Liturgy: Commitment of old Bibles to the earth (or recycling)
Photo: Sixteen Miles Out via unsplash.com/@sixteenmilesout.
This Liturgy may be adapted for outdoor settings or conducted in a church garden or memorial space. Hymns may be placed between main parts of the Liturgy.
The commitment may involve burial in a dedicated plot or incorporation into a compost area that will nourish new growth.
To allow for proper disintegration of Bible pages, you must cut the cover or bindings off—even gently separating the pages. It is the Word within that is being committed, not necessarily these coverings. It is also appropriate to plant a tree or shrub over the burial.
Churches, groups, or families and individuals may use this Liturgy with permission. Please credit Eld. Gerald Farinas and Edgewater Presbyterian Church, Chicago, Illinois, edgewaterpcusa.org.
Gathering and Opening
Elder: We gather today to honor these sacred texts that have carried God’s Word to us and through us. As we return them to the earth that God created by the divine Word, we give thanks for the ways they have shaped our faith and guided our lives.
People: We are grateful for the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us.
Elder: Let us pray.
Gracious God, you spoke creation into being and continue to speak to us through your written Word. As we commit these Bibles to the earth (or processed recycling), help us remember that your Word is living and active, planted forever in our hearts. Amen.
Scripture Readings
First Reading: Genesis 1:1-3
Reader: A reading from the book of Genesis.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Reader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
Responsive Reading: Psalm 19:1-6, 14
Reader: The heavens declare the glory of God;
People: the skies proclaim the work of God’s hands.
Reader: Day after day they pour forth speech;
People: night after night they reveal knowledge.
Reader: They have no speech, they use no words;
People: no sound is heard from them.
Reader: Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
People: their words to the ends of the world.
Reader: In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
People: It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
Reader: May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
People: be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Gospel Reading: John 1:1-5
Elder: A reading from the Gospel of John.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Elder: The Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Reflection
Elder: These books have been our companions in worship and study. They have comforted us in sorrow, guided us in decision, and challenged us to grow. Though the paper and ink return to dust, the Word they contained remains eternal.
Act of Commitment
Elder: As we place these Bibles in the earth (or processed recycling), we remember that from dust we came and to dust we shall return. But the Word of the Lord endures forever.
The Bibles are placed in the prepared resting place or in a ceremonial gathering bin for recycling.
People: We commit these faithful servants to the earth (or processed recycling), trusting that the Word they carried lives on in our hearts and lives.
Elder: May the seeds of God’s truth that were planted through these pages continue to grow and bear fruit in our community.
People: Amen.
Prayers of Thanksgiving
Elder: Let us pray.
We thank you, O God, for your Word that does not return to you empty, but accomplishes what you desire and achieves the purpose for which you sent it. We are grateful for these books that have been windows into your heart and doorways to your presence.
People: Thank you for speaking to us through written words and living Word.
Elder: Bless those who first received these Bibles as gifts. Bless those who read from them in times of joy and sorrow. Bless all who will continue to share your Word in new ways and new forms.
People: May your Word continue to be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.
Closing
Elder: Go in peace, carrying God’s Word in your hearts.
People: Thanks be to God.
Elder: May the God who spoke creation into being, the Word who became flesh, and the Spirit who breathes life into all things, be with you now and always.
People: Amen.
