Religion

By PATRICK BUTLER
Religion Editor

Inventing things was in the genes, perhaps. As a youngster and then teenager, Chris Lascelles spent summers hanging out at his grandfather’s house in New Zealand, inventing mechanical items.

Who knew the Kiwi from little Otorohanga would turn his life’s direction towards God, be involved in missions full-time and years later invent the “Ear Bible” an innovative, easily accessible aid to Bible “reading” in a busy world. The device was a couple of years in the conception and manufacturing stages. It will reach completion soon and ready for shipping in December. His invention contains the entire Bible in the New American Standard Bible updated version.

His grandfather, a British military officer awarded the Member of the British Empire for his innovative contributions in engineering, but not religious, “would never have imagined” his grandson’s fascination with the Bible. Or his own parents, Lascelles said.

“I rarely went to church, didn’t want to go to church and nobody insisted I go to an evangelistic meeting,” Lascelles, 37, said in his Smith County home on Tuesday. “When I finally went as an adult, it was simply to please my mother.”

But it didn’t take long for the lights to go on, he said.

“I really didn’t even want to be there, but as I was listening I was heavily impacted about five minutes into the message. I don’t even remember what was said, exactly. But it changed my life.”

Lascelles ultimately came to Texas for missionary training. After returning home, he sold his house and returned to Smith County permanently to work with Leland Paris of Youth With A Mission’s Global Leadership Team.

He married Debbie, a Registered Nurse who would later start Smith County’s Mercy Works that often visits Sudan, Central America, Asia and other troubled spots. The couple is convinced that America needs a more accessible Bible at a crucial time in its history.”

Lascelles said, “The heritage of America, and the source of much of the blessing to the world is its knowledge and distribution of the Bible. Honoring this country for what it’s done in the past and its current impact on the world is why we spent the time, effort and resources to put the entire Bible in a modern device anyone can use. The Bible is America’s foundation.”

Lascelles’ Ear Bible is a .9 oz device that easily fits in the right or left ear. It’s designed with a hands-free, cord-free and multi-tasking environment in mind. Books of the Bible are easily accessible through scrolling toggles and can be paused during interruptions at work, home or during outdoor activity. The mechanical design for Ear Bible was developed, in South Africa by award-winning engineers at Readymade who designed Blue Tooth headsets for Singular, Motorola and Body Glove. Their design makes Ear Bible comfortable and easy to use, said Lascelles.

The connection to the engineers occurred when Lascelles was speaking to a thousand missionaries in Brazil from around the world, in 2005.

“I told a man there I had no idea how to proceed from concept to completion, and he said ‘I know just the people you need.’ Vektronix, manufactures of some Samsung products, will do the final manufacturing of Ear Bible.

Lascelles reads the Bible on the recordings. He considered using the royalty-free King James Version, but decided against it.”

“I wanted it to be accessible to today’s youth,” he said. “I thought of people like William Tyndale whose sacrifice for his readable translation was to be strangled and burned at the stake. During his ordeal he prayed ‘Lord, open the eyes of the King of England.’ In that light, it didn’t seem too big a sacrifice to pay the licensing fee so people could understand the reading.”

“If you spend just 12 minutes a day listening to the Ear Bible, you can hear the entire Bible in a year,” he said.

“It’s time well spent, that otherwise might go by unused.”

Watching Debbie busy with their two children and also run Mercy Works, gave him another reason to make an Ear Bible.

“Distractions are constant during the day, and a single-ear device allows the listener to respond easily to whatever comes up. A mother certainly wants to know what her young children are doing while she is busy in the home office or organizing. This allows you to do that and listen to the Bible.”

It also could be used on the job unobtrusively, he said.

“There still is a stigma in many work places to have ear buds and cords hanging from the ears. It seems like employees are not paying attention. But with the Ear Bible, employees are immediately responsive to managers. It also fits well under the hair line.”

There are no worries that only one ear gets the audio, he said. It’s a proven information distributing method.

“Single-ear listening is effective,” he said. “We use the telephone every day and that’s single-ear.”

But it’s the spiritual benefit that really captures his imagination.

“I’ve been burdened for revival in America for years,” he said. “This is the next technology in Bible accessibility. When Gutenberg invented the press, it greatly increased Bible literacy throughout the world. Now this.”

The Ear Bible Web site will be launched today at www.earbible.com. Preorders can be made by the internet until August 31, or by phone at (903) 520-7282.

Delivery will by December 12, in time for Christmas, Lascelles said.

“The reference the point of truth the Bible gives us will be what keeps America great and from decline.”

MULTI-TASK: Chris Lascelles demonstrates how the Ear Bible allows the listener to toggle through books of the Bible or pause it without taking it off. The single earpiece allows the user to “multi-task” during event-filled days
((Staff Photo By Tom Turner))