november 15, 2006
National Bible Week, Bibles for the Nations, & Prince Charles -- Defender of the Faith?
The National Bible Association’s signature event is celebrated the week of Thanksgiving every year since 1941. Governors and Mayors from across the country proclaim National Bible Week in their states and towns.
Congressional co-chairs from the House and Senate enter National Bible Week statements into the Congressional Record, and every US President since Franklin D. Roosevelt has issued a National Bible Week Message.
Bookstores, service clubs, civic groups, and local congregations participate in and promote National Bible Week using materials provided by the National Bible Association.
Designed to raise the nation’s interest in the value and importance of reading the Bible, it is the perfect kick-off to the religious holiday season.
Since 1951, this special week has been chaired by a well-respected national leader acting out of personal conviction of the importance of the Bible. This year's chairman is Ed Emma, President and Chief Operating Officer of Jockey International, Inc. He describes his commitment to Bible reading:
"Ever since discovering the Bible as a teenager, it has never failed to supply me in my time of need with counsel, inspiration and joy. It has been a trusted friend; one that could be counted upon to lovingly point out where I had gone astray, while providing clear signposts leading me to a better path.
"I am in awe of its infinite richness and ability to reach people through the ages with its message of truth about the human condition and hope through faith in God. The older I get, the more I realize my dependence upon this book and the God who inspired it."
President Bush made this statement regarding National Bible Week:
"I greet those observing National Bible Week. The Bible is a source of hope for the oppressed, guidance for the faithful and strength for the weary. In the Bible, we are told that the poor will be blessed, the proud will be challenged, and the weak and dying will be comforted. Today, individuals across our country and around the world continue to find peace and reassurance in the Holy Scriptures.
"I appreciate the National Bible Association’s commitment to sharing the rich history and timeless lessons of the Bible. Your efforts provide encouragement and inspire people to serve a cause greater than self."
Average American Christian: Nine Bibles -- Average Third World Pastor: Zero Bibles
Research by Christian Booksellers Association (CBA) and Zondervan Publishers indicates that the average American Christian owns nine Bibles and is actively in the market for more.
That statistic troubled Christian Resources International (CRI) Executive Director Fred Palmerton, whose organization receives more than 250 letters a month from pastors and Christian workers in developing countries whose churches own no Bibles or Christian books.
“Every day, more than 122,000 people become Christian’s, and most of those people are in Africa, Asia, and South America,” reports Palmerton, who serves as a volunteer. “They’re attending churches where even the pastors have no Bibles. In our country, the church isn’t growing so much. But the pile of Bibles on every Christian’s bookshelf sure is.”
This discrepancy led Palmerton and CRI to launch Operation Bare Your Bookshelf, a project to make it easy for American Christians to send their Bibles and other Christian books oversees.
“When someone goes to the Web site, they just enter their name, address, and denomination,” says Palmerton, “and then we’ll send them—free—all the mailing materials they need to send their Bibles and Christian books to a specific pastor or Christian worker overseas. We’ll even send them the actual request letter, so they can get to know and pray for the recipient by name.”
Because the mailing materials bear CRI’s return address, volunteers need not worry that they’ll be personally contacted by anyone overseas. But Palmerton says CRI will personally pass on to volunteers the thank you letters generated by the packages they send. Volunteers and recipients are matched by denomination to ensure that the material sent by the volunteer will actually be used in the recipient’s church.
“The resources that are desperately needed in the developing church already exist,” says Palermton. “They are gathering dust on the bookshelves of American Christians.”
The Bare Your Bookshelf web site, www.bareyourbookshelf.com, gives comprehensive suggestions on which books are most needed – books that most average Christians already have on their shelves, or which can be easily found inexpensively in each participant’s local area. Each participant in the program can then fill the mailing bag sent by CRI and take it to the Post Office with the rest of their holiday packages. Sending an M-Bag to most countries will cost less than $15 Donors are also invited to contribute to CRI to support this project.
Prince Charles -- Defender of the Faith?
The Church of England recently declared that Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams would design the coronation service of Prince Charles, who sparked controversy by expressing hopes for a multi-faith coronation when he becomes King.
The highly unusual statement was the Church's first official pronouncement on how the coronation will be handled.
Despite calls from Christian leaders that Prince Charles should be a defender of the faith, reports indicate that the heir to the throne has made it clear he wants to be crowned King in a multi-faith coronation service in a dramatic break with tradition.
But Prince Charles' hopes of a multi-faith coronation suffered a blow when the Church of England asserted the historic importance of a solely Christian service when he becomes King.
In a rebuke to the Prince's hopes of inviting Muslims, Hindus and others to take an equal role in Westminster Abbey, the Church of England made its declaration. The highly unusual statement was the Church's first official pronouncement on how the coronation will be handled.
This announcement comes as controversy brews over the role of non-Christian faiths and non-Anglican Christian denominations in the coronation ceremony held in the ancient Westminster Hall inside the Palace of Westminster.
Prince Charles believes reforms to the coronation are vital to reflect the changes in British society that have taken place since the Queen was crowned in 1953, according to a report in this week's Spectator magazine. His idea is that the modified service would give room to Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Sikh beliefs as well as other Christian denominations.
But the Evangelical Alliance, which represents over one million Evangelical Christians in the UK, is calling for Prince Charles to swear the traditional coronation oath to be 'Defender of the Faith' - specifically the Anglican Church.
The crowning of the sovereign has taken place for almost 1,000 years at Westminster Abbey. The new king or queen takes the coronation oath, which includes a pledge to maintain the Church of England.
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