Michelle Ule's Blog, page 16

What is a Missionary? Ask Chambers or Cowman

What is a missionary according to Oswald Chambers or Lettie and Charles Cowman?

Chambers explains it well in My Utmost for His Highest:

A missionary, in this case, is someone sent by Jesus Christ just as He was sent by God. The great controlling factor is not the needs of people, but the command of Jesus. . . .

But in the New Testament, the inspiration is put behind us, and is the Lord Jesus Himself. The goal is to be true to Him— to carry out His plans.

My Utmost for His Highest October 26

Someone sent by God, obviously, to serve Him with his/her life.

While the term in the west traditionally refers to a Christian missionary, it can be applied to any person who believe it’s important to share “good news.”

Chambers’ commitment to the missionary movement

Oswald Chambers and his wife Biddy ran a Bible Training College in London from 1911 to 1915.

Designed to train and prepare Christians for the mission field, the BTC focused on Biblical training.

As a YMCA secretary in WWI
(Wheaton College Special Collections)

It wasn’t, however, just Bible knowledge. Students needed to know how to apply it–to themselves first.

As Chambers explained in My Utmost for His Highest on September 21: “A missionary is created for the purpose of being God’s servant, one in whom God is glorified.“

The result?

“The first thing God will do is force the interests of the whole world through the channel of our hearts. The love of God, and even His very nature, is introduced into us. “

My Utmost for His Highest on September 21

Once Christians get their hearts right, they can move on to others.

Designed to prepare them for the field, the BTC sent out missionaries throughout their native countries and around the world.

(You can read about the fruit of the BTC training in the lives of a dozen students after they finished their coursework here).

Chambers’ idea for the BTC came after spending a semester at God’s Bible School in Cincinnati, OH, followed by a 1907 visit to the Oriental Missionary Society Bible Training Institute in Tokyo.

Lettie and Charles Cowman on missionary life

As two of the five founders of the Oriental Missionary Society, the Cowmans devoted their lives to spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to people who had never heard before.

While the mission’s focus started in the Far East, specifically Japan, Korea, and China, it eventually circled the globe.

Like Chambers, the Cowmans believed growing faith meant learning what the Bible said about Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit.

How could a missionary expect to share good news if they didn’t know it themselves?

They trained for the mission field by attending classes at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. The two poured through books, and spent hours studying the Bible first hand.

A desire to share good news overwhelmed them some days.

Charles Cowman handing out tracts in Korea, 1908 (OMS archives)

Indeed, the vigorous Charles Cowman rarely slowed down and began sharing the good news of Jesus Christ’s gift of salvation available to all, the day after he bent his knees to God.

The first person he spoke to was a close friend, Ernest Kilbourne. Kilbourne thought through Cowman’s words, checked the Bible, and submitted his life to Christ that night.

Kilbourne and his family moved to Tokyo the year after the Cowmans and Juji Nakada established the Bible Training Institute.

The OMS (Now called One Mission Society) is still going strong today.

Why does a modern missionary serve?

When God “calls” a person to become a missionary, he places a longing in their heart to do several things.

A missionary wants people to know the freeing power of Jesus’ salvation. Medical missionaries want people to be physically healed and cared for, along with healing.

Or, as the lyrics explain in What a Beautiful Name It Is, (addressing God): “You didn’t want heaven without us, so Jesus you brought heaven down,” to earth in his life.

How does being a missionary change a person’s priorities?

Several of my friends got “caught” in the early 2020 United States COVID shutdown while on furlough from their foreign mission fields.

Current Missionaries
Photo by Dr Josiah Sarpong (Unsplash)

They fretted about being “stuck” so far from the people they’d given their lives to serve.

One “escaped the US” the minute her continent opened.

The other chose to fly the long way around the world, after months of begging her missionary agency to let her return. She endured three overnight flights and four days of travel to reach her mission field.

Frankly, their overwhelming desire to return to the field made no sense to me at the time–which is why I’m not a foreign missionary.

Aren’t we all missionaries?

If you’re a Christian, Chambers believes you are a missionary.

The goal of the missionary is to do God’s will, not to be useful or to win the lost. A missionary is useful and he does win the lost, but that is not his goal. His goal is to do the will of his Lord.”

(My Utmost for His Highest, September 23)

Streams in the Desert includes a quote from Reverend Henry van Dyke on December 14: “The missionary enterprise is not the Church’s afterthought; it is Christ’s forethought.”

National missionaries for the Great Village Campaign, 1915. (OMS archives)

Which, of course, takes us to the Apostle Paul in the book of Acts.

Read Acts if you don’t believe Chambers or the Cowmans.

(Or, check out Dr. Jack L. Arnold’s overview of Paul’s missionary life in Biblical Perspectives Magazine).

Christian missionaries come in all shapes and sizes.

You may be one yourself.

But certainly, someone, somewhere told you the good news of Jesus Christ’s life, death, and sacrifice on your behalf.

However they told you about Jesus, they were a missionary–to you.

Tweetables

What is a missionary according to Oswald Chambers and Charles Cowman? Click to Tweet

Devotion authors on missionary living. Click to Tweet

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Lions in Israel? Oh, my!

“Lions in Israel!” I texted my daughter while visiting the country.

As expected, she laughed.

Lions in “wherever” is a running joke in my family.

Whenever we see one depicted somewhere, we call out “Lion!”

(I usually then take a photo.)

All the same, I was surprised at how frequently they turned up during a recent trip.

And curiously, I caught sight of them in the south around Jerusalem. I didn’t see any in the Galilee region.

When could you find lions in Israel?

From an earlier post, I knew lions roamed the countryside before Jesus arrived.

They lived in the forests, mountain caves, in the desert, and along the banks of the Jordan River.

Known as Asiatic lions, they ran into the Crusaders about the 12th century and went extinct.

In the Middle East in general, lions survived in the wild until the 20th century.

They generally weighed about 400 pounds when full grown and today can be found wild only in Indian state of Gujarat.

As it turns out, Jerusalem’s Biblical zoo has an Asiatic lion cub this year.

Lions in the BibleLion fountain at Beth She’an

Lions are featured regularly throughout the Bible, both in symbolism as well as historical reference.

Samson killed a lion with his bare hands on a journey to Timnah in the Philistine territory (Judges 14). David killed a lion while protecting his father’s flocks in Bethlehem (1 Samuel 17:34-36). A lion killed a disobedient prophet (1Kings 13:20-27). You’re familiar with Daniel’s visit to the lions’ den? (Daniel 6:16-24)

Lions are, in fact, referenced over 150 times in the Hebrew Bible.

But why?

You, perhaps, have heard of the Lion of Judah on the throne? (Revelation 5:4-6)

Judah is a lion’s whelp; From my prey, my son, you have gone up.

He crouches, he lies down as a lion,

And as a lion, who dares rouse him up?

Genesis 49:9

Museum Antiquities

The Israel Museum has many depictions of lions throughout their archaeological wing.

We saw them depicted in displays of idols, to warn off visitors, and in ceremonial drinking cups.

Lion idolWarning on a wallDrinking vesselCaananite steele

The lion is a symbol of the Jews and it appears as the coat of arms to the city of Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem sewer covers sport them as well!

The current living lions in Israel?

Cats.

They roam freely throughout the country.

We saw many in Tel Aviv, and asked a resident about all the cats.

She explained they were taken care of and allowed to roam freely. Most were spayed, but even on the Temple Mount we met a mama cat with a nursing kitten.

According to an article in the Jerusalem Post, two million cats roamed the streets in 2021, with an estimated 300,000 in Jerusalem alone.

In Israel, feral cats are said to be as common as squirrels in the US, and their presence is a defining characteristic of everyday life in the Jewish state.

Brought by the British in the 20th century to deal with Mandatory Palestine’s rat problem, the population of cats in Israel has since skyrocketed,

Jerusalem Post, August 8, 2021

In the fall of 2021, the Israeli government budget allotted $4 million to handle stray cats.

You see them everywhere in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, length of tails, and colors–though it seemed to us black and white cats predominated.

I was surprised to encounter them greeting tourists in Jerusalem’s Upper Room.

And, you can always walk through the Lion’s Gate into Jerusalem’s old city.

Cats mark the spot (Lion’s Gate; Jerusalem)

Tweetables

Where can you see lions in Israel? Everywhere! Click to Tweet

Lions in Israel: historic and those with a modern meow. Click to Tweet

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A Daily Devotional’s Value

How do you measure a daily devotional’s value?

Why would one be important?

And how to choose one?

With a new year starting soon, it may be time to consider if you want to use a daily devotional, and if so, what kind, and why?

How to choose a devotional

Ask yourself these questions:

Why do I read devotionals?What am I looking for in a book of devotional readings?Who wrote it (and are they dependable in their beliefs?)How long do I have to read a devotional?When in my day will I have time?Where will I read a devotional? (Computer, phone, book?)

A devotional’s value comes from regularly reading it.

Finding one that suits your situation will help you get more out of it.

How can you rate a devotional’s value to you?

What’s happening in your life right now?

Is this a season of grief? Try Streams in the Desert.

Photo courtesy of Rachel Dodge

Are you seeking a way to connect with a tween girl? Try The Anne of Green Gables Devotional. Or The Secret Garden Devotional.

Maybe you have an animal lover you’d like to encourage? All God’s Creatures is full of daily devotions for an animal lover.

Many people love Jesus Calling.

Those looking for intellectual challenges–often men, frankly–generally appreciate My Utmost for His Highest.

Diane Stortz put one together that allows you to read from Genesis to Revelation in a single year.

A devotional’s value in the long run is whether you keep reading it and draw inspiration from the ideas and thoughts.

Why not just the Bible?

An excellent question.

A devotional’s value is meaningless if you just read the devotional and never crack open a Bible.

A good devotional draws its truth from Scripture, nothing else.

Many devotionals (as noted above) draw their concepts from themes.

Those can work for many–as introduction to what is really important: the Word of God.

Some people don’t want to carry a Bible in their backpack, or they prefer to be quiet about their faith.

(A phone Bible app can solve that problem, by the way).

A devotional with a beautiful cover may encourage questions from folks who see you reading it.

Whatever your reason for using a devotional, don’t use it in lieu of the Bible.

I’ve used My Utmost for His Highest as a tool to get me thinking before I read the Scriptures.

Types of devotional booksMy friend Lisa produced this lovely devotional for people who like to color.

Again, they work around themes.

But, you can get them in many different formats.

Stories, cards you pick out of a box, flip books, spiral bound, with wide margins to write notes.

Coloring book devotionals work well for many, too.

Classic devotional books

I’ve written frequently about devotionals, in particular My Utmost for His Highest and, lately, Streams in the Desert.

A devotional’s value can be proven; they’ve both been in print for nearly 100 years.

Like most Christian devotional books, each day’s reading is based on specific Biblical passages–though not necessarily in a precise order.

Whether based on Bible passages (My Utmost) or spiritually-themed poems (Streams), they offer short vignettes of 250-300 words to contemplate Biblical truth.

The secret to a devotional’s value?

The aim should be for the reader to walk closer to God, particularly through thinking about Bible passages inspired by the day’s reading.

Devotionals have been around for centuries.

Perhaps, then, the test of time is the best way to assess a devotional’s value?

1878 version of An Imitation of Christ
(Wikimedia Commons)

 Thomas à Kempis‘ wrote The Imitation of Christ in 1420. It was reprinted 744 times before 1650!

The Imitation of Christ is the most widely translated book in history–other than the Bible.

Even Martin Luther had a copy in his library.

St. Teresa de Avila wrote The Interior Castle in 1588.

Brother Lawrence wrote Practicing the Presence of God as an example of how to “live” in your devotion to Christ.

Devotional writers, themselves, use devotionals. Oswald and Biddy Chambers, for example, loved the Bagster family’s Daily Light on the Daily Path, written in the 19th century.

Do you need to use a devotional?

No.

But sometimes it helps.

Have a wonderful year–preferably getting closer to God–whether you read a devotional or not!!

Tweetables

What’s the value of a daily devotional? Click to Tweet

How to match a devotional to your spiritual situation. Click to Tweet

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Simple Ideas for New Year’s Eve Celebrations

Are you seeking some simple ideas for New Year’s Eve?

A way to celebrate, especially if there are kids in the family, without breaking the bank?

Maybe you’d rather not be on the road on December 31?

But how can we make it a night of simple ideas for New Year’s Eve without being boring?

(Though, maybe you’d rather go to bed early?)

Simple Ideas for New Year’s Eve–Family style

Particularly when we had a young family and no money, we needed some simple ideas.

They knew something was up, but no one (except maybe them) wanted to stay up late.

Here are some suggestions:

Settlers of Catan, anyone? (Wikimedia photo)Eat dinner early and plan for popcorn and sparkling cider later in the evening.Movie night. If your kids are older, maybe movies based around a theme. Possible themes: Lord of the Rings, Babe, Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Flubber films or whatever is suitable for your kids. (FYI, A Lord of the Rings-extended edition marathon takes 12 hours).Simple ideas for New Year’s Eve also could involve taping the New Year’s ball falling in Times Square and showing it to gullible children early. Consider watching the ball fall live if you live on the West Coast. (The gullibility and ages of your children may vary).New Year’s Eve–for Book Lovers

Why bother?

Eat and drink anything you like from the comfort of a chair under a good lamp.

Simple Ideas for Folks who love Board Games

We’ve spent numerous New Year’s Eves playing games until midnight.

Just a sample from our stash.

In our case it was usually bridge, but when the children were home, we’d play board games.

Plan age-appropriate games with the whole family participating, in teams if necessary. We’ve enjoyed game nights with Uno, Bridge, Life, Monopoly, and even Candyland.

If you’re got older kids or adults, consider games like Settlers of Cataan.

We’ve spent hilarious evenings playing Pictionary or Charades.

Prayer Watch for New Year’s Eve?

Throughout the ages, Christians have used very simple ideas for New Year’s Eve and held night watch services.

One year, we read through an entire book of the Bible with a missionary friend.

Our church holds a service early on New Year Eve involving prayers and singing.

Some Christian communities use the evening to pray for their church, friends, cities, states, and nations.

What better time to ask for God’s blessings and wisdom than as an old year ends and a new one begins?

Oswald Chambers’ simple ideas for New Year’s EveOswald Chambers 1917
(Cadbury Research Library.)

Oswald Chambers and his wife Biddy usually held a night-watch. Chambers preached and they finished the evening in prayer until midnight..

On his final New Year’s Eve, Chambers taught on “Finish 1916,” Matthew 26:45-46.

He explained it as “The Irreparable Past–Sleep on now . . . [and] The Irresistible Future–‘Arise, let us be going.'”

When the clock struck midnight, he flipped it over to a new message:

1917, a great New Year to you all.

‘And God shall wipe away all tears.’ Revelation 21:4.

Oswald Chambers: His Life and Work, third edition, p 279.

Novel ways to celebrate

We attended a black-tie wedding one New Year’s Eve. Sure, we drank plenty of champagne, but my nephew knew our family well.

After the confetti, dancing, and salutes, they served In-N-Out Burgers.

I don’t remember what time we went to bed.

Another year, we flew home from a camping trip in New Zealand.

We crossed the dateline at midnight–and had a 48-hour New Year’s Eve.

Filled with energy when I got home, I finished the laundry and balanced the checkbook just before the year ended a second time!

(Not recommended).

Ending one year, beginning another

In the end, New Year’s Eve is simply the turn of a calendar page.

Do you need simple ideas to move forward in 2023, or any year?

Is it time to finish writing in your journal for this year and crack open a new one for next year?

Perhaps the new year could mark a new daily devotional?

Some people make New Year’s resolutions. Other friends select a word to focus on in their new year.

As for me, going to bed on December 31 with a good book is the most appealing.

Unless someone challenges me to a rousing game, say, of Candyland?

Happy New Year.

Tweetables

Simple ideas for New Year’s Eve Celebrations–any year! Click to Tweet

Games, books, movies, and loved ones. Ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Click to Tweet

The post Simple Ideas for New Year’s Eve Celebrations appeared first on Michelle Ule, Author.

10 Christmas Films Worth Watching

So, what are my Christmas films worth watching?

I grew up in a secular home for which Christmas vacation was a time to watch movies.

For that reason, the busy two-week break often meant sitting back, taking a breather, and watching a film.

With my own family, we added an Advent calendar, Jesus-focused Christmas carols, and Handel’s Messiah running in the background.

We put together puzzles, laughed, baked Christmas cookies, went to church, and celebrated.

During some hard Christmas years, we traveled. Several years we attended family weddings.

But we always scribbled Christmas cards, inserted a letter, and watched movies.

Here’s a breakdown of what we particularly enjoyed in December.

Fun yet Poignant Christmas FilmsGreat to write Christmas cards while watching. (Wikimedia) While You Were Sleeping.

It’s the wit, mostly, and the poignant story of a lonely young woman who falls into a family.

My nuclear family spent too many Christmases far from my big Italian family. I know Lucy’s yearning to be enveloped into a warm, loving, ridiculous, and a sometimes silly, clever family.

And, of course, just like me, she has a happy ending.

I usually watch this movie while I’m writing Christmas cards.

: If you fit into my pants I will kill myself.

The Man Who Invented Christmas

This film came out a few years ago, but I loved it in the theater and have savored it yearly ever since.

I laugh and laugh.

My poor husband, after years of living with a sometimes absent-minded writer constantly inspired by things he cannot see, also enjoys it.

He cheers on Mrs. Dickens.

(father): We must not disturb the poet when the divine frenzy is upon him.

It’s a Wonderful Life

I first saw this movie shortly after I became a Believer. We all love it in my family–preferably in black and white.

The angel earning wings when you hear a bell is nonsense, but loveable–especially whenever I catch the sound of a tinkling bell!

“: Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”

The Shop Around the Corner

Jimmy Stewart’s in it; of course it’s terrific (Wikimedia Commons)

Along with its remake In the Good Old Summertime.

An ensemble cast of store clerks overcomes challenges, resists falling in love, and sells out the shop just in time for Christmas.

The Judy Garland version with Van Johnson, In the Good Old Summertime ,includes singing.

(I don’t care for the updated You’ve Got Mail.)

“: Psychologically, I’m very confused, but personally I feel just wonderful.”

Musical Christmas Films White Christmas

Can there be any other?

It’s glitz and pageantry, absurdity and poignancy. Some years I like it better than others.

My favorite song in the movie isn’t a Christmas song. It’s “Counting Your Blessings.”

I often sing that song during the non-Christmas season.

“When I’m worried and cannot sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep.

And I fall asleep counting my blessings.”

Meet Me in St. Louis

Technically, it’s not a Christmas film.

But Judy Garland’s famous rendition of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas adds a poignant twist to the (same) group of us who weren’t always home for Christmas.

It also reminds us to love even the most illogical members of our family.

: Money. I hate, loathe, despise and abominate money.

(her father): You also spend it.

Kid Holiday Movies

They’re “holiday” movies and silly, so I have to be in the mood.

I usually cook while these movies play.

The Santa Clause

I don’t know why I think this movie is funny. I can only take it every other year or so.

But, the winsome boy and a dad who opens his heart to change are golden.

Watching Scott, literally, grow into Santa Claus is hilarious.

We’re your worst nightmare. Elves with attitude.

Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Story

Another variation on Dickens, this is the most-watched Christmas film from my childhood.

That ghost of Christmas past is the stuff of nightmares, which it caused, but it introduced me to a different version of Christmas than I knew from my family.

It was interesting when my then-four-year-old child had no problem with the ghost of Christmas past, even as I had to squelch horror in watching with him!

(This Strong Women podcast is worth listening to, in which they explain Dicken’s Christmas story’s Christian roots).

Baa, humbug!

NOT!

Christmas Films and Truth Jesus of Nazareth

The 1977 Frank Zeffirelli mini-series, and only the beginning when Olivia Hussey depicts the annunciation so very well. Who can forget her face as she responds to an angel only she can see?

Mary: My soul magnifies the Lord.

A Charlie Brown Christmas It’s not about the tree, Charlie Brown! (Wikimedia Commons)

We don’t watch this every year, but it’s one of the few cartoon films that take Christmas, Advent, seriously.

We’ve shown it to kids at church, sung Christmas carols, eaten appropriate cookies, and left happy.

Linus, of course, gets the wonderful task of reading from the book of Luke.

It’s powerful.

Everyone: Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!

Why are these my favorites?

It’s interesting to look at them as a group.

Meet Me In St. Louis and have a Merry Christmas. (Wikimedia Commons)

I see wit, sentiment, good humor, Jimmy Stewart, Judy Garland, and Bing Crosby–among other great singers.

But there’s also poignancy, lonely souls, and a sense that Christmas should mean togetherness.

I’ve spent Christmases like that.

Because of too many sad Christmases, I usually focus on Advent this time of year.

The longing for a Messiah’s return touches all of us, no matter where we are.

That’s what Christmas really is–especially to me.

But, it’s also family gatherings, love, redemption, great music, and a chance to have Handel’s Messiah playing in the background.

Maybe they’ll make Christmas films about the great Christmas hymnology, someday?

Regardless–we’ll hear them in heaven.

A blessed Advent and Christmas to all.

May your hearts be filled with love–no matter where you are or who you are, or are not, with.

Jesus is the real reason for the season, anyway.

Tweetables

10 favorite Christmas films–watched most years. What are yours? Click to Tweet

What are the similarities in your favorite Christmas films? Name your favorites! Click to Tweet

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Bethlehem in 2022: Shepherds’ Field and Church

We visited Bethlehem in 2022–specifically Shepherds’ Field, and the Church of the Nativity.

Located in the Palestinian authority, less than a dozen miles south of Jerusalem, Bethlehem covers the hills where shepherds grazed their flocks by night.

Or by day.

Both on that fateful night, as well as for at least a thousand years before.

The history is interesting, but in 2022, we visited simply to learn, reflect, and see.

Bethlehem in 2022–in contrast to a few years BC

We rode an air-conditioned bus, not a donkey, and I was not pregnant.

The city is built up after 2000 years and Palestinian Security Forces patrol the town rather than Roman soldiers.

Bethlehem in 2022 is a busy place
(Author photo)

Some 170,000 people live the town now. When Mary and Joseph traveled south for the Roman census, our Palestinian Christian guide estimated some 500 people lived there.

About 40% of the population are Christian Arabs. No Christians lived there until Jesus’ birth.

2000 years ago, local shepherds raised “sheep without blemish,” for the temple sacrifice in Jerusalem.

Tourism is a main source of income now, but with no tourism allowed for nearly five years, many residents moved to Europe where they could work.

For Bethlehem in 2022, May was the crucial month when tourists returned.

The day we visited in early November, marked the busiest day since 2017.

Why here for Jesus’ birth?

God inspired the Bible and He put into the minds of the writers interesting parallels.

Bethlehem is mentioned 49 times between the Old and New Testament, according to the Blue Letter Bible.

It first appears in Genesis 35:19–when Jacob’s much-loved wife Rachel went into labor, gave birth to Benjamin, and died there.

Other notables include Naomi and Ruth, as well as Boaz, and their descendant King David.

Micah 5:2 predicted Bethlehem as the Messiah’s birthplace.

The name in Hebrew means “house of bread.” In Arabic it means “house of meat.”

(For the Canaanites who originally settled the area, some scholars believe Beth laham was the god of fertility.)

The “legal” reason for Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem is because he came from King David’s line through both his parents.

The Roman census required Joseph and his family to go to Bethlehem for the census.

Caves: Bethlehem in 2022 and back to the past

According to our guide, caves riddle the hillsides throughout Israel.

Bethlehem was no different this year or in the years before.

A cave near Shepherds’ Field. (Author photo)

Shepherds often housed their sheep in caves to keep them out of the weather and safe from thieves and wild animals. Many people lived in Bethlehem caves until the 1930s.

Warm, safe, and relatively comfortable, as family finances increased, they often built a house in front of their cave. Convenient to home (which may or may not have been as big), a cave often served as a stable or manger.

In our guide’s opinion, when Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, they would have sought Joseph’s relatives.

After all, Joseph brought his pregnant wife to Bethlehem because his family came from there.

With too many visitors already staying in the house, no one would think twice about suggesting the young couple stay in the cave/manger/stable.

That meant sense to me.

But where do the locals believe Jesus was born?

Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, was a Christian. When her only child became a Christian, he sent her to Palestine with an open pocketbook, to search for Christian treasures/relics.

The grotto. Some folks were moved, I was not. But I did touch the rock. (Wikimedia Commons)

She traveled about the land establishing churches (or basilicas), including the Church of the Nativity in 326 AD Bethlehem.

Make of that as you like. The grotto, which is below the altar, is one of two spots that guides identify as a possible birthplace for Jesus.

When we visited Bethlehem in 2022, we stood in a long line (while a Greek Orthodox service took place) to visit the grotto.

Some people were visibly moved.

I preferred a different site.

Shepherds’ Field’s Chapel of the Angels

Our guide took us to visit a cave beneath a lovely Catholic chapel at Shepherds’ field.

A recently rebuilt church, Chapel of the Shepherds’ Field, charmed us with its superb acoustics.

Chapel of the Angels (Author Photo)

The church only allows visitors to sing Christmas carols in the church.

How glorious to sing, “Gloria in Excelsis!”

The chapel and cave are just west of an area called Field of Boaz–which links the site back to Jesus’s ancestors Ruth, Boaz, and King David.

Maybe I liked this chapel because–while tourists sang as they wandered through–it felt quieter and more contemplative than the very busy and ornate Church of the Nativity.

Singing in the Chapel of the Shepherds’ Field. (Iphone audio)

In the long run, though, does it really matter?

Visiting Israel impressed us with how physically close everything is. While one place may not be the exact spot where something occurred in the Bible, it generally would be close.

We know Mary gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem.

We know the angels sang and the shepherds worshipped the newborn king. (Not to mention visiting wise men).

That was enough for us–especially since Christmas is just as busy where I live as in Bethlehem in 2022–or a few years BC.

Happy Advent.

Tweetables

So, where in Bethlehem was Jesus born? Click to Tweet

Cave or a basilica’s grotto–does it matter where Jesus was born? Click to Tweet

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The Annunciation: Madonna and Child

We saw depictions of the annunciation, along with the Madonna and child everywhere in Nazareth.

And why not?

Hail, Mary! Full of grace.

Nazareth, and perhaps the Church of the Annunciation, is where the angel appeared to the young Mary to tell her the Messiah was coming.

And she would be his mother.

December 8, by the way, is the Feast of the Annunciation on the Roman Catholic calendar.

Shouldn’t the annunciation be an angel and Mary?ONE

Well, yes, though Jesus was there, too.

Curiously, though, an angel appeared with Mary in only several places at the Nazareth church/basilica.

Can you name the man wearing white with a red stole in the painting on the right?

Bonus points if you guess what nation provided this depiction of the annunciation. (Answers below).

The front of the church provides a carving:

Entry to the Church of the Annunciation

The painting below isn’t in Nazareth, but in Florence’s Uffizi Museum, but it’s the best example of the genre.

Bonus point: Who painted it? (It’s believed to be his first painting).

TWO

But in Nazareth, other than the first two depictions, I only saw Mary and Jesus.

The Annunciation is about announcing someone

Of course, Mary and her acceptance of the angel’s announcement is important.

 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,  to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”

 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

 The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 

“And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.  For nothing will be impossible with God.” 

 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

And the angel departed from her.

Luke 1: 26-38 ESV

Classical art tends to depict her with her baby.

But Jesus really was the point.

International art work donated to the Church of the Annunciation

What I loved about visiting the Church of the Annunciation in busy Nazareth, were the depictions we saw of the Madonna and Jesus from all over the globe.

All of them centered on Mary and her baby in one form or another.

Can you guess which languages/nations presented these mosaics?

THREEFOURFIVESIXSEVENEIGHT

Notice how Mary wears a crown in most of them–appearing as a queen.

Here are six more:

Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen FourteenA universal Jesus and His mother

What I love is the universality of Jesus and Mary.

Each nation provided their image of what their Savior looked like.

Which is exactly what God intended.

 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20 ESV

What about Joseph?

Remember him?

Angels appeared to Joseph, too, though in Joseph’s case, the annunciation came in dreams.

We saw Joseph at St. Peter’s Church in Jaffa (southern Tel Aviv), and it had this painting front and center behind the altar.

A Blessed Advent.

Tweetables

Nazareth’s wonderful depictions of the Madonna and her child. Click to Tweet

Church of the Annunciation: It’s about Jesus (and Mary). Click to Tweet

Answers: 1. Vatican; 2. Leonardo da Vinci; 3. Poland; 4. China; 5. Wales; 6. Dominican Republic; 7. China (again); 8. Slovenia; 9. Ethiopia; 10. Thailand; 11. Bulgaria; 12. Korea; 13. India; 14. Esparanto

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What happened between Malachi and Matthew?

What happened between the end of Malachi and the beginning of Matthew’s gospel?

As in, did the world really go silent for 400 years?

Of course not.

But the prophets disappeared in Israel.

Which caused confusion when John the Baptist appeared on the scene.

But I digress.

Why the question?

We just finished studying Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi in my Bible study.

As we discussed our next subject, they asked me what I wanted to lead.

Not Greek, maybe Hebrew or Aramaic? (Wikimedia Commons)

Advent started this week in 2022, and everyone knows the Gospels well, why not review the beginning of the Church?

How about the book of Acts?

We’re looking at evangelism in our own church these days. What better way to learn than to follow the early Christian’s example?

In the meantime, though, what happened between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New?

This is what I explained at that first Acts study.

Malachi as the final Old Testament Book

The prophet Malachi wrote a short two-chapter book that finished off the Old Testament.

Some scholars do not believe Malachi’s book was the original ending choice.

The Bible Project blog explained:

What we now refer to as the Old Testament did not end with Malachi. In fact, it wasn’t even a single volume book. Rather, it was a collection of separate scrolls that were made to be read as a unified collection, and the book designed as the concluding crown jewel was Chronicles! 

Bible Project blog post 2018

Read the post for a full explanation, but suffice to say no sooner did Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi warn the Israelites, the people returned to their corrupt ways.

Even their exile in Babylon hadn’t driven out all their wickedness.

And then more conquerors came.

The three final Old Testament books review the Israelite apostasy, and end with Malachi’s disconcerting words:

Malachi
(James Tissot; Wikimedia Commons)

You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.”

Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”

Malachi 2: 17 ESV

Some Bible translations like to substitute Malachi 2:16b for the ending, instead: “guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”

The translator’s goal is to be encouraging.

But, the current version actually makes a lot of sense.

Where was that God of justice in Israel circa 420 BC?

He shows up in the next book: the New Testament’s Matthew 1:1, with a genealogical summary leading up to Jesus.

So what happened between Malachi 2:17 and Matthew 1:1–in world events?

Plenty

Bible teacher Ray Stedman noted:

When you open the New Testament to the book of Matthew, you discover an entirely different atmosphere — almost a different world. Rome is now the dominant power of the earth. The Roman legions have spread throughout the length and breadth of the civilized world.

The center of power has shifted from the East to the West, to Rome. Palestine is still a puppet state . . . but this king is the descendant of Esau instead of Jacob . . Herod the Great.

The high priests who now sit in the seat of religious authority . . . are hired priests to whom the office is sold as political patronage.

The temple is still the center of Jewish worship, although the building has been partially destroyed and rebuilt about a half-dozen times since the close of the Old Testament.

But now the synagogues that have sprung up in every Jewish city seem to be the center of Jewish life even more than the temple.

Ray Stedman: The 400 Years Between the Old and New Testaments

This fascinating podcast, Undeceptions, explains the “intertestamental period,” very well.

The major historical points after Malachi lived circa 420 BCAlexander the Great (Wikimedia Commons)322 BC Alexander the Great conquered the Persians and took Judea.323 BC At Alexander’s death, General Ptolemy ruled Israel and Egypt.198 BC General Seleucus Nicator’s descendants conquered Judea.Circa 170 BC Antiochus IV Epiphanes erected a statue of Zeus and sacrificed a pig in the Temple.Circa 167 Mattathias rebelled and won Judean independence.167 BC Following the Maccabean Revolt , Temple purified. ( Hanukkah )63 BC Roman Empire established control of Judea. Insert Cleopatra during this period37 BC Herod the Great begins his family’s rule.The Greek Septuagint translated during this period. The Dead Sea Scrolls are hidden at Qumran.What happened to the prophets and what did it mean?

This 400-years-or-so period is often called “the Silent Years.”

It really wasn’t a silent period. Many books written during this time, however, are not considered part of the modern Biblical canon.

That includes the Apocrypha books such as the Book of Tobit, Baruch, and the Maccabees.

No new prophets were raised up whose words appear in the modern Bible.

But people lived their lives, families grew, and synagogues, particularly in Alexandria, Egypt, developed.

Into that corner of the world about 3 BCE a star began to shine in the night sky.

And everything changed.

The Gospel of Matthew picked up the storyline.

Tweetables

What happened in the world between the Bible’s New and Old Testament? Click to Tweet

Did the world go silent after the Old Testament’s Malachi? Click to Tweet

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Thanksgiving Frolics, Family, & the Future

Thanksgiving frolics usually involve family, food, and the future–as in kids.

How do you do it?

It’s a question I’m pondering as I anticipate the big bird day coming up in America.

For my Italian family, Thanksgiving was a reunion.

For my smaller and thoroughly American family, it’s a joint effort.

In our past while living far from relatives, it was a chance to share a meal.

But in all those settings, we had Thanksgiving fun and food.

Thanksgiving frolics and schoolchildren

If you’ve got any school children in your family, Thanksgiving fun can take many forms. (See Pinterest).

Decorations like candy corn turkeys or Pilgrim hatsDefinitions games–What’s a Pilgrim? Who do we honor on Thanksgiving? Do you like turkey?Gratitude practice–“What are you thankful for?”Place card creativityTable setting decorationsRead-aloud storiesFamily reunion activities

It’s always a time of catch-up for all my relatives.

We’ve used our Italian reunions as learning and sharing Thanksgiving frolics.

Here are some of the ways we’ve done so:

Always bringing specific dishes to share.Genealogy name tags.Sharing family photos.Reviewing family history questions and answers.Celebrating family events: mostly engagements and pregnancies. (Have champagne on hand).Introduced special people.Meeting “strays” who need a place to go for dinner.Alternate Thanksgiving frolics ideas

You don’t have to go home for the holidays if it’s too far, you’re too poor, or your family is too . . . much.

Many years we didn’t make the large gathering.

So, we made our own celebration:

Gather together new friends, particularly at school. (We ate curry).Take a trip–like to the beach. (We had to pick out sand from our turkey.)Ask your church family for an invitation. (Delightful, plus I got leftovers!)Why not eat vegetarian food rather than turkey?Thanksgiving frolics mean fun and games

Frolics simply means fun. “Bonding” experiences for families is always important.

This is not my family. Painting by Jeanne Brownscombe (Wikimedia Commons)

Pinterest is full of ideas.

We’ve tried some with mixed success. But, as long as we’re laughing, who cares about outcomes?

Family photo gatherings–whether three or 54.“Decorating” butcher-paper “tablecloths” (Cover the tables and provide crayons.Or a real tablecloth.More dessert choices than entreesFamily post-dinner hike (We hike the next day).Post-Thanksgiving rodeo.Square dancingFootball games (Two days later, UCLA vs. “the other team”).Why not try a Thanksgiving church service? (Pilgrim descendants read the Mayflower Compact!)Bring an empty picture frame and take fun pictures!

The ultimate goal of Thanksgiving frolics is fun, love, and food–whether good or not!

Tweetables

Thanksgiving fun ideas for families & individuals. Click to Tweet

Genealogy, games, food, and other Thanksgiving ideas. Click to Tweet

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Why is 40 so Important in the Bible?

Does the number 40 mean anything to you–especially in regard to the Bible?

It is 40 days until Christmas from the day this blog post goes live (November 15).

This is not an admonition to get busy. It’s actually a reflection on the number 40 and how often it appears in the Bible.

Some friends and I recently were tasked with praying for 40 days.

We don’t know why God directed us to do so.

Even as I pray, watch, wait, and ponder, I’ve been thinking about the number.

Familiar Bible passages linked to 40 days and years

What comes to mind?

Noah and his family “sailing” on the ark. (Genesis 7:17)

Moses’ life–40 years in Egypt, the same in the Median desert, and also in the promised land.

The spies inspecting the Promised Land. (Numbers 13:25)

Jesus’ days in the Wilderness after being baptized. (Matthew 4)

The number of days Jesus walked with his disciples after his resurrection. (Acts 1:3)

Guess how many days Goliath taunted the Israelites? (1 Samuel 17:16)

Three kings ruled Israel for 40 years–David, Solomon, and even Saul.

Other curious examples of 40 in the Bible.Moses spent 40 days on Mt. Sinai before bringing the 10 Commandments.
Guido Reni, (Wikimedia Commons)

Here’s a run down:

It’s the number of people who wrote the 66 books in the Bible.Moses met with God on Mt. Sinai two different times for that many days.The number of years Eli judged Israel.The number of righteous men Abraham started with when asking God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah. Jonah prophesy of Nineveh’s destruction if they didn’t repent in that number of days. The number of chapters in the book of Exodus.Ezekiel lay on his right side for 40 days. (Ezekiel 4:6)At least five judges served Israel for that length of years: Othniel, Deborah and Barak, Eli, and Gideon.So, what does it mean?

Patterns are always interesting.

For Noah, Moses, Jesus, and the Goliath-terrorized Israelites, the number of days corresponded with major testing.

Noah may have been preparing for 100 years for the moment of launch, but once it began to rain–who knew what would happen?

Moses’ life divided neatly in thirds, with significant testing in each–though it was the last 80 years that saw him walking with God in all matters.

Many commentators believe the number 40 is a sign of testing.

(Hmm, what happened to me when I was 40 years old? Ah, major spiritual and emotional testing!)

Certainly, you can see that connotation in the people’s lives listed above.

It also, however, can correlate to other things.

Four and Ten; Eight and Five

For those who remember math, forty equals four times ten, or eight times five.

An entire “school” of Biblical numerology can provide some insight.

Jesus tempted by Satan for 40 days.
Painting by James Tissot (Wikimedia Commons)

This comes from Mary Fairchild’s post at LearnReligions.com

According to Fairchild, the number four relates to the earth. You know, seasons, directions, Jesus’ parable in Matthew 13 about the four different types of soil.

Ten corresponds to human governments and the Law. Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city to judge.

You’re familiar with the ten commandments.

Since forty equals ten times four–what can we conclude?

Law and earth? How things are done on earth? Does it map with the above verses about Noah, Abraham, and Nineveh?

What about eight and five?

As Fairchild explained: “The number eight may signify new beginnings, although many scholars don’t attribute any symbolic meaning to this number.”

(Eight people survived the flood; circumcision takes place on the eighth day–again a new beginning.)

Hey, numerology was not a gift from God; we’re just looking for patterns here–so it may not apply at all.

Five?

“Five is a number associated with grace.” She noted there were five Levitical offerings and Jesus multiplied five loaves of bread to feed 5000 men.

Another idea–the grace of new beginnings.

What does it mean to me and my friends called to watch and pray for 40 days?

We worship a God who asks us to trust Him and when He asks us to watch and pray, we need to do so.

I don’t know what will happen, in our case on December 8.

It may be personal.

It may be bigger.

But I’m going with trust that God will be doing a good work full of grace and new beginnings. These days may be full of testing.

Or they may not.

Something may happen on the earth. Or perhaps in my heart?

Regardless, we worship a God of love, truth, holiness, and joy.

Advent is a time of waiting.

Jesus is coming.

Thanks be to God.

Tweetables

Why is 40 significant in the Bible? What can it mean? Click to Tweet

Testing, completeness, grace, and new beginnings–the Bible and 40. Click to Tweet

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