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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The Bible that has sat on my desk for the past 16 years of ministry is about to give up the ghost, as it were. It’s got water stains, and the spine is broken and separating. I can do some basic repairs and I’m sure get some more service time out of it, and I know I could even get it rebound, but that would cost way more than simply replacing it. My biggest regret will be losing the notes and underlining I have done, and perhaps that’s worth the cost of a new cover. Or, it can give me the opportunity to start afresh in a new Bible.
But, what do you do with an old Bible? Someone asked me that early in my ministry, and at the time I didn’t know the answer and so had to look it up, and now I’m going to pass it on to you. But first let me clear up a common misperception.
99% of Bibles don’t have any real monetary value, even Bibles that are really old. Because the Bible is the best-selling book there are millions of them available. That is not to say that there are not valuable Bibles because there are, but they are very rare. My personal favorite, besides for the Guttenberg, is what is known as the Sinner’s Bible. It crucially left out a word, and so says “Thou shalt commit adultery.” But, there are only 16 known copies in the world.
Now Bibles can certainly have sentimental value, but that’s important to you not to collectors or others. Bibles can also hold some historical value for the area in which they originally resided, especially if they have several generations worth of genealogy in a particular area. But, even that is going to be only for that area. Donating a family Bible from Michigan to someplace in Los Alamos is not going to be helpful.
But, contacting the historical society for the area in which it is from might be of interest. They may also refuse because they have hundreds of others just like it. Their main interest will be in the family records, not the Bible itself, unless it was owned by someone of prominence in that community. So, you can explore donating it, but be prepared for them not to be interested.
The easiest step is simply to recycle it. Note I did not say throw it in the trash. I said recycle it, so that it becomes something else. The American Bible Society says, “It should be remembered that a Bible is a book. It may be helpful to think of the ways we discard books. It would be a good thing to make it useful, and one way to do that is to recycle it. Recycling is an honorable act and that is fitting for a book such as a Bible." In recycling it, we remain good stewards of the earth. It is better to have the fibers reused then lost. In this manner God's word continues. It is recommended that you wrap the Bible in clean paper and then take it to a paper recycling location. Make sure that it will be recycled and will not end up in a landfill somewhere.
Another way of recycling that is a little more controlled is to bury the Bible. Before placing the Bible into the hole, wrap it in a clean cloth. You can also build, or buy, a small wooden box that will fit the Bible to bury it in. Nature will then recycle it, and have it return to the earth. This is how it is done in Judaism, although they are usually buried in cemeteries, often with a body.
The final disposal method is similar to how flags are properly disposed of, which is to burn it. This is what the Roman Catholic Church calls for. Like with the flag, if done appropriately, it is a respectful way to dispose of the Bible. Make sure that the fire is hot enough so that there are no pieces left, and then scatter the ashes back into nature.
Before you do any of these things, please check through the entire Bible to make sure there aren’t other notes that may be of importance, family records, including important documents, and even money. You would be surprised by what people keep in their Bibles.
Whatever means you choose, when disposing of a Bible do so respectfully offering a prayer or a liturgy of thanksgiving and remembrance. But also remember, that we do not worship the Bible, we worship God. It is to whom the Bible directs us, not the ink, paper or cover that make it sacred.
Blessings,
John
What I'm Currently Reading:
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The Journey: Forgiveness, Restorative Justice and Reconciliation by Stephanie Hixon and Thomas Porter (This is a UMW book)
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The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt
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The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and the World by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu
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