Posted on by PeaceBang

Praise For the Kindle

As graduation time approaches, some of you may be in the wonderful position of fielding questions about what you might like as a gift.
Please graciously accept such offers, dear ones. While it is may be admirable to demur and say that really, a contribution to a relief organization in your name would make you very happy and be much appreciated, that isn’t a realistic or even particularly wise response. The fact is that your profession will require of you certain items, like vestments and preaching folios, that are not inexpensive. Accept them as gifts now and you will have the double benefit of associating them with the “moments of high resolve” whose memory will inspire you when the going gets rough, and of not having to try to pay for them on a newbie pastor’s salary.

A Kindle or other electronic reading device may be one gift to consider. I received mine as a gift this past winter and I find it invaluable for ministry. I now read all of my wedding and graveside services off of the Kindle, saving paper and the fuss of dealing with pages blowing in the wind during outdoor observances.

I was glad to have a Kindle during our recent Blessing of the Animals, and I like it for christenings and anything else I do from the chancel. I purchased this cover for mine from Oberon Design:


Yes, it was expensive, but it’s absolutely beautiful and eminently appropriate for sacred services.

14 Replies to “Praise For the Kindle”

  1. PB, when you say you do services from it, are you able to upload your own materials on it? I don’t suppose it comes with a “new book scent” option, does it?*sigh*
    [Susan, yes! You simply e-mail yourself a document attachment at your.name@kindle.com. The formatting doesn’t preserve but I haven’t found that to be a problem, being an old hand at the work of ministry. Newbies will want to rehearse their services before presiding. – PB]

  2. Oooo, maybe a whole post on great graduation gifts? I agree entirely- ask for the sky when you graduate, because professional ministry equipment ain’t cheap.

    My favorite gift was not electronic, but since you wrote about Kindles:

    In the category of electronic toys, I like what eReaders can do, but my first purchase would be a sanity saving SmartPhone. These are tools we didn’t have when I started, but can be so helpful for the reasons you point out above. Can a kindle do your service AND hold the homily, too?

    Whenever I am the boss clergywoman for a nice young one, my gift will be either a GPS or an eReader for the new graduate. It’s just a great tool.

    Right now, I’ve given a really nice, slim leather three ring portfolio with a list of some of my favorite books, and a full fill of page protectors. It’s the pre-Kindle version of your idea above. I printed the service with my sermon in the proper place, and placed the words in the page protectors. I once had one with an opening in the front for a small picture- I changed the picture according to the service (such as autumn leaves for a fall wedding, or a cross for a funeral).

  3. BTW, just for the record, ereaders will never replace real books for me, but there are some places they’d do the duty. I dream of a world where I could email the completed service to parishoners and have them download it onto their e-readers just before service, saving the expense and paper of printing out bulletins. Of course, I’d have a limited number of bulletins for visitors…

    I can dream!

  4. On the idea of graduation gifts one a seminary professor suggested to us was a subscription to the journal Interpretation. I have used it throughout my ministry with great gratitude. I’d also suggest one or more volumes of the Anchor Bible Dictionary.

  5. Why do I need a Kindle when I have a Book of Common Prayer? And what is a preaching folio? Asks the snotty Episcopalian.

    Bee–check out Christ Church, Savannah (ccesavannah.org) They e-mail a gorgeous bulletin to parishioners every Sat. afternoon to download. Just click on “Bulletin” download.

  8. Ooh, tweaking the BCP! My mother always skipped the “men” part when saying “..For us MEN and for our salvation…” 🙂

  9. Sometimes the BCP, while venerable, can be cumbersome in the act of Holy Book Juggling. I love my combo prayer book/hymnal, and iin most services just use that with the leaflet. Things get complicated, though, when the church also uses LEVAS and WLP, requiring much flipping through of pages. So for a simple service, nothing beats the BCP in paper form, but for complicated liturgy, a folio (or e-reader) with the full text of the service makes the liturgy seamless, and thus makes the presider transparent in her role- it’s like a ballet- you notice the movement, not the effort put into it.

  10. Good points! I do like to depart from the BCP and go to New Zealand or the C of E texts.

  12. Hi PB,

    Aaron from Dallas, here. Quick question. Are you using the kindle 2 or the DX? I’ve been thinking about uses for ministry also, but I’ve yet to make the leap. [Just the regular one, I don’t think it has a model name. It’s definitely not the Kindle DX. -PB]

    Aaron

  13. I have just purchased a Kindle tonight for ministry. I used the last of my educational funds for it, since it was on sale. I’d been thinking about getting one for quite some time and think it has a number of possible uses in our field.

    You could have all your bedside prayers on there for the dying. You could have a copy of the Bible. And etc., etc., etc. That way you’d only need to grab your Kindle when you’re going out the door and you’re good to go!

  14. I can send content to my KINDLE? This just changed my little world! Especially for outdoor weddings living on the prairie! (I usually weigh down each page in my black leather binder by taping a penny on the corner–very tedious prep!)

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