MERRY GO ROUND

Some people will say Carousel and some Merry-Go-Round.  Sorta like tomato .. tomahto.  Or maybe not.  Carousels only have horses, white lights, and go counter-clockwise.  Merry-Go-Rounds have horses, other animals, and fictional characters, multicolored lights, and go clockwise.  The clockwise thing is mainly in the United Kingdom and Europe which figures since they cannot decide what side of the road to drive on.  They are different unless you go to the dictionary and then Merry-Go-Round is listed under carousel which could make them one and the same.

In 1883, a carousel was set up in Watch Hill, Rhode Island.  This carousel was made in 1867 by Andrew Christian and Charles W.F. Dare Company.  The horses were hung by rods and chains and it was called a flying horse carousel.  Because they were hung, as the carousel went around, the horses flew outward.  I am not sure this would be OSHA approved today.  A little kiddie might go flying off as they reached for the brass ring with a sword.  For some unknown reason, the people who set the carousel up, slipped away and left it there.  Today it is called – drum roll – the Watch Hill Carousel.

California seems to have a number of places where the young at heart can climb aboard and go twirling around.  Griffin Park, in Los Angeles, is home to a 1935 merry-go-round built by Spillman.  This four-abreast ride has 68 horses and two chariots.  If you are on the outside, you can try for a ring.  If you grab a lead ring, you had the fun of grabbing the ring.  If you grab a gold ring, you get a free ride.  Initially, rides cost 5¢ and increased to 25¢ in 1951.  They increased again in the 1980’s to 50¢ and are $2.00 today.

Not to be outdone by California, Sandusky, Ohio has a Merry-Go-Round Museum.  Mansfield, Ohio has a carrousel (fancy way of spelling) which is the first new, hand-carved carrousel to be built and operated in the United States since the 1930’s.  All 52 figures were designed, carved, and painted by Carousel Works of Mansfield.  There are 30 horses and 22 menagerie figures, including bears, ostriches, cats, rabbits, lion, tiger, zebra, and even a mythical hippocampus.  As the Stinson Pipe Organ plays, the inside animals go 3.71 mph and the outside animals go 6.77 mph.  I have seen this carousel and it is amazing in detail.  No, I did not ride it.  Seems they must have known I was coming and it was shut down for the day. 

Am I fascinated with Merry-Go-Rounds?  Yes and no.  I love to ride them, but not fascinated to the point of searching for one on our travels.  And I know I won’t be buying one for my back yard.  They cost anywhere from $8,000 to $400,000.  So why a blog on them? 

= = = = = = = = = = = =

If you have ever been in my Sunday School class, you will know that thoughts pop into my head and no one is ever sure   where they come from.  That is exactly what happened the other day.  The thought? 

You cannot grab the brass ring if you don’t get on the merry-go-round.

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.    

          Matthew 4:18-20

Simon and Andrew got on the merry-go-round.

(a certain woman with a flow of blood touched Jesus’ garment) And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”

And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” 

          Mark 5:30-31, 32-34

The woman got on the merry-go-round.

(a rich young ruler who has kept the commandments) “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

          Mark 10: part of 17, 20-22

The rich young ruler did not get on the merry-go-round.

(Zacchaeus, chief tax collector, rich, and sitting in a sycamore tree)  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.

Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my good to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” 

And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

          Luke 19:5-6, 7-10

Zacchaeus got on the merry-go-round.

Each of these examples made a choice.  Three were willing to reach for the brass ring and one walked away.  Three received everlasting life and one would never have his thirst quenched.

Jesus answered and said to her (the Samaritan woman), “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” 

        John 4:13-14

I don’t know about you, but I chose to get on the merry-go-round.  I want to ride the tiger on the outside.  The one going 6.77 mph.  And I am going to snag that brass ring!!! 

THE CHEF’S TABLE

I do enjoy going on a cruise.  And I enjoy partaking in the Chef’s Table.  Now, I am not a fancy person.  Anyone who knows me will agree with that.  We were informed the Chef’s Table was to be changed to the third night.  When the day was changed, it meant we would be at the Chef’s Table on … oh, no … Formal Night.  I did not even take clothes for formal night.  So I put on the best I had with me and our son did the same.  Off we went for a culinary experience.

We arrived at the meeting place, enjoyed a glass of champagne, met those we would share our evening with, and made our way to the dining room.  Other diners looked as we walked past.  I could hear them thinking, “I wonder where they are going.  They must be special.”  Or they could have been thinking, “Well, ain’t they special.”

I did not get a picture of all our dinner companions, but this will give you an idea of the table and shows the young Chinese couple studying here, a family from Florida, and not pictured was a family from Puerto Rico. 

For three hours we were very special.  We were treated like royalty.  Each course and wine paring was explained.  Each wine was swirled and tasted.  Each course, photographed prior to tasting.  The mix of people was perfect and conversation flowed as if we were old friends catching up on life.

The star of the evening —- no, not the wine —- was the bread.  I have never tasted such bread.  It literally melted in my mouth.

When a bite of bread was taken, conversation stopped.  Everyone’s eyes glazed over and shoulders relaxed.  It was like ….  Exquisite! Not one person was willing to share their bread.  No ‘here have a piece of mine’ was heard.

Five courses and dessert followed.  We were served Scallop Carpaccio …

and Smoked Tomato Soup.

 Course three was Maine Lobster Salad and course four was Roasted Branzino.

 As if we were not full enough, course five was Grilled Filet Mignon with truffle potato puree, asparagus and bordelaise sauce.  I am sure the poor chef cringed when I told him I wanted mine well done.  It was delicious!!!

And then DESSERT! How do you describe perfection? Of course the dessert contained one of the best foods ever —- peanut butter.  Peanut Butter Ganache Vairhona Chocolate Mousse and Salted Caramel Gelato, with a Salted Caramel Espresso Martini.

What fun to watch as the warm caramel melted the chocolate to reveal the middle.  Every bite was a sweet gift.

 Yes, for three hours, every person at the table was treated to the highest standard of culinary expertise and service.

Yes, for three hours, every person at the table was connected by conversation, food, and wine.

Yes, for three hours, every person at the table was special.  We were having an experience that would only happen once.  There would be other Chef’s Tables, on this ship and others, but the same mix of people, wine, and food would never happen again.  Absolutely, a once in a lifetime event.

As we finished and left the dining room, there were no diners to watch us.  No one to realize how special we were.  The staff was clearing tables and preparing them for the next day.  They did not realize how special we were.  They just wanted us to leave so they could finish their job.

To be a part of the Chef’s Table is a choice.  A choice we made.  A choice to be included in a unique group.  A choice to taste the best food and wine.  As we left, my thought was, “AND EVERY PERSON IN THE REST OF THE DINING ROOM HAD MISSED IT!”

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“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”  Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.  This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.  I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Matthew 26:26-29 NIV

You have been invited to join Jesus at a very special table:  The Communion Table.

It is your choice.

Will you join Jesus at this very special table?

Or will you miss it?

 CALL ME JOB

In the Land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job.  This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.  Job 1:1

God and Satan have a discussion and God allows Satan to test Job.  Now I have never understood this.  Why did God allow a blameless and upright man, who feared God and shunned evil to be so tested?  Be sure I am not blameless, have not always been upright, at times did not walk away from evil, but I do fear (trying to find wisdom) God.  Be sure that in the last seven months I have been tested and the testing will continue for a couple more. 

A number of weeks ago, I sent a message to our daughter saying:  Call me Job.

Her reply was:  You got a job?

I replied:  No.  Like Job in the Bible!

CALL ME JOB

My list of testing:

      2021

      November            I had a mammogram, it showed an abnormality, and an ultra-sound was scheduled for December

      December              I tested positive for Covid, very mild, but the ultra-sound had to be cancelled

                                Because I tested positive for Covid, my appointment to be cleared to have knee replacement surgery was also cancelled

                                    Bill tested positive for Covid – no symptoms

                                    Bill had a TIA (mini-stroke) on December 23 – blessed with no lasting effects

      2022

      January                 Finally cleared for surgery

                                    New furnace

                                    Knee replaced January 25

      February                Therapy for knee

      March                    Finished therapy for knee but was to continue exercises at home for a month

                                    Getting up from doing exercises and felt like a knife was stuck in my back

                                    Doctor diagnosed as sciatica – round of meds and an x-ray

      April                      Therapy for back

                                    Ultra-sound on my right breast – and a biopsy scheduled for June 16

                                      (I made the choice to delay because of a cruise in June)

      May                       Another round of steroids for my back and an appointment with a pain doctor – are you ready – June 27

                                    Slight tooth ache ended in a pulled tooth and appointment June 29 with specialist to see about an implant

                                    MRI on my back

      June                       Cruise, with son, grandson and his future wife and another round of steroids

                                    Biopsy – June 16

                                    Report – June 20 – Invasive Ductal Carcinoma

                                    Met with cancer specialist – June 23

And finally an AMEN.  The tumor is small and, unless the final test says differently, will be removed by a lumpectomy and follow-up treatment through hormonal therapy:  A pill a day to keep the estrogen away.  The specialists do not believe any lymph nodes are involved and they also do not believe I will need chemo or radiation.  My prayer is that they are right and that the final test backs them up 100%.  I feel so blessed!!

To be determined:

      June                       27th – What can help a few problems left by the sciatica episode?

                                    29th -- What will the outcome of filling in the hole left by that pulled tooth?

      July                       Date for surgery???

 

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Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm.  He said:  “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?  Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.

 

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?  Tell me, if you understand.  Who marked off its dimensions?  Surely you know!  Who ……. 

The LORD’s comments are in Job Chapters 38 – 40.  I love these chapters.  I can just see Job getting smaller and smaller as the LORD says, “Brace yourself…”

This is what I sent on our church’s prayer chain:

 

Dear Prayer Warriors,

I do believe I will change my name to Job.  The last seven months have included one thing after another and we had hoped we were finally seeing the end.  That is not the case.  An ultra sound and biopsy have confirmed that I have breast cancer.  We have an appointment with Parkview Cancer Institute this Thursday morning to discuss options and develop plans. 

What we need now is prayers.  Please pray that the doctors give us facts and information so we can make wise decisions.  Please pray for us to have strength and peace.  

How often do we say, “I am at the end of my rope.”?  Well, I want you to know I let go of that rope a few months back.  Decided why hang on a rope when I can allow God to hang onto me.  I have no idea what we will be told Thursday.  I do know this – God is holding us.  Family is beside us.  Friends are supporting us.  Prayers are being said.  I cannot ask for more than that. 

 

I was not there when the LORD laid the earth’s foundation, but I do know where the LORD has been for the last seven months and where he will be while my time of testing is going on.  He is holding me!  And when the testing is over, he will gently set me back onto a solid foundation. 

I don’t need to hold onto a rope.  Neither do you!  During times of trials/testing, step into the hand of God and let go of that useless rope.

If you have read to the end, thank you and sorry it got so long.

            Job

            aka Mary

 ONE WEEK OF LIVING IN A BUBBLE

Last Saturday, I returned from a cruise with our son, grandson, and future granddaughter.  This adventure began in 2019.  We planned a cruise for 2020.  It was cancelled and rescheduled for 2021.  The rescheduled cruise was cancelled and re-rescheduled for 2022.  Finally the cruise happened. 

No, Bill did not go.  Having vertigo and motion sickness means he does not set his cowboy boots on anything that rocks and sways.  Over the years, I have left him behind as I placed my feet in a plane flying over the Grand Canyon and boarded a boat for a Fjord tour in Alaska.  I went on a Mother/Son cruise and was not home for his 75th birthday.  This cruise?  Our son picked me up at 1:00 AM (yes AM), I kissed my hubby goodbye, and wished him Happy 57th Anniversary.  Yes.  Once again I abandoned him on an important day.  Never fear… he survived.

Disclaimer:  I do not have a smart phone and sadly observed that I was almost the only person not walking around with my phone glued to my hand!  I did use my iPad to check email, briefly post to my personal page and the church page on Facebook, and to message Bill so he knew I had not fallen overboard.

Of course the adventure had a few hiccups, but the best part was spending time with family and - living in a bubble.

LIVING IN A BUBBLE

Once you step on the ship, it is as if an invisible shield surrounds the ship.  No newspaper stands.  No TV’s turned to the news in the bars or common areas.  No clocks.  No left or right.  No Republicans or Democrats.  No old or young.  No black or brown or tan or white.  No arguing, except in the sports bar and that was even good natured.  Items left on a lounge chair were there when you came back.  And people held the elevator for this gray-haired, 75 year old woman using a walker.

I love to hear people’s stories.  At the Chef’s Table (Now that will be the subject of another blog.), we sat across from a young couple from China.  They are studying at the University of Connecticut.  On my left, was a family from Puerto Rico.  They are third generation morticians.  At the other end of the table was a family from Florida.  They were taking their daughter on a graduation cruise.  We spent the evening talking and sharing our stories.  We heard the couple from China talk about wanting to become US citizens so they could have the freedoms we have.  We raised our glasses as four unique families ate at the same table.

The ship’s crew is a mix of people from around the world.  Do they always get along?  I am sure they do not.  They are there to work.  It is their job and they get tired and hot and they miss their families.  BUT – for the duration of the cruise – they do everything they can to make our experience a good one and are more than willing to tell us their stories.  I talked with a man from Ukraine and saw the sadness in his eyes.  An off duty lifeguard, on our first stop at a private island, made sure I could get to the shuttle back to the ship.  I did get to the shuttle and I did get back to the ship.  I just didn’t get back before the rain – an insane amount of rain – began.  (That could also be a blog.  My story does not quite agree with the story of those who call me mother and grandma.)  I loved being called Miss Mary by our room steward.  I thanked the staff cleaning the restrooms. 

Toward the end of the cruise it hit me that the cruise ship was inside a bubble.  Yes, I encountered a couple of people who were … less than considerate of those around them … but they were the exception.  People spoke to each other regardless of the color of their skin.  No one seemed to walk a few paces away from the guy with the pony tail and a whole lot of tattoos.  No one turned to find a different table because the woman they would be sitting beside had her head covered.  No one seemed to care what anyone’s sexual orientation was.  And elevator doors were held open for a 75 year old lady using a walker.

Why can’t the world be like this?  Why does stepping off the ship smash the bubble?  Why do we leave the ship and see the color of skin?  Or walk around the woman with her head covered? Or .. or .. or .. or push the floor button before the 75 year old lady using a walker can get in the elevator?

I enjoyed being in the bubble.  I enjoyed leaving items on a lounge chair and knowing they would be there when I got back from the pool.  I enjoyed teasing young couples and striking up conversations with … anyone.  I enjoyed the look on the faces of two 20ish young men, riding in the elevator with me, when I told them about leaving my poor hubby on our anniversary.  Once out of the bubble, they probably told their friends about the crazy white lady.  I enjoyed it when a guy asked me to make sure they didn’t take his plates while he went for dessert.  I watched over his plates, his cell phone, and the wallet he left lying there. 

I enjoyed being in the bubble.  I wish the world would be more like those on the cruise who left their anger, their stereotyping, and their lack of trust in their fellow man behind.  I wish those on the cruise would have taken the feeling of community with them when they returned to reality.

{  {  {  {  {  {  }  }  }  }  }  }

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!  Psalms 133:1 

Jesus replied:  “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  Matthew 22:37-40

“A new command I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  John 13:34-35

 

In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female.  Among us you are all equal.  That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ.  Also, since you are Christ’s family, then you are Abraham’s famous “descendant,” heirs according to the covenant promises.  Galatians 3:28-29  The Message

Yes, I want us to live in a bubble.  A bubble where we live in unity and love our neighbors.  A bubble where we love one another and everyone will know we are Jesus’ disciples.  A bubble where each can say, “I am a member of Christ’s family and no greater or less than anyone else.  I am a descendant of Abraham and therefore an heir to the Covent promises.”

 THE CRIPPLED LADY – PART 4 -- Experience this as if you were there.

LUKE 13:10-17

NKJV

The ruler of the synagogue is standing his ground.  He is glaring at Jesus.  He is waiting. 

Jesus?  How do you picture Jesus?  Is he relaxed?  Is he smiling?  Is he looking at the ruler of the synagogue or is he looking at the healed woman?

Take a deep breath.  Everyone is in place as the action continues. 

 

The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite!  Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?  So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound – think of it – for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”  Luke 13:15-16

Use your imagination again as this runs in your mind and comes to an end.

How do you picture the ruler of the synagogue and his cohorts?  What is the healed woman doing?  And don’t forget the men sitting in the cheap seats and the women – aka the multitude.

And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.  Luke 13:17

 

I bet being normal, everyday people they enjoyed watching the “high and mighty” get their comeuppance.  They rejoiced

The curtain closes as Jesus began to tell the parable of the mustard seed.

= = = = = = = = = = =

Remember, there is always a chance for the normal to go in an entirely, unexpected direction.  Look how a normal Sabbath changed a woman’s life in an unexpected way.

Thank you so much for taking this journey through Luke 13:10-17 with me.  I hope you enjoyed using your imagination and could relate to the journey the crippled woman took through life and to Jesus.  Her life was not easy.

Our lives are not easy.  We have trials.  We are tested.  Our journey is not always what we want it to be.  Jesus does not promise our journey will be easy!  The one thing He does promise is that when we – crippled by sin - walk to Him, He will always be with us.

 THE CRIPPLED LADY – PART 3 -- Experience this as if you were there.

Part two ended with a storybook ending:

HE SPOKE AND SHE WAS FREE.

HE LAID HIS HANDS ON HER AND SHE IMMEDIATELY STOOD TALL.

SHE GLORIFIED GOD.

The woman was healed.  Everyone was happy.  Or were they?

Remember, when the action is live, there is always a chance for the normal to go in an entirely, unexpected direction.  The action continues:

LUKE 13:10-17

NKJV

But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”  Luke 13:14

What do you imagine?  Do the men around Jesus look happy?  Do they surround him?  Do they have their hands out as they try to make their point?  Can you hear the indignation in their voice?

 

If this were a play, this would be the time to settle back into your seat.  The play, which had the storybook ending going for it, has taken an unexpected direction.  I mean, after all, how could anyone be upset because a woman was healed?  Where is their compassion?  How could they see this woman stand tall, give God the glory, and then cause a stink?  There is tension in the air.

The ruler of the synagogue is not upset that Jesus healed.  I guess he has a bit of a heart in there somewhere.  He is only upset because Jesus healed on the Sabbath day. 

Can you see him turning to the other men and speaking?  Can you see the healed woman taking a step back?

What would happen now?  And why was the ruler of the synagogue so upset?

Background on the Sabbath:  One of the biggest sins of Israel was not keeping the Sabbath.  God had told them over and over to keep the Sabbath holy.  Jeremiah (17:21-22) was instructed by the LORD to warn them that they are to “hallow the Sabbath day” as their fathers had been commanded.  Ezekiel (20: parts of 13 and 12) states that Israel “greatly defiled My Sabbaths … My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.”  Well you know how the pendulum swings one way and then way up the other way?  That is what was going on here.

Israel had gone from ignoring the Sabbath to going to the other extreme.  They added so many regulations, that instead of being a blessing, the Sabbath became a burden.  Some things that cannot be done on the Sabbath, then and now:

• Sowing, Plowing, Reaping, Gathering, Threshing, Winnowing, Sorting, etc – no farm work
• Sifting, Kneading, Baking/cooking, Spinning, Weaving, Sewing
• Writing two or more letters
• Building, Demolishing, Extinguishing
• Transferring/Transporting, Driving, Riding
• Do not use the telephone or electrical appliance

Back to the action.  Picture the ruler of the synagogue standing tall.  Shoulders back.  Facing Jesus.  Eye to eye.  Waiting.  Pointing a finger and maybe even tapping his toe.  He is very confident because he knew all the rules for the Sabbath. 

 

Do not leave your seats!  Do not go to get popcorn.  People -- this is high drama!  Talk about normal going in an entirely, unexpected direction.  The ruler of the synagogue is waiting.  He is waiting for Jesus to explain himself.  He is in the right.  There is to be NO healing on the Sabbath. 

And he waits …..

THE CRIPPLED LADY – PART 2 -- Experience this as if you were there.

Here is a quick review of where the key people are located:  Jesus was speaking, on the Sabbath, in the Synagogue.  The important men were close to the speaker and behind them were the everyday, working men.  The crippled woman is off somewhere in the area allotted to the women. 

The stage is set, but remember when the action is live, there is always a chance for the normal to go in an entirely, unexpected direction.  The curtain opens.

LUKE 13:10-17

NKJV

Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.  And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.  13:10-11

18 YEARS!!!  Think about that as you see the spotlight pick up the location of the crippled woman.  Can you even begin to imagine being bent over for a week, a month, or 18 years?  How would you sit in a chair or lay down in bed?  How would you brush your teeth or cook or find clothes that fit a bent over body?  The life this lady led would be no walk in the park. 

But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him … 13:12 first part

Oh my gosh!  JESUS SAW HER!  Do you wonder how Jesus saw her?  She is behind the important men and the not-so-important men.  She is in the Court of the Women.  Yet, Jesus saw her!

AND HE CALLED HER TO HIM! 

How do you see this?  Did Jesus stop speaking and look far to the back?  What tone did you hear in his voice?  Gentle?  Firm?  Loving?  It does not say He went to her or even helped her through the not-so-important men or the important men area.  It says, “He called her to come.” 

Jesus called her and she is coming.  SHE IS NOT ONLY COMING – SHE IS MAKING HER WAY THROUGH THE MEN!!

After reading the rest of this paragraph (not now or you won’t know what the paragraph says), close your eyes and imagine the action proceeding.  She is slowly making her way toward Jesus.one step at a time.  What does she hear as she leaves the women’s area?  What does she hear as she walks through the men?  Do they move for her or try to stop her?  What do the very important men do as she comes forward?  Do they start whispering to each other?  Are they wondering what Jesus is going to do?  Put yourself in her shoes.  Now close your eyes and experience it.

What did you see?  What did you feel?

He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infimity.”  And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.  13:12 second part and 13

HE SPOKE AND SHE WAS FREE.

HE LAID HIS HANDS ON HER AND SHE IMMEDIATELY STOOD TALL.

SHE GLORIFIED GOD.

What a storybook ending.  The woman is healed.  Everyone is happy.

Or were they?

Remember, when the action is live, there is always a chance for the normal to go in an entirely, unexpected direction.

 

 

 

THE CRIPPLED WOMAN – PART 1

Yes, the crippled lady again.  For some reason my heart is drawn to Luke 13:10-17.  This story has so much to say and, no matter how many times I read it, I find something new.  As you can see, this is part one.  How many parts are there going to be?  I have absolutely no idea.  It might end with one or I might be like the people and be delighted with all the things Jesus was doing.

I know one thing:  I should not have looked up ancient synagogue service.  The amount of information is unending.  The synagogue is the Jewish center for religious, civic, and educational activities.  I knew that.  What I didn’t know is that there were no permanent officers.  No Pastor, so to speak.  There were deacon-like individuals who oversaw the day to day activities and the Sabbath morning service was under the direction of the Rosh-ha-Keneseth or chief ruler.  His job was to appoint people to lead the service.  For a typical Sabbath morning, 10-11 persons were required.  The positions filled were Reading Prayers, Reading the Law, Reading the Prophets, the Interpreter, and the Teacher.  I wonder if people hid when they saw the chief ruler headed their way.  I bet they checked caller ID before answering the phone.

I am sure this will be way more information than you want to know, but a bit of background might help all of us as we picture a service during Jesus time.  On that ancient Sabbath morning, the order of service consisted of: (grouped and not in order of service)

• 4 Benedictions,
• Shema (the Creed)
• 2 Prayers
• 6 Eulogies
• Response
• Readings of the law – by 7 readers
• Reading of the Prophets
• Sermon

The person giving the sermon was from the congregation and not given by an ordained or permanent officer!  This means for Jesus to be teaching, on the Sabbath and in one of the synagogues, the Rosh-ha-Keneseth would have asked him to fill that position. 

Luke 13:10-17 begins at the end of the service and Jesus is teaching. 

This would be the layout of a typical synagogue.  Can you locate the Court of Women, Court of the Priests, and the Court of the Men of Israel? 

Background:  Women did play a central role in Jewish life, especially in the home, but that was not the case in the synagogue.  Men were in charge of the ceremonies taking place in houses of worship.  Women were segregated to areas away from the men.  From that area, they might be able to see, but not hear the service.  Other sections might be located where the women could hear the service, but not see it.  Wherever the area was located, they were not on the main area of the synagogue. 

In the main area of the synagogue, you would find the synagogue rulers, the priests, and other important officials.  Those sitting in the Court of the Priests considered themselves very learned and powerful.  They were so much holier than the everyday men sitting in the Court of the Men of Israel.

You now have an idea of where each person was in relation to the crippled lady.

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How is your imagination?  I do not want you to whip right through these eight verses.  I want you to use your imagination and run this through your mind as if you were watching a play.  Picture the synagogue and the people in it.  Experience this as if you were there.

When actors follow a script, they know what to expect.  When the action is live, there is always a chance for the normal to go in an entirely, unexpected direction.  The stage is set and we will wait for the action to begin. 

 BIRDS

Birds fly.  Birds build nests.  Birds drop poop on our deck.  I have never been a bird watcher.  I love to see hawks, but that about does it.  Often, I don’t even notice them.  Until …

The bird, an ordinary black bird, … landed on the highest point in an evergreen tree.  It was flying and then, just like that, it was sitting on the tip of a twig.  And, in that instant, I realized I had witnessed a miracle.  A miracle called creation.

How can a bird land on such a tiny twig?  How can it sit there?  How come it doesn’t fall off when it sleeps?  How does it know to come back to this area and when to fly south?  I might have to start paying more attention to birds.

Even though I know the answer, I like to look things up so I googled where birds came from.  The answer?  Birds are shrunken dinosaurs.  No really!

Stephen Brusatte, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland:  “A bird didn’t just evolve from a T. rex overnight, but rather the classic features of birds evolved one by one; first bipedal locomotion, then feathers, then a wishbone, then more complex feathers that look like quill-pen feathers, then wings,” Brusatte said.  “The end result is a relatively seamless transition between dinosaurs and birds, so much so that you can’t just draw an easy line between these two groups.”

Birds produced a burst of evolution.  “It seems like birds had happened upon a very successful new body plan and new type of ecology—flying at small size—and this led to an evolutionary explosion,” Brusatte said.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-dinosaurs-shrank-and-became-birds/

Okay, I guess.  I mean, if a paleontologist has the facts, then birds must be shrunken dinosaurs.  But where did the dinosaur come from?  I started going backwards and ended up searching where a cell came from.  Again, I wanted an honest answer.  Facts. 

I found a scientific site: How Stuff Works.

“Perhaps the first living cells were completely different from what we see today, and no one has yet imagined what they might have been like.  Speaking in general terms, life can only have come from one of two possible places:

• Spontaneous creation - Random chemical processes created the first living cell.
• Supernatural creation - God or some other supernatural power created the first living cell.

And it doesn't really matter if aliens or meteorites brought the first living cell to earth, because the aliens would have come into existence through either spontaneous creation or supernatural creation at some point -- something had to create the first alien cells.”

https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/evolution/evolution11.htm?srch_tag=7d4rfrjekbtdcs2xushxhg3jwrjbinwd

Ladies and gentlemen we have our scientific answer: AND IT DOESN’T REALLY MATTER ….  SOMETHING HAD TO CREATE THE FIRST ALIEN CELLS.

The one thing I love about science is that we are told to use facts.  Facts do not lie.  Facts!  Facts!  Until the facts do not support the answer we want and then, wham, it doesn’t really matter.  Besides, there is still much to learn.

The How Stuff Works site also pointed out:  “Look at yourself in a mirror -- what you see is about 10 trillion cells divided into about 200 different types.  Our muscles are made of muscle cells, our livers of liver cells, and there are even very specialized types of cells that make the enamel for our teeth or the clear lenses in our eyes!”

A bird is a shrunken dinosaur?  Our body is made up of 10 trillion cells with 200 different types?  Random chemical process?  Something had to create the first cell?  And it doesn’t really matter?

I graduated high school.  I do not have a degree.  BUT I think it does matter.  I kept going back to the statement: Spontaneous creation - Random chemical processes created the first living cell.  I want facts.  I want it to matter.  So my final question is: Where did the chemical process come from?

This reminds me of the old joke:

The devil challenged God to a contest.  He said, “Creating man was no big deal.  I can do that.”

God answered, “Really.  You can create man?  You can take a handful of dirt, form it into a human, and blow life into his lungs?”

The devil, with a wicked grin, replied, “Of course.  I have the ability to do that.  And I can do it quicker than you.”

God figured this would give the angels a chuckle and agreed to the challenge.

The devil reached down to get a handful of dirt and God stopped him.  The devil looked at God and wondered what was going on.

God told the devil, “Make your own dirt.”

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Where did the bird come from?  Supernatural creation of course.  God created them.

And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.”  So God created …. And every winged bird according to its kind.  … and let the birds increase on the earth.”       Genesis 1:20-22