Tuesday, July 7, 2015

A Leonard's Fix-Up: RSV-CE (Oxford)

A number of years back, I highlighted the thinline qualities of an Oxford RSV-CE readers edition, which is now out-of-print.  Because it didn't have cross-references, I copied a page of the "Old Testament references in the New Testament" chart and adhered it to the back end pages.  I ended up using it for a few months but discovered that there was a problem with it.  The binding, around the Pastoral Letters, was beginning to come loose.  I was disappointed by this and simply put this Bible away.  After the flood we had last August, I found it in a box that had miraculously survived.  I remembered the issue I had with it, so again I put it a side.  A month or two back, I decided to have it fixed up by the fine folks at Leonard's.  I have had two bibles rebound them, including my beloved Knox, so I thought about seeing what they could do with this one.  I wanted to keep the pacific duvelle cover, which I always enjoyed, but there were a series of other things I wanted done: 1) Tighten the sewing in the back, located primarily around the Pastorals; 2) Remove all glossy pages in the front; 3) Recast the book in the same cover; 4) Remove ribbon and add 3 navy ribbon markers.

Here are the before pictures:


And here are some pictures of what Leonard's did:




In the end, they did a great job at a reasonable price.  Again, if you are looking to have a bible rebound or fixed, go to Leonard's.

Now, if you made it all the way down here, I would like to offer you an opportunity to have this great Bible.  The is available for anyone in Canada or the United States.  You have until this Sunday, July 10th, at 11:59 PM to enter.  You must answer this question in the comments of this blog: What one passage of Scripture describes your faith and why?  One entry per person.  Please make sure to put a name at the end of your answer, particularly if you post anonymously.  I will announce the winner on Monday.  The winner has one week to contact me.

12 comments:

CWBuckley said...

http://bible.com/463/luk.6.46.nabre “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command?

Deacon Dave said...

"For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”has made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." (2 Cor 4:5-7)

Passage I chose and was printed on my ordination card - Deacon Dave

Anonymous said...

Psalm 92:12 (NRSVCE)

"The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon."

I chose this passage because I am a Maronite Catholic (Eastern Rite Catholic from Lebanon in full communion with the Pope) and in the old days before the liturgical reforms this passage would be chanted every Sunday (in Aramaic and English) before the proclamation of the Gospels at Mass. As a altar boy of Lebanese ancestry born in the USA, I was profoundly touched that the county my ancestral l heritage (a county of saints) was mentioned in the word of God. There is just something about hearing this passage in Aramaic (the language of Christ) that spiritually touches to this day deeper than any theological exegesis ever could.

More on Maronites- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maronite_Church

Thank You
George-Anthony

Anonymous said...


Psalm 51
17
Lord, you will open my lips;
and my mouth will proclaim your praise.
18
For you do not desire sacrifice or I would give it;
a burnt offering you would not accept.
19
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn.

To me verse Psalm 51 verse 19 is very important. I love to read and study the Bible. At times its aesthetic and intellectual beauty just knocks me over. However, I find, when I have that sentiment, I am actually telling the Bible what is says: rather than letting the word of God tell me what it says. Only when I read with "A humbled, contrite heart..." (Grail-LOH) does the word of God bring me closer to the WORD.

Jim B.

Tom said...

Unrelated Tim, but I was wondering if Leonard's "Pebble Grain Cowhide" is flexible - if I got the Knox Bible redone with that, would it lay flat?

Timothy said...

Tom,

I consulted a few people, who generally said something like this:
Cowhide is generally flexible and by itself should lay flat. The real question is whether Leonard's can bind the book in a way to make it flat. Your blog reader should call Leonard's and ask.

rolf said...

Tom, I had my oxford large print NABRE rebound in pebble grain cowhide (extra thick) and it is very soft and flexible! That Bible easily lays flat, but Iab not sure how tight your Knox is bound.

Tom said...

Thanks Tim & Rolf! Will check it out with Leonards.

Unknown said...

I find Ezekiel 33:11-16 to be exemplary of my faith, as it reminds me that there is hope if I turn away from sin, yet warns what happens if I don't.

11 - Say to them: As I live, saith the Lord God, I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way, and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways: and why will you die, O house of Israel?
12 - Thou therefore, O son of man, say to the children of thy people: The justice of the just shall not deliver him, in what day soever he shall sin: and the wickedness of the wicked shall not hurt him, in what day soever he shall turn from his wickedness: and the just shall not be able to live in his justice, in what day soever he shall sin.
13 - Yea, if I shall say to the just that he shall surely live, and he, trusting in his justice, commit iniquity: all his justices shall be forgotten, and in his iniquity, which he hath committed, in the same shall he die.
14 - And if I shall say to the wicked: Thou shalt surely die: and he do penance for his sin, and do judgment and justice,
15 - And if that wicked man restore the pledge, and render what he had robbed, and walk in the commandments of life, and do no unjust thing: he shall surely live, and shall not die.
16 - None of his sins, which he hath committed, shall be imputed to him: he hath done judgment and justice, he shall surely live.

Anonymous said...

Tim,

After a series of events in the last couple of years, Ben Sira (Ecclesiasticus) 2:18 has really helped me get through some long days.

"Let us fall into the hands of the lord
and not into the hands of mortals,
For equal to his majesty is His
mercy;
and equal to His name are His
works."

I was raised Catholic in a poor but hard-working Mexican family in a not-so-good neighborhood in south Chicago. My parents moved us out due to crime and gangs to Texas when i was 13 and was affiating myself with the wrong people. Though culturally we are not know for reading the Bible on a regular basis, we were devout to our Catholic faith. At 18 i moved out of my family's house and unfortunately started distancing myself from the church. Even then i still considered myself Catholic and an overall good person. After a couple of years i got married, in the church, and after some time had a beautiful baby girl. She is truly a blessing since we struggled for some time to conceive her. But, unfortunately, i was already in bad shape. I was struggling with my faith and a liberal life style, i.e. drugs, alcohol, extra-marital activities, etc, and ended in trouble with the law.

I then decided to straighten myself out and started getting back with my faith but it was too late, i ended up in jail. During my stay i requested a Bible and a Rosary. The county gave me a beautiful NABRE bible that i read everyday and a rosary that i still have and pray on a daily. My legal case got worse and even more complicated and now i am separated from my family in an unfamiliar country thousand miles away (i dont think i need to say why). I still read my NABRE Bible on a daily, go to church several times a week and my faith is tronger than ever. But it was that passage and specifically that verse that has helped and is still helping to continue to "carry my cross" and maintain a healthy life style. I know that God will help reunite me with my family and with a much better state of mind but until then i will continue to read that passage and strengthen my faith.

Sorry for the long story, but it does help to talk about it. Many people may not go through what i have gone through and i dont wish it upon anyone but i will tell it a million times again (and in more detail if they want) if it helps them get through tough times.

With love and faith,
Adolfo

p.s. great blog. I have been reading it more a minute now and find it a great tool to continue strengthening my faith and get closer to our Lord and His Word. From the bottom of my heart i thank you!!!

Anonymous said...

After suffering an injury five years ago that has left me in a state of chronic pain, I have often found myself meditating on the following two verses:

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. - Philippians 1:21

&

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking[a] in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church, - Colossians 1:24


[a] what is lacking: Christ’s sufferings were, of course, sufficient for our redemption, but all of us may add ours to his, in order that the fruits of his redemption be applied to the souls of men.

And again

Others suggest that Paul’s mystical unity with Christ allowed him to call his own sufferings the afflictions of Christ.

Pax,
John Mc

Neil Short said...

Did Leonards just re-smythe sew the pages or did they do their "cross-cord" (which I don't know what is)?