A few years ago, I desparately wanted a Brethren Bible Satchel. Well, that's probably not how they were marketed, but if you've spent any time at all around "brethren", you've seen them: the leather satchels just big enough to fit a huge Thumper Special. They've got a handle on the enormous top flap, and are divided into several compartments. Usually they contain a Bible or two, a hymn book, and various sundries. I wanted one of those so badly, but they cost in the neighbourhood of $70 and I couldn't afford one.
Since then, I've gone au naturel, carrying Bible and hymnbook in a casual stack; we used one of those tree-hugger shopping bags for a while; and I carried my old briefcase, which I first got as a gift from my parents when I started teaching high school.
They all had weak points: the stack has a tendency to scatter badly, and you can lose things easily. The shopping bag has no shape, so your books can get bent into all sorts of unnatural shapes; further, it's too big, so too much gets jammed in there, and it results in badly dog-eared books. The briefcase was the best of the lot, but with no real compartments, the books all bang around in there, and eventually I lost a lot of gilt from the pages of a new Bible.
I had considered getting one of the Brethren Bible Satchels, but they're apparently unavailable. All the traditional places to buy one no longer cary them, and searching the web gives no hints at all. I guess I missed my chance.
Well, a month or so ago, I found a new contender. I was in the Family Christian Store, looking for a Penfold Newberry Bible. They didn't have one, of course, but I thought I'd look anyway. I didn't buy the bag right away, but after a week or two of looking on the web and mulling it over, I bought this bag:
This bag is big enough to hold two Bibles, a hymn book, and various other things; but the compartments are small enough that the Bibles don't move around a lot. So it seems to fit the bill. Here it is with my NASB, my Darby, and my hymnbook:
I can actually fit both my NASB and my KJV/Darby parallel in there, but I prefer the smaller Darby. Note too, that NASB is huge: it's a single-column edition, which means it's pretty thick.
For those who recall my love/hate relationship with ESV; here it is, posing with both my NASB and my ESV:
One downside is, for some reason they seem to think a Bible case is incomplete without CD holders. ??????? At any rate, I'll cut them out once I'm sure I can't find another use for them.
The only real problem is, it has a shoulder strap and no smaller handle. That means I can only carry it like a purse. Not a huge deal, but a smaller handle would be nice. I'll see if Ames can either make me one, or guide me in making my own.
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| Bible Bag |
7 comments:
So it's kind of like a gentleman's handbag?
I was thinking you could put those skinny chocolate bars in the CD holder. Or some gum.
I got Mr HSBoots a nice Bible case back in the day. Just a Bible case - no room for a hymnbook or any sundries.
BTW Mr HSBoots' Bible is a single column... I keep forgetting to tell you that. It is nice to read. It's technically a study Bible I think so the column is only about half to two-thirds the length of the page.
You could use the CD holders for putting in some CDs, you know... :P
I've been resisiting the pull of The Bible Case. Yours is pretty funky, though, and I noticed a distinct lack of fish symbols, WWJD or "Footprints." I like. Must get me one of those.
Bungi,
You are clearly a person of superior understanding and keen intellect. I was wondering what I could use a CD holder for! :)
Honestly, CD holders are a complete waste in my Bible case: I read and worship very quietly, and when I transport CDs, I usually do so in an actual jewel case.
But again, once I'm absolutely sure I have no use for them, I'll remedy the situation in a couple minutes with a knife. No big deal.
Well, my Bible case has a little fish logo on the zipper pull, but nothing really tacky.
It doesn't look to man purse-y, so your masculinity still checks out. A handle which to carry it by would provide some extra insurance, though.
"It doesn't look to man purse-y, so your masculinity still checks out. A handle which to carry it by would provide some extra insurance, though."
Well, I wear an aloha shirt to meeting 99% of the time: usually something by Tommy Bahama, but not always. Anyhow, the shoulder-bag goes well with the floral-print shirt...
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