebind it and get back as many of the pages as possible. Then you could give it to a charity (many of which do take bibles). I don't know the condition your bible is in, that is, if it could handle that, but it's a suggestion. I'm sure you can come up with an idea.
Perhaps it should be burned like other holy things? I don't know, this is a good question.
I've always buried them somewhere where nobody might walk. Like what we Lutherans do with Baptismal water after the baptism. But isn't the Orthodox answer always "ask your priest?" :)
I would either burn it or bury it in an out of the way place.
My preference would be to burn it.
You might ask over at the Bible Design and Binding Blog. They certainly have binding sources (he has a couple of excellent posts on the subject) and somebody may even be willing to take it off your hands.
Otherwise I would bury it or burn it.
Michael
Nutrition and Physical Regeneration
"The Bible which the owners rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes". :-) [The Apocryphal Gospel of St. Matthew, 21:42] :-)
I agree regarding the burning or burial, just like with other blessed and holy things. You could probably just give it to your priest to dispose of with other similar things. I know St. Tikhon's Monastery has an incinerator for just these sorts of things; the ashes are then disposed of in a befitting way, too.
I am sorry to say I have never had this problem.
...this post is nothing else but the proof of just how much the Orthodox hate the Bible and want to destroy it, because they chose the traditions of men over the word of God (Mark 7:13). ;-)
My priest burns them.
I'd burn it with the Holy trash.
Christopher, I've never been in this situation before, either!
Lucian and Mom, I'm going to guess that your remarks are to be taken as stabs at humor.
-c, holy trash? What's that?
We keep a coffee can full of holy trash. It contains tissues or paper towels that have been used to wipe or clean icons, or which have been used to clean our vigil lamp, paper icons which have become damaged, and other holy things (including damaged dried flowers or palms we've brought home from church) which are burnable and have been rendered damaged or unuseable for whatever reason.
When the can is full, we burn it respectfully.
I must confess any of our holy trash at home I put in the holy compost heap to be used to raise holy vegetables and flowers. I don't think unburned Bibles would compost, but the ash would.
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