Study Materials (Bulletin Article for February 24)
It has been a long time since we mentioned our church library in our bulletin. Our library contains a great number of materials for your use. It’s sad, though, that very few of the books ever get used.
You may be reading a passage and wonder, “What exactly is this talking about?” Instead of waiting for a sermon on that one passage, why not do a little research on your own? It is amazing how a little hard work can reveal so much about a passage.
Some of you may have been in our library and thought, “There aren’t too many books in here.” I will agree somewhat. There is not a large number of volumes, but the books we have are quality. We have a large number of commentaries compared with most church libraries.
For example, if you want to study the Gospel according to Luke, there are some six commentaries on that one Bible book, in addition to word study books and other books on the life of Christ. Also, don’t forget that there are several Bible translations and paraphrases in the library to help you see how a certain word or phrase has been translated.
It is sad, though, that many of these books almost never get used. There are very few books that are checked out for use. I know that there are some who come by the library and do some research for a Bible class or a personal study, but, for the most part, the library is rarely used. It’s sad that these quality books are not used like they should be!
When someone gives a memorial donation to the library, the church does not just purchase “some” book to fill shelf space. The books that are added are researched and high-quality. They are timely and helpful.
But there are more items in our library than books. Did you know that the contribution at 9th Avenue on February 13, 1972, was $1038.04? I know that because I just looked it up! The library houses every back issue of the Family Newsletter, and even has the publication stored in binders with each year in order.
Brothers and sisters, use the library! Donate to the library. In a time when many congregations have nothing but old books that are out-of-date on the shelves, we are blessed with a blend of the old and the new. Your Bible study will be enhanced if you take a few moments to see what is available for you to use.
