Sunday, March 9, 2025
To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. ~ 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
Written by Joan Fudala | Elder
Two historic Bibles are precious to me. My brother Craig and I share a beautifully-illustrated “BIG” Bible (it must weigh 10 pounds!) that was gifted to our German immigrant great-grandparents in 1895. In addition to Old and New Testaments, it has 1895-era maps of the Holy Land, history lessons, full-color works of art and family genealogy pages. Many of our ancestors’ hands have recorded the weddings, births and deaths of our dad’s side of the family. It is fascinating to see, in their distinctive cursive, the history of our family, and know that we continue to share our faith as Presbyterians.
I also treasure the leather-bound King James Bible presented to me in 1960 by Greenhills Presbyterian Church, my childhood church in Cincinnati. It was an annual tradition to bring third-graders into the adult Sunday service to be presented our first ‘grown-up’ Bible in a solemn ceremony. Over 65 years that Bible has traveled the US and the world with me. It’s been a touchstone for faithful inspiration and a source for fact-checking and quotes I’ve used in some of my writing and research. A somewhat frayed, satin bookmark given to me in Sunday School marks the 23rd Psalm. The Ecclesiastes ‘for every season’ passage is another I’ve reflected on throughout my life, particularly remembering The Byrds’ rendition of “Turn, Turn, Turn”, a favorite from my teen years in the 1960s.
Prayer: Holy God, may your holy words be written on the pages of our hearts. Amen.