When I told my son Kevin about the ESV Bible giveaway that was coming on Monday, September 12 he was anxious to have a chance to get a copy of an English Standard Version Bible. I’ve been telling him how much I enjoy the ESV and he’s heard me quote it often in my preaching.
It’s a great encouragement to a father that his children desire to read and know God’s Word. That’s why I was a little disappointed on Monday afternoon.
Monday came and Kevin had asked the night before if he could go with me to Traverse City for a hospital call to one of our church members. We left at 6:30 to get there early, made a couple of stops in town afterward and were home by 1 P.M. Soon after Kevin went to the link on the ESV Blog and discovered that the contest was over already. He was disappointed.
I see in the ESV Bible Blog entry today that they may run their next contest later in the day to give those in other time zones a better opportunity at participating. But I have what I think is a better idea. Why not leave the contest open and do a random drawing from all the entries? That way more people have an opportunity at a great Bible and the ESV Bible Blog gets more exposure.
Hopefully someone at the ESV Bible Blog is listening.
Update 9/15/05: I got a nice email from Stephen at the ESV Bible Blog explaining their thinking behind the first-come, first-served giveaway. Which brings me to ask a question of you readers.
Would you or your church take offense at a “random drawing” for a Bible giveaway? If so, why? Proverbs 16:33 tells us that even The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. So is a “random drawing” truly random?