Blog Log

Disciple lesson for tommorow.

" Your doom has come to you, O inhabitants of the land. The time has come, thw day is near___of tumult, not reveling on the mountains. . . . See, the day ! See, it comes ! Your doom has gone out." Ezekiel 7:7,10 Did - or should I say do you ever feel like this? http://www.blogigo.com/jamryn

 Like your whole world is falling apart? 

We are only human and soon we find out that we can't buy our way out of everything.  Through all the tears and pain of it all - we soon figuer out that we can't  blame anyone else.  We are the ones accountable.

Some of the questions from this lesson.........

1. How do you think religious people will be judged? In what sence might we be held more accountable because we have been given greater guidence?  Ha Ha  Ha  ya right. I think Shellbug already answered that one for me on God's Blog.

2.  God gives deep moral and religious warnings that are built in to the fabric  of the universe. Those who betray these warnings will suffer. What are some of these warnings that you see built into the universe?

3. When - where have you experenced "EXILE" perhaps after ignoring warnings?

It's the first sunday of Advent.Advent means  arrival or comming.  For the church it's the beginning of the church year. So I guess a HAPPY NEW YEAR  would be in order.

I realy like the music this time of the year. As tradition the chior sang " Veni, Veni Emanuel" O come all ye faithful.  We sing it as the opening song, along with handbells and the congregation taking diferent parts. 

Today - this year - someone found the purple stoles for over our robes.  Since the lagestical color is purple - it added to the service.

Todays prayer for the people was one that opened some new ideas for me. 

Dear Lord, this most wonderful time of the year has come again. I know Christmas is wonderful because it celebrates the gift of your Son. But I confess I have put myself in a time block. Christmas is so full of things happening now.

(What a rush we get ourselves caught up into. I wonder why?  I don't see us allowing all this ruckus any other time of the year.) 

I haven't considered it as a continuation of your love begun long ago. I really haven't looked too far beyond Christmas to see its effect in my life.

(It's supose to effect my life in more than all the hussle and bussel - now?)

Foregive me for my selfish concentration on a busy holiday instead of seeing  it as a fulfillment of your promice to humankind.

(Did we forget something? Was there a whole different point - we were suppose to get?) 

Help me this Advent to experence a real comming of your promised Messiah into my life. In Jesus'name. Amen

 On my main blog http://www.blogigo.com/jamryn  I told a familey story that my older son enjoys telling from time to time. 

Stories are such fun. They definetely intertain us but some times they also have a lesson to learn.  I've been toying around  the last few years - wanting to put together a book of life stories. Just like a cook book on how to make good food - to be enjoyed - I've thought that a book of stories can help ( stregenthen) make good families. 

Times have changed over the years and so have our families.  If we're looking toward a stronger and healthier future,  families that work together will need to be  a vital part of that future. 

Yesterday was a good time - that jogged my memmory of stories that I can tell. And that I need to get off my bu... sort of speak and get writing.

By any chance that some of you have a favorite story -from your past - that you'd like to share - send it on.  Maybe the book could become a combination of stories from around the world. What do you think?

                       Happy Thanksgiving

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         YOU !

                               

For more see........

http://jamryn.blogspot.com

http://www.blogigo.com/jamryn

 

Now this one Christmas tradition or pre tradition that people wouldn't try to throw back to the pagans - they did - but not much was found or documated on real facts. The association was made with - Pagan Fire Wheel.  But there was very little  or nothing to explain a purpose of a Fire wheel. 

Everything I found was associated to a circle = eternity - circle of life =Birth, Life, Decline and Death - Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. I find those things  everywhere  not exclusive to one certian religion.

Then came a thought to my mind.  Like yesterdays Yule Log was attributed to  a pagan sun god - could it be as simple as a communication ( or lack of  communication ) error?  If you have 100 diferent people describing something you'll get 100 diferent answers. Things that people knew about 100 years ago  were different than what we know about today.

 Could the pagans have been describing a Sun God and ment the same thing we might call the Son of God?  Ideas as well as people ,etc. will evolve over a period of time. Could we be celebrating the same things? 

Anyhow .......

    The Advent Wreath

This tradition comes from Germany and the Lutheran faith.  It consists of a wreath with 3 purple candles and one pink one. It symbalizes the anticipation - the commining of our Lord.  It is a great way to help  children to count down the weeks to Christmas.

The first week - November 27th - this year the first purple candle is lit - durring an evening meal - symbolizing HOPE.

Dec. 4th.       The second week - light the second purple candle as well as the first for LOVE.

Dec. 11th.    The third week add the pink  candle for JOY. 

Dec. 18th.     The fourth week all the candles are lit and the thought is PEACE.

Dec. 25th .   Christmas is here - many people place a larger white candle in the center on this day - to be lit each meal untill the New Year

On of the many Christmas traditions from the past was......    

                       A Yule Log

Whether you placed it in the hearth, cast iron stove, watched it on TV., or placed it in the center of the table as a candle holder or as a lavalashed decorated cake, the idea was to be a reminder of the ( LIGHT) Life of Christ. As hope for better times for the new year. To end the world's darkness - Re Birth of Christ as the light of the world. 

The Yule Log originated in a pagan  ritual knowen as a Festival of Fire. The earelist knowen one was thought to be in ancient Egypt. About 5000BC. It was in honer of Horus - their sun god. The best logs were Oak  which ment Life.  Any logs of Pine ment Death.

Druids  would use the ashes - after burrning the log for plant rust, swollen glands or animal complaints.

The log must never be bought but receved as a gift, found or taken from your own property. It should be large enough to burn from December 24th. to the new year.

Rather than having an actual wooden log many people today may have a centerpiece that holds candles or a fancy ( jelly roll ) type cake.  In 1966 there was a special holliday program created by a New York TV.station ( wplx-y) called The Yule Log.

Whether we've adapted the idea to celebrate Christmas and Christ's  LIGHT to the world or dismiss it as a evil pagan festival celebrated only by the Druids is our choice. 

In my oppinion - God said - the last and final word is this: Fear God Do what He tells you. And that's it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, wheter it's  good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:13,14

Acording to the United Church of Godwww.ucg.org  Christmas is a  Ho, Ho, Hoax and needs to be abolished.

Now I'm all for religous freedom and freedom of speech and I'm willing to take a look at new and different ideas. But don't expect me to swallow this BULL   without doing my own research and study - First. 

Christmas is 48 days away. Between now and then I will be researching and posting  about some of the more famous traditions. If you have a favorite tradition - or question about Christmas - let me know and I will include it here

Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

 Don't burn out; keep yourself fueles and alame. Be alert servents of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with yourhappy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Getalone with each other; don't be stuck up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody.

Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do.

                                                Romans 12:9-19