Thursday, December 17, 2009

Twelve Days of Christmas

So many Christmas emails are flying around and while I can't vouch for the authenticity of this one, it IS an interesting explanation of a crazy carol!


Ever wonder what leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?  

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember. 


-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit -- Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit -- Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.


Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone!!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Stressed and calling out

For some reason I'm feeling compelled to get this down.  Well, I know that reason to be the prompting of the Holy Spirit. so I'm going to do it.  So to whomever stumbles on this -- God sent you here, so I hope this is helpful for whatever stressful situation you find yourself in. Or the one that may be headed your way ;)

I always envision stressful situations as waves on the beach.  When I was a little girl and we went to the beach, I hated the feeling of a wave knocking me down.  Salt water burning my sinuses, and murky water blurring my vision.  Shifting sand and crashing currents keeping me from getting a foothold.  Thrashing around and trying to get OUT, and then my dad reaching down in the surf and lifting me up in his arms.

So in the middle my current crashing waters, God is reminding me that He is the Dad who is going to scoop me up, brush the hair from my face and show me that everything is ok.  That HE IS going to MAKE everything ok.

This is my praise and prayer:
Lord,
  • You are Jehovah Jireh, my Provider. Like You provided a lamb for Abraham and Isaac to sacrifice, You will give me what I need in this situation.  
  • You are Jehovah Maccaddeshcem, my Sanctifier.  Like you set apart Your children from the world, You will use this situation to set me apart from the world and draw me closer to You.
  • You are Jehovah Nissi, my Banner.  You identify me as YOUR own, and like You gave Your children victory over their enemies, You will give me victory over all my worries and thoughts and emotions.
  • You are Jehovah Rapha, my Healer.  Like You healed the sick from their illnesses, You will bring healing and rest to me.
  • You are Jehovah Roi, the God Who sees me, my Shepherd.  You see my brokenness and my heartbreak, and like You led Your children through the wilderness and into the promised land, You will lead me thru this stress and into a place of rejoicing.
  • You are Jehovah Sabbaoth, the Lord of Hosts.  Like You fought for Your children in the heavenlies, You will fight the unseen dark forces of the world that are coming against me in this situation.
  • You are Jehovah Shalom, my Peace.  Enough said :)
  • You are Jehovah Shammah, my Constant Companion.  Your Spirit goes before me, stands beside me, guards behind me, and lives within me.  Where can I go from Your presence?
  • You are Jehovah Tsikidnu, my Righteousness.  Because of Jesus, I can come into Your presence and as I learn to more fully rely on You thru this trial, You will make me more like Him.

Thank You, Lord, that You are FAITHFUL.  Thank You for drawing me closer to You, for providing for me, comforting me, fighting for me and giving me victory.  And for teaching me to depend on YOU and not myself.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Mark 2

I'm not teaching our Sunday morning class again until the first of January so I'm not as immersed in the text as I would normally be.  That means these next few weeks will be short & sweet, which is probably a relief to some of y'all!

Bill taught a great lesson on Mark 2, specifically about the Pharisees asking Jesus questions with the intent of tripping Him up.  These men of the Law were so intent on keeping the letter of the Law that they totally missed the Spirit of the Law.  Matthew's Gospel records an interesting exchange in chapter 23, when Jesus seems to have had His fill of the Pharisees and tells them, "[you keep the Law] but you have neglected the more important matters of the Law -- justice, mercy and faithfulness... you strain at a gnat but swallow a camel..."  And unfortunately this problem didn't die in the first century.

There are certainly things that Christians MUST take a stand against because they compromise God's Word and quench His Spirit. (A personal aside -- love and prayers go out to Pastor Mark Graham and the leadership at St John's Lutheran Church for taking an unpopular but BIBLICAL stand against the ELCA.  Here is an article that ran in our Sunday paper.  Please pray for their congregation as they deal with this situation.)

But there are plenty of issues that create conflict and divide congregations that are simply issues of personal preference and tradition.  I'm sure all of us can look back at an incident that, at the time, seemed terribly important.  But after a little time passed... and a little maturity came... now we look back and are embarrassed to have made a mountain out of a molehill.  My father-in-law once jokingly (but truthfully!!) said, "A church can split over the color of carpet!"

I have some fun Facebook friends who post reflective thoughts which inspire some interesting comments, and quotes that challenge religious tradition can create quite a buzz.  But the older I get the more I (try to) remind myself that tradition is sometimes just a RITUAL, plain and simple.  While it's familiar and cozy to ME, it may seem uncomfortable and stale to someone else.  As long as the Message isn't compromised, the method can morph into whatever He needs it to.  Heck, God knew the best way to speak to Balaam was through a DONKEY (Numbers 22) -- how much more untraditional can you GET??  I trust that He can use

whomever/whatever/whenever/wherever/however He chooses to speak to the hearts of those He loves, and I don't want to miss Him because of my own blinders of tradition!

I love the 12th chapter of Romans.  That passage is a good (and short!) one that I am going to start reading on a regular basis -- probably the 12th of each month, which will make it easy for my blonde brain to remember.  The gist of the chapter is this, "Don't be self-indulgent, be like Jesus."  I particularly love verse 18: "as far as it depends on you, live at peace with one another."  Paul isn't telling us to abandon our personal convictions or allow the integrity of God's Word to be compromised.  (Even the most cursory glance at Paul's writing reveals his love of Christ and his passion for sharing the Gospel.)  But in his travels and his dealings with so many congregations, Paul learned to recognize what was worth fighting for.  And more importantly -- what WASN'T.

I've heard this quote attributed to William Penn, Martin Luther and Thomas a' Kempis but regardless of who originated it, it's a quote for the generations and a good one to commit to memory:
"In essential things, Unity;
in non-essential things, Liberty;
in all things, Love."
AMEN!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Christmas Love

I came across this when my children were in elementary school, and it helped me keep my sanity during the busyness of the holidays.  I would remember some of these lines as I counted out beads for 3rd graders, baked dozens of cookies, and helped with various other projects that seemed to be important at the time.

I wish I could claim it, but I'm happy to give credit where credit is due -- a wonderful Christian author and speaker, Sharon Jaynes.  Be sure to check out her website to see some of her other works!



Love I Corinthians 13 Style
by Sharon Jaynes©

If I decorate my house perfectly with lovely plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights, and shiny glass balls, but do not show love to my family - I’m just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals, and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family - I’m just another cook.

 If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family - It profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties, and sing in the choir’s contada but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn’t envy another home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of your way.

Love doesn’t give, only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

Love never fails.

Video games will break; pearl necklaces will be lost; golf clubs will rust.  But giving the gift of love will endure.


Keep this in mind as you're rushing around the next couple of weeks ~~  Merry Christmas, Y'all!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Mark 1

All four Gospel accounts are unique.   John’s is set apart for many reasons, including the fact that he recorded no parables, only seven miracles, and from chapter seven on his focus was on Jesus' ministry in Judea.  Matthew, Mark and Luke are referred to as “synoptic” Gospels: “syn” meaning “same” and “optic” meaning “sight.”  So we see many of the same events recorded in those three accounts, much of it focusing on Jesus ministry in the beautiful region of Galilee.

But even the synoptic Gospels are unique.    Matthew was writing primarily to a Jewish audience, Luke was writing to a Greek audience, and Mark was writing to a Roman audience.  In Matthew’s Gospel we see the things that would be important to the Jews, such as the lineage of Jesus.  In Luke’s Gospel we see a lot of detail because in addition to being a physician, Luke himself was a Greek and also was a historian.  The Greeks would have wanted plenty of explanations, particularly about Jewish customs, so Luke provided a lot of detail and background information that Matthew’s Gospel lacked.  Mark’s audience, however, was a “bottom line” kinda group.  Like Sgt Joe Friday of Dragnet fame, the Romans were interested in “Just the facts, ma’am.”  So Mark’s Gospel is a fast-paced, 'hit-it-and-git-it' narrative.

Mark wrote at a time when Christians were feeling the squeeze from the Roman government.  It’s believed that he was living in Italy and wrote his Gospel when Nero was near the height of his power.  In addition to being thought to be a slave to public opinion, Nero was also power-hungry and is believed to have ordered the execution of his rivals, including his stepbrother , his ex-wife,  and his own MOTHER!  According to Roman historian Suetonius, Nero "showed neither discrimination nor moderation in putting to death whomsoever he pleased."1

Hmmm… power-hungry, image-conscious, egotistical …with the exception of the murderous tendencies, I’m guessing you can think of a person or two who might fit this description!  So Mark’s audience was very much like us and felt the same kinds of pressures we do, and his Gospel message is one that blesses the 21st century Christians as much as it blessed the first century ones.


Mark opens his account with one of the many prophecies from Isaiah, this particular one that introduces us to John the Baptist in all his camel-hair-wearing, locusts-and-wild-honey-eating glory.  We also see the baptism of Jesus that was followed by the audible blessing of His Father.  Jesus was then called into the wilderness for a 40-day fast and to prepare for His earthly ministry.  Upon returning to Galilee He chose 12 disciples and traveled through the region preaching and teaching in the synagogues, casting out demons and healing the sick.

I find it interesting that when Jesus called the disciples to join Him that they immediately followed Him.  They didn’t ask questions, talk it over with each other or their families, they dropped what they were doing and WENT.  What was it about Jesus that caused them to do that?  Isaiah 53:2 tells us “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.”  He had no money, no position, no power, not even a place to stay, but these men left everything to follow Him.

No doubt there was something that drew them to Jesus, something in them that recognized Jesus' authority and sensed they could trust Him.  They may have heard some gossip about Jesus:  Anna the prophetess recognizing Who He was as a baby being presented for circumcision, teenage Jesus debating scripture with the priests in the Temple courts, and more recently His turning water into wine in Cana.  Galilee is a pretty small area, and I imagine that human nature is the same throughout the centuries -- something exciting or unusual happens and people want to TALK about it!

We know from John chapter 1 that Andrew had followed John the Baptist, and heard John’s testimony of Jesus’ baptism and his declaration that He was the Lamb of God.  Andrew told his brother, Simon Peter, and since several of the disciples were fisherman on the Sea of Galilee (which is SMALL), you might draw the conclusion that these guys were friends or at least knew OF each other.  So when they saw their friends following Jesus it may have influenced them to follow Jesus themselves.

Think about that – somebody we know, even the most casual acquaintance, may be influenced to follow Jesus because of US.  They may see our witness, spoken and UNSPOKEN, as the Holy Spirit reveals their need for a Savior.  And what they see in US might influence their decision to follow Him.  WHOA – that’s some serious responsibility!!

The curriculum outline for this chapter showed that Jesus offers us four things:  salvation, guidance, freedom and strength.  Salvation – saved from our sins to spend eternity with Him; Guidance – His leadership to live in a way that makes us mature and brings Him honor; Freedom – from sin and the things that tangle and bind us; and Strength – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual strength to face the troubles of the world.  But they are GIFTS we must receive and actually USE.

With Christmas less than three weeks away, we will no doubt scurry around looking for the perfect gift for someone we love.  Imagine your disappointment and heartbreak if you gave your special someone a gift that cost you a pretty penny, and they didn’t even TAKE it.  They just ignored it, unwrapped, left on the floor.  Or worse yet, kicked it across the room!  Now imagine how our Heavenly Father must feel when His Gift is ignored and despised.  Or when those of us who have accepted His gift of salvation don’t understand the way the Holy Spirit longs to help us?

Jesus sacrificed His life and died so that we could LIVE -- live WITH Him in Heaven after we die and live FOR Him on earth as long as we’re here.  His Spirit will lead us, free us and empower us; but we have to CHOOSE -- to discipline ourselves to follow and obey Him, let Him reveal what binds us, and strengthen us to overcome it.  And then let the world see our changed life and tell them that HE is the reason!


1   Lives of the Twelve Caesars. C. Suetonius Tranquillus.
University of Chicago, 21 July 2009. Web. 4 Dec 2009.
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Nero*.html

Friday, December 4, 2009

Love, Fun and Heaven on Earth

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  Oh, I love Christmas and Easter because of what they represent, but after Christmas there is the inevitable letdown that comes from weeks of preparation and anticipation.  Easter is different because after it passes, the days get longer, warm weather begins to settle in, and we get to box up the woolies and pull out the spring clothes.  Oh yeah, and baseball season starts :)

But thanksgiving is different to me.  It comes at the end of college football season (yeah, sports are big at our house) and it ushers in the Christmas season.  So once the roaster is washed and the china is put away, it's finally time to unpack the decorations and plan for the holiday.  But more than that, it's a special time for my Rinehart family because it's the weekend of our reunion at Alpine Lodge

We began this tradition about 15 years ago after the death of my grandmother.  She and my grandfather had a quiver FULL of children, nine total with eight surviving.  In fact, my middle given name (Hope) comes from my aunt who died in infancy.  With eight adult children and 20 grandchildren, many of whom were married with children of their own, the Alpine Lodge provided a place for the entire family to stay and all be together.  I think that year there were about 70 of us, and while we mourned the death of Grandma, we also rejoiced in her life and had fun spending time together.  So thanksgiving weekend at the Lodge was born and became a family tradition.

It is a weekend full of catching up, eating, playing games, eating, looking at old photos, eating, singing, eating... did I mention eating??  This is a family that can put a serious hurtin' on some grub, and having a constant spread of food is something that we all love.  The little kids love it because, for the most part, the healthy eating rules that are in place at home are tossed out the window at the Lodge.  The big kids love it because it means nonstop noshing and we have some fabulous cooks, including sweet Rachel who is a professional cookie caterer.  I hope someday she is able to offer shipping, but for now I will just drool over her website and look forward to having them once a year.  They are worth the wait :)



We are also a family of gamers, and I don't mean Xbox and Playstation.  Once the tables are cleared of the dishes, they become full of every sort of game you can imagine.  It seems that every year we are introduced to a new game, and this year (for me, at least) it was the card game "Set"and it will be under our tree Christmas morning :)  We also love Mexican train Dominoes, spades, spoons, progressive rummy, Boggle, goop (or nertz)... there is ALWAYS a game to join and extras are ALWAYS welcome.  Pull up a chair and you're in on the next round.



We are also a family of praisers.  Several years ago we had family reunion tshirts made that were captioned "a weekend of praising and grazing" and that captures the spirit perfectly.  Our Christian heritage is RICH and also musical, so at any given time you can hear some instrument being played and voices being raised.  Part of the weekend includes what we call "Share Time" and it's an opportunity for us to give testimonies of what the Lord has done in our lives the past year.  Some events, like the passing of my sweet niece Karis in February, rock the entire family.  Others, like new job opportunities, are news to many of us and give us a chance to get filled in with the details -- everybody all at once, instead of  having to tell the story 20 times :)



But in addition to all the fun and fellowship, for ME this weekend is also a foretaste of Heaven.  In fact, when my kids were young and asked me what Heaven was like, I compared it to the Lodge weekend.  All of your family is together in one place and is happy and hugging and laughing, there is plenty of food and fun, there is always somebody to catch up with, and at any given moment you will hear voices singing and praising the Lord Jesus.  Everybody will have their own places to retreat to, but it's so much fun being together that you're drawn to the group. Yes, there will be jobs for us (so don't be surprised and think you'll be playing a harp and sitting in the clouds all day), but the work won't be toilsome because you'll be doing it WITH those you love FOR those you love.

I've missed the past two thanksgiving weekends because I was recovering from surgeries, and not being with the family was more painful than the belly full of stitches!!  So this year was particularly precious to me, but it was also bittersweet because we were all missing Karis.  As we were singing on Friday night, my heart was torn as we sang contemporary praise songs and familiar old hymns such as "Amazing Grace" and "I'll Fly Away."  Two of my grandmother's favorite hymns were "When We All Get To Heaven" and "Glad Reunion Day," and as we sang those songs my eyes met those of my Uncle David and Aunt Lula whose eyes also brimmed with tears.  I knew we were all thinking of Karis, and as the tears spilled down my cheeks I envisioned the day when we all got to Heaven and had the ULTIMATE family reunion.

And NOTHING will compare to that, not even the Lodge!