My scriptures are pretty worn out. I'm not sad about it. It makes me happy that I've used them that much. They are 20 years old this year. The writing is all worn off on the spine of my Book of Mormon and the binding is all loose on my Bible. The pages slip up and down on the threads. Yesterday though, the wear and tear proved serendipitous.
I got out my Bible during the sacrament and let it fall open to a page that was nearly falling out. I began to read as the bread was being passed around the chapel. The first verse at the top of the page started like this:
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
While I do not think that it was miraculous that I turned to that page, I do think it was very meaningful for me. It was the right message at the right time and really made me think about the symbols and the meaning behind them in a special way.
Then I turned to look at the first of the chapter. It was about the loaves and fishes and the miracle of feeding so many with so little. I scanned the pages and started reading again where I had some underlining.
28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
48 I am that bread of life.
49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
I know I cut up the chapter and put it out of order, but that's how I read it. That's how it fit for me while partaking of the bread and water myself. It was a good sacrament. Symbols are important and the bread is a good one.
I wish we still got to eat the sweet delicious home-made bread of Sister Blakes, then again, she's not the only person in the ward I wish wasn't gone.
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