Sheala Vast-Binder's Blog, page 2

Epiphany: The Traditional End of the Christmas Season

Once when I was listening to the radio, the announcer stated that he didn’t feel like it was Christmas; he wondered why he felt that way. He thought maybe it was because the weather was warm or because the stores start setting out Christmas decor so early. (If you don’t live in the U.S., you should know that some stores start decorating for Christmas in October! Talk about overkill.)

I feel this angst every year at Christmas time. About the time everyone else stops celebrating Christmas (typically, Christmas Day), I feel like starting! I once felt guilty about this tendency because it made me feel like a non-Christmas person. Being blase about Christmas just isn’t allowed in many of my circles!

Then, I learned that the song “12 Days of Christmas” is actually about the period between Christmas Day and Epiphany, January 6. During the Advent season leading up to Christmas, people prepared through fasting and prayer. Only after this season of preparation did they begin celebrating the birth of the Christ child and the Second Advent of Jesus. This means that, historically, the celebratory aspect of the holiday began after Christmas Day!

Now, I somehow doubt that I’m going to change the way Christmas is currently celebrated in the U.S. I’m afraid “that horse is already out of the barn,” as my grandma would say. However, it’s freeing to know that my tendency to slowly build toward Christmas Day and then let the celebration continue past December 25 is not just a strange personal quirk! (I have enough of those without adding this one to the list.)

These days, if my Christmas tree does not go up on Thanksgiving weekend and come down on Christmas Day, all is well! If the days before Christmas are more reflective and less frenzied, all is well! If I start singing Christmas carols later than most, all is well! I now know that I’m joining with the host of believers who have gone before me, and my current western liturgical brothers and sisters, by celebrating Christmas until the Wise Men come (Epiphany).

Now I just need to learn how to bake a “King’s Cake!” I’m sure that my family won’t complain about adding that tradition to the end of our Christmas season. (Click HERE to see some awesome photos of 2014 Epiphany celebrations from around the world!)

 

Photo by Keith Williamson

The post Epiphany: The Traditional End of the Christmas Season appeared first on Sheala Vastbinder.

Why Do Christians Celebrate Advent?

Although Advent is an extremely old Christian tradition, it is relatively new to the evangelical calendar. In fact, I didn’t learn about Advent until I was an adult, and I attended church throughout my teen years! However, these days it’s quite common for American churches of all denominations to have advent wreaths, and many families use Advent calendars to countdown until Christmas.

Despite this increased popularity, I don’t think that many of us understand Advent. We light our candles and open our calendar windows without ever asking, “What is Advent, where did it come from, and how is it connected to Christmas?” In other words, we never ask, “Why in the world am I celebrating Advent!?”

Since I’m an explorer by nature, I researched to see what some other people say. Here’s the outcome of my studies. The last two articles are more inspirational in nature, but I hope you enjoy them too!

Top 10 Facts
7 Facts You May Not Know
Calendars and Candles
Waiting and Waits (otherwise known as caroling)
Multicultural Kids Blogs
Journeys in Grace

And if reading seems like too much work right now, here’s a short video that explains the Season of Advent. And it’s by Busted Halo, a website that does a great job of explaining Christianity in simple terms. It’s a win-win!

 

Photo by John Morgan

The post Why Do Christians Celebrate Advent? appeared first on Sheala Vastbinder.

When Did Thanksgiving Begin? It’s Complicated!

The first “Thanksgiving” was a 3-day harvest festival celebrated by the original English colonists in 1621. After enduring a terrible sea voyage, brutal winter, and multiple deadly diseases, the remaining colonists were thankful that they had survived! Indeed, they wouldn’t have survived a second year if the Wampanoag Indians, whom they invited to the festivities, had been unfriendly. Instead, these Native Americans taught the colonists how to grow corn, extract maple syrup, and, basically, survive in this “new world.” Sadly, the peaceful co-existence between the colonists and Native Americans only lasted one generation (which is a long story for another day).

Over time, various states held festivities and a few of the early presidents, including George Washington, proclaimed national thanksgivings. However, the national holiday we know as Thanksgiving didn’t exist until 200 years after the original one. And it came into existence because of a very determined woman who campaigned 36 years to make it happen!

In 1827 Sarah Josepha Hale, a well-known magazine editor, began petitioning politicians and writing articles to encourage adding Thanksgiving as a national holiday. In 1863, during the middle of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln finally declared two holidays, one in August as a memorial to the Gettysburg Battle and one in November as a general giving of thanks.

Nevertheless, until 1941 the President of the U.S. determined the day to be honored as Thanksgiving each year. Customarily, the fourth Thursday of November was chosen, in keeping with Lincoln’s original November celebration. However, in 1939 F.D. Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week to encourage more shopping (obviously, shopping and Thanksgiving were already closely linked). The American public had a fit over the change! Two years later, Congress passed a bill setting the fourth Thursday of November as the official day of American Thanksgiving.

Nowadays, Thanksgiving evolves around food, family and friends, football…and shopping! Although the foods and activities have greatly changed (watch the video below to see what I didn’t mention), it is still a time to give God thanks for all of our blessings and to enjoy the people that are dear to us. For those reasons, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite American holidays!

 

The post appeared first on Sheala Vastbinder.

How Do You Define Hospitality?

Have you ever noticed that hospitality varies greatly from culture to culture? When I first made friends with people from other countries, I was surprised whenever they offered me food if I was only staying a short time. In fact, I frequently turned the food down because I was uncomfortable; it was so outside my norm! If I was hungry, I would eat after I left their house. I didn’t want to be rude by having them cook something for me.
It wasn’t until much, much later that I learned that sharing food was one of the ways that my friends expressed hospitality. In their homeland, you always offer food to a guest; not doing so is a sign of disrespect or poor hospitality. Whereas, when I was growing up, a guest was offered a drink, but food was only offered if the person was staying for a meal. Imagine the number of times that I unintentionally offended my friends by turning down food? Yikes! I’m so glad that they were kind enough to overlook this American’s bumbling behavior.
Since that time, I have noticed another key way that hospitality is demonstrated differently among my international friends. Many of my friends tell me to “come by anytime.” This is not something native-born Americans typically say! I’ve even tried to do it a couple of times. One time, I left the house determined to just show up at my friend’s door, but then I felt guilty for not telling them that I was coming so I stopped along the way and called! I just couldn’t bring myself to break the cultural habit of getting permission before arriving.
I’m not quite sure why my international friends feel more comfortable with the idea of spontaneous visits then I do, (and possibly many other native-born Americans). I think this type of spontaneity was more common at one time in our history. If so, I’m not sure why we stopped. Perhaps it’s because we stay so busy that we prefer to work (and visit) at scheduled times. Or it could be that we don’t like the idea of inconveniencing our friends or interrupting their privacy; spontaneous visits make us feel like we are doing both. Whatever the reason, it’s unlikely that an American friend will “come by anytime” even if you extend the offer multiple times.
What does this mean for your friendship with Americans? Well, it definitely does not mean Americans are rejecting you. When you offer food, consider telling your friend how sharing food demonstrates hospitality in your country (or let them know that offering food is something you enjoy doing). If you want an American to visit your house, set a day and time with them. They’ll feel more comfortable, and you’ll still get to visit. Since cross-cultural friendships involve exploration and lots of grace, consider hospitality one of the areas where you’ll constantly be learning and growing with your American friends!

The post How Do You Define Hospitality? appeared first on Sheala Vastbinder.

Building Bridges: A Cultural Celebration

Join us on NOVEMBER 5 from 2-5 p.m. at West County Assembly of God for BUILDING BRIDGES, a celebration of the rich cultural traditions that exist throughout the St. Louis metro area. This year’s multicultural festival includes a wide range of performing arts from around the world. Food booths and culturally-oriented vendors offer samples and sales of homeland wares. And a Kid Zone provides fun activities throughout the afternoon so that people of all ages can participate.

Use the Brown Paper Tickets button above to buy your tickets by October 15 and get the EARLY BIRD savings:

$15 Adult ($13+)

$5 Child (6-12 yrs)

Free Child (5-yrs)

After October 15, ticket prices will be:

$20 Adult (13+)

$10 Child (6-12 yrs)

Free Child (5- yrs)

Want to participate in this year’s festival? Performers, vendors, and sponsors are still wanted. For more information on participating, please contact Kathyrn Hubbard, Avon Independent Sales Consultant, at 314-378-6129 or kkfundraising2014@gmail.com.

Even if you are unable to attend Building Bridges, you can donate by shopping at youravon.com/kkfundraising. At checkout, add “IFACE” before your first name. Kathryn is donating the profits from these sales to iFACE Ministries.

All proceeds from Building Bridges benefit iFACE Ministries and help make St. Louis a welcoming place for internationals.

 

The post Building Bridges: A Cultural Celebration appeared first on Sheala Vastbinder.

Hand Gestures: What Do You Mean?

I once attended an international gathering where one of my international friends used a common American hand gesture to describe how close his son was to another child. He said, “they are like this,” then linked his two pinky fingers to show they were close friends.

Three Chinese friends were visiting the group, two of whom were new to living in the U.S. I automatically teased my friend for using an American sign and asked the girls if they understood what he meant. (They didn’t.) So I took a minute to explain what the hand gesture meant, and we continued our conversation.

Afterward, I reflected on the cultural uniqueness of hand gestures. We all have them, don’t we? Sometimes a sign is acceptable in one culture but obscene in another. A few even seem self explanatory or universal. (For instance, I think most cultures understand that if a child is crossing his or her legs and wiggling in a funny manner while standing, the child probably needs to pee!)

In most cases when we use a hand gesture, we assume that those around us know what the gesture means. However, what if they don’t understand? Who’s responsibility is it to make sure the message is communicated clearly? People answer that question differently too, depending on their culture. Some people believe that clear communication is dependent on the speaker (like in the U.S.) and some believe that the responsibility lies with the listener (like in many Asian countries). Good, clear communication is a difficult thing!

Whatever your culture, I hope the next time you use a hand gesture to express yourself that you’ll stop and make sure your message is clear. Hand gestures really are an amazing, and sometimes confusing, communication tool!

Photo by Leonie Nowak

The post Hand Gestures: What Do You Mean? appeared first on Sheala Vastbinder.

Do You Have Too Much Optimism?

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it.” Lou Holtz, retired American football player

This was the answer to a cryptogram puzzle that I once completed. My first reaction was, “Yes, that’s probably true!” and my second was, “That is SUCH an American statement!”

Americans, on the whole, are an optimistic people. One thing many of us like to say is, “If life hands you lemons, make lemonade!” We BELIEVE in the power of positive thinking. Our bookstores are filled with self-help books like “The How of Happiness,” “Learned Optimism,” and “Creating Optimism.” 



Once upon a time, I couldn’t imagine anything wrong with that viewpoint. After all, some studies show that people who are optimistic have longer, healthier lives. That’s good, right?!

Well, yes, BUT…did you know that too much optimism is seen as a negative trait by many other cultures? As Craig Storti says, “The deep faith Americans have that things will always work out and that nothing is impossible makes many non-Americans nervous, and likewise makes it difficult for them to entirely trust what Americans say” (Americans at Work, pg. 24). What we perceive as an upbeat attitude (“I think I can, I think I can”) is viewed as naivety by some and arrogance by others.

Does this mean that I think we should all become sourpusses? Heavens, no! The world definitely doesn’t need more frowns and sighs. However, I do think we need to realize that over-the-top optimism doesn’t appeal to everyone. Words that encourage one person might dissuade someone else. Actions that inspire me might make someone else doubtful. An increased understanding of our own culturally shaped worldview can help us respond to others in ways that THEY will appreciate and understand.

Now, get out there and “Be all that you can be” and “Just Do It!” After all, “practice makes perfect!”       

Photo by Theen Moy

The post Do You Have Too Much Optimism? appeared first on Sheala Vastbinder.

Remembering The Holocaust

This Thursday, April 24,  is Holocaust Remembrance Day in the United States (it actually starts at sundown on the 23rd). As the generation that lived through WWII and the Holocaust dies, I think it’s more important than ever that those of us who come after them stop and remember.

The problem is that neither I, nor most of those that I know, experienced that period of history. We have no personal stories to tell or loved ones to honor. Too easily, the struggles and horrors become abstract and unreal. Like a photo that has faded at the edges, that time becomes hard to remember much less comprehend.

Because of that, I’m grateful for those who have captured the stories of WWII and the Holocaust through writing, film, and audio. As humans, we need story to keep the past alive and to prevent us from repeating the travesties that have preceded us. Because space does not permit, I have provided a couple of links to stories and poems by Holocaust survivors. I share them to honor those who died and to thank the survivors for not letting us forget.

Poems of Survivors
Children’s Stories and Poems
Alexander Kimel’s Page
Short Stories of Survivors

Lastly, I share this poem by Alexander Kimel. Despite the horrors he faced, he wrote this poem of hope and faith. It inspires me!

I do believe, with all my heart,

In the natural Goodness of Man.

Despite the blood and destruction,

Brought by one man, trying to be God,

In the Goodness of Man, I do believe.

I do believe, with all my heart,

That God gave man the blessing and the curse.

Man can select the curse of envy, hatred and prejudices,

Or the blessing of love, harmony and beauty.

Despite the painful curses of the past,

In the blessing of the Creator, I do believe.

I do believe, with all my heart,

That God created a beautiful world,

The sun and the trees, the flowers and the bees.

And the best way to serve God, is

To enjoy the fruits of His labor of love.

Despite the painful memories from the past,

In the joyful celebration of life, I do believe.

I do believe with all my heart,

That God has created man in image of His own.

And killing of man, is like killing of God.

Despite the massacres in Rwanda, the cleansing in Bosnia,

The folly of Muslim fanatics, and the cruelty of Pot Pol.

In the love and compassion of the Creator, I do believe.

I believe with all my heart,

That the Messiah and the Kingdom of Heaven will come;

When man will conquer his destructive urge,

And learn how to live in harmony with nature and himself.

When all the preachers of hate will be silenced,

And man will become his brother’s keeper.

When man will stop killing man, in the name of God,

And nation will not lift weapons against nation.

When it will be, I do not know, but

Despite all the signs to the contrary.

In the dawn of a Better World, I do believe.

 Photo by Josh

The post Remembering The Holocaust appeared first on Sheala Vastbinder.

Why Celebrate Holy Week?

Holy Week, the week that leads up to and includes Easter, is the most solemn week of the Christian year. It memorializes five key moments–Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter–that occurred during the last week of Jesus’ life. This week has been set apart (made ‘holy’) by the Church since at least the third and fourth centuries.

These days, many in American churches prefer to jump straight to Easter and the joy that it offers. I confess that I also did not understand why people would focus on the betrayal and public shame that led up to Jesus’ crucifixion. After all, why highlight the negative when you can emphasize the positive? Easter celebrates God’s victory over death; isn’t that where our focus should be?

It wasn’t until the death of our daughter in January 2001 that I began to understand the wisdom of acknowledging the full breadth of Jesus’ experience. Our loss of Elizabeth cut so deep that only the somber atmosphere of a Good Friday service spoke God’s love and faithfulness to me. During that service in 2001, a quote from Ann Weems’ book, “Psalms of Lament,” was read that I still have today (kept in her book which I ordered almost immediately). It reads:

There are no dances for dark days.

There is no music to bellow the pain.

The best we can do is to remain still and silent and try to remember the face of God…

and how to kneel

and how to pray.

Strangely enough, honoring those final moments of Jesus’ life in the midst of my own pain brought me great comfort. First, it reminded me that Jesus understands what it means to live a life that is more than celebration, a regular human life. During that last week alone, Jesus experienced public praise and euphoria (Palm Sunday); familial love, disappointment, and betrayal (Maundy Thursday); shame, isolation, pain, and social injustice (Good Friday); death (Holy Saturday); and vindication and victory (Easter). Even in my worst times, I haven’t faced that many emotions in such a short period of time.

But that Good Friday worship service opened my eyes to something else that I really needed to see right then. Because I believe that God is a perfect community of three persons–Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit–I realized that God knew what it was like to lose a loved one! THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE experienced the crushing, heart-breaking blow of losing one dearer than life itself.

I cannot begin to describe how that realization changed my reality. I do know that it was the first time in months that I sensed God’s presence. Although Easter tells us that God is victorious in the end, Good Friday (and the other days of Holy Week) tell us that God understands and is with us in the pain and horror. Sometimes, that’s the message that we really need to hear.

If you’ve never read about those last days of Jesus’ life, I invite you to read the story for yourself. I particularly hope you’ll read it if you’re facing a hard time. Although the story is found four different times in the Christian Scriptures, here’s one of my favorites: Mark 14-16. May it speak to you as it still does me!

 

The post Why Celebrate Holy Week? appeared first on Sheala Vastbinder.

Passover: What Is It?

Passover is one of the most sacred holidays celebrated by the Jewish people, and with good reason! Because the holiday memorializes Israel’s freedom from slavery in Egypt, it is a joyous reminder that God cares about the oppressed! However, it is also a solemn challenge to anyone with power or influence. Passover let’s us know that God calls people to account for their actions. We’d best treat others well if we don’t want to learn the lesson of Pharaoh!

Passover lasts for seven days (eight, if outside of Israel) and involves many traditions, including the removal of all leaven bread from the house. The first night of the holiday (or two nights, if outside of Israel) focuses on a special family meal called The Seder. The command to celebrate this meal comes from the Hebrew Scriptures in Exodus 12. Here is a short clip from the story:

 Remember this day and celebrate it each year as a festival in my honor. For seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. And on the first of these seven days, you must remove all yeast from your homes. If you eat anything made with yeast during this festival, you will no longer be part of Israel. Meet together for worship on the first and seventh days of the festival. The only work you are allowed to do on either of these two days is that of preparing the bread.

Celebrate this Festival of Thin Bread as a way of remembering the day that I brought your families and tribes out of Egypt. And do this each year. Begin on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month by eating bread made without yeast. Then continue this celebration until the evening of the twenty-first day. During these seven days no yeast is allowed in anyone’s home, whether they are native Israelites or not. If you are caught eating anything made with yeast, you will no longer be part of Israel. Stay away from yeast, no matter where you live. No one is allowed to eat anything made with yeast!

Moses called the leaders of Israel together and said: Each family is to pick out a sheep and kill it for Passover. Make a brush from a few small branches of a hyssop plant and dip the brush in the bowl that has the blood of the animal in it. Then brush some of the blood above the door and on the posts at each side of the door of your house. After this, everyone is to stay inside. During that night the L-rd will go through the country of Egypt and kill the first-born son in every Egyptian family. He will see where you have put the blood, and he will not come into your house. His angel that brings death will pass over and not kill your first-born sons.

After you have entered the country promised to you by the L-rd, you and your children must continue to celebrate Passover each year. Your children will ask you, “What are we celebrating?” And you will answer, “The Passover animal is killed to honor the L-rd. We do these things because on that night long ago the L-rd passed over the homes of our people in Egypt. He killed the first-born sons of the Egyptians, but he saved our children from death.

Here’s an extremely fun look at the story of Passover.

For a deeper understanding of Passover, watch this History Channel video. (It’s extremely well done.)

Chag Kasher V’Sameach!
(Happy Passover)!

The post Passover: What Is It? appeared first on Sheala Vastbinder.