Project 365 - The Family Bible

I do not come from a tremendously religious family.  In fact, religion pretty much left my routine some time during high school when my father had a rather nasty falling out with our minister over whether or not to build a new, bigger and better church.  My Dad lost.  He left the church and never looked back. The minister left too, but not before putting in motion his grand scheme.  The new church was built.  Turns out my Dad was right.  The church of my youth is now a senior center.

My mother kept on attending church after the fall, but primarily would only go to the very quiet and sparsely attended 8am service.  She was raised a Methodist.  Her denomination changed to Episcopalian when she married my father  in 1949.  She did her best to be Episcopalian, but, truth be told she never really was.  The better part of her remained with the church of her childhood.

My siblings and I have drifted from religion.  In and out, bouncing here and there.  But, as it stands now, only one of us has an official church of record.  None of us are Episcopalian.  I dance on the edges of Quakerism, but, unlike my son, have yet to commit.  He is a member.  I am best described as a sporadic attendee.

So, why is it that I have held onto this old and battered collection of bibles, prayer books and hymnals?  They stand in the corner of our living room.  At the ready.  I wonder if it isn't more about the connection to family and their connection to a higher power than my own.  A sense of history that grounds me.