Daily Living

Our new surroundings:
The hole in the floor project is complete. Have new dining room tile floor matching the kitchen and under that six new floor joists and two pillars. We seem to be secure.

The barn has a new roof. I think it is only the second roof but that would be miraculous since the building is at least 40 years old. Brother says its the 3rd and he's probably right. I just don't know why it still had a white roof and the house has had a dark one for longer than I can remember.

Books I've Read:
Jack and Dana introducted me to the Philip Gulley books about the town of Harmony. They are a good light and funny read. For this season try his Christmas ones. Try to read the Harmony book in chronological order; the first is "Home to Harmony." If you don't see yourself you might see someone you know. They are in the genre of the "Mitford" books, Keillor's Lake Wobegon, and maybe Fanny Flagg.

Sherry loaned me "Angels of Morgan Hill" by Donna VanLiere and I cried all the way through it. Be careful with this one if you were born poor in a disfunctioning family ... it's too painful.

Dana's last sack contained Stuart Woods paperback "Dark Harbor," A Stone Barrington Novel. It was a quick and fun with nothing to trigger personal emotions. (can you tell by now that I don't like to read touchy, feely or self help books?)

Also included was Ken Follett's "Night Over Water." I began it hesitantly but it caught me. Didn't want to put it down last night. I'd forgotten how good he is with words.

And if you haven't realized it by now ... I'm cheap ... don't buy newly released hardbacks. Wait for paperbacks and have good friends, particular Sherry and Dana who share books so I end up reading things I wouldn't ordinarily choose and am usually pleased with how splendid they are.

Some other favorite authors are Stephen White and his Allen Gregory series. The first book of his that I read was "Higher Authority" about a case of sexual harassment involving the Mormon church. And Patterson, Parker, Scottoline, Cornwell, Hoag, Corben, Coulter and on and on.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

“Praise God, from whom all blessings flow:
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!”

Doxology by Thomas Ken and G. Frano

Sing from the Heart

If you've read my earlier blogs you know that I have been interested in the history of church singing and songs. I've come to some conclusions that are mine only and I have no intention of taking them any further than this blog.

First, a little background on some rules for first century Jewish and Gentile men.

If I understand Acts 21:20-25 correctly, the Jerusalem elders gave Paul the following instructions concerning Jewish male Christians: "Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law." (vs. 24) The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them. (vs. 26 NIV)

The Gentile men had no need to be circumcised, perform other purification rites nor go in the temple. They were to "abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality." (Acts 21.25)

This being the ruling of the Jerusalem Council it seems to me that Jewish Christians would continue their ritual cleansing and rites, chanting of the Psalms and added the breaking of bread and drinking the wine as a memorial to Jesus Christ. And I assume this is what all the Christians did. If not, why not?

New Testament Scripture about Singing

Matthew 26: 30 "After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives." (singing from humneo, aorist active participle, masc. nominative plural) (NASB)

Ephesians 5:19 "speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;"

Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God." (NASB)

I Corinthians 14:15 "What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also." (NASB)

I Corinthians 14:26 "What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation Let all things be done for edification." (NASB)

James 5:13 "Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises." (phalleto, present active imperative 3rd person singular). (NASB)

The passages from Ephesians and Colossians are often used as proof text and are in the middle of rules for living and household rules according to the custom of that time. History records examples of both Roman and Greek household rules and probably other societies do also. The Corinthian passages are in the context of worship.

So what is the outcome about music in worship? It seems to me that the words should pluck the strings of our hearts. In other words, BE HEART FELT. As to whether we are to follow the first century example of singing only from the Book of Psalms. Probably not. If man can compose an uninspired prayer to the Lord, then it probably all right that he (or she) write songs for worship.

I didn’t find any thing in the New Testament about using instrumental music, choirs, choruses, solos, quartets, and such like in worship services, but neither did I find anything condemning such. If uninspired songs, microphones, men and women sitting together, and so on are okay, then maybe pianos, organs, etc. are also. I really don’t know. Some say they come under the law of exclusion.

Outside of worship service I have no problem with singing, playing or hearing "gospel songs" accompanied by instrument music.

I grew up non-instrumental with little emphasis on singing. And now I will be much more diligent about singing and concentrate on the words so that they will be acceptable to God.

Peace

Another Week on the Hill

Finished reading Nelson DeMille's "Night Fall," fiction based on fact about the crash of TWA flight 800 off Long Island, NY on 17 July 1996. I recommend it if you like mysteries. It was a good read, depressing at times when remembering all the lives lost. The novel never lost it's appeal and ends in a way I never expected, so if you read it, don't take a peak.

After three weeks of living with 6 by 20 piece of out dining room floor being ripped out and replaced, things are somewhat normal again.

A couple of pillars with concrete bases were installed under the house, 6 floor joists replaced, duck work all checked and several replaced before a ply wood floor was laid: 2 layers of 3/4 and one of 3/8 to match the height of the old floor.

To our delightful surprise Larry Ketchum was able to almost match the kitchen tile that was laid circa 1995 so we didn't need to replace the kitchen and utility room floor. A sigh of relief! But we had to wait almost a week after the carpenters finished for the floor men to arrive.

No problems except the installers didn't stain the quarter round before nailing it down and the threshold between two rooms were bloched and the finishing edge around the hearth was the wrong color. A good friend agreed to take up the quarter-round, stain it and re-install. He and Brother stained the pieces in the garage Wednesday and Billy laid them Thursday. Ketchum came Friday and redid the threshholds and fireplace.

Emma and I cleaned my office and our bedroom Monday, walls, windows, top to bottom, including the bed ... and shut the doors so no more dust would sift in.

Yesterday we did the same to Brother's office, storage closet, and the living room. Stuffed two blue recycle bags full of old mail, memos, notes, receipts, bulletins, notices, and other stuff and got like things together in his desk drawers.

Then is was easy to organize some of his collections on the shelves in the closet: Beaver Beanie Baby ... we have good beaver stories, but they are for another time ... rolly-polly Poppin of Pillsbury fame, and 'Nilla Gorilla ... Baseballs, some signed by our favorite American League Umpires, Dale Ford #20 and Durwood Merrill (deceased) #33 ... Official World Series ball from the series that wasn't in 1994;" one ball signed by a Chattanooga ball team (four of the team stayed with us) who won and went to Monroe, La from here ... And my miniature ball bat from St. Louis in 1947.

Emma gave me a few days off and will be back Tuesday when we will attack the dining room, hall, kitchen and sun parlor with Murphy's Oil and Orange-Glo.

So here we are "fall cleaning." I've wondered if Spring Cleaning was adopted by Gentiles from the Jewish people who clean thoroughly before passover.

In Exodus 12, after the first nine plagues God freed the Israelites from Egyptian slavery when he sent the tenth plague to 'Smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.' To keep the Israelites from being afflicted, he told them to mark their door posts with lamb's blood, stating: "and when I see the blood, I will pass over you." In William Tyndale's translation of the Bible the name 'Passover' came into being for this celebration. The Hebrew word for 'pass over' was 'Posach' and the celebration is also known as 'Pesach'.

The cleaning can be stated more simply than it can be done -- a thorough, top-to-bottom, cleaning: vacuum carpets and floors, clean the cabinets and bookshelves and get into all hard-to-reach places: under sofa cushions, the spaces between floorboards. Move furniture and kitchen appliances to get behind and underneath.

Bottom line: if a cookie crumb could be hiding there, go after it! After an area in the house is cleaned, tell everyone that it's "kosher for Passover" and absolutely off-limits for any food. Other places that need to be cleaned are the office, car, pocketbook -- any space that is yours by ownership, lease or right of use.

Chametz or Chometz (חמץ) is the general term for "leavened bread," at the Jewish Passover. Jewish law bans owning, eating or benefiting from chametz during Passover and the punishment is spiritual excision. Chometz is any one of the five primary grains (wheat, barley, emmer, rye, oats) fermented by being in contact with water for eighteen minutes. Only water is considered a fermenting agent. Flour and pure juice squeezed directly from the fruit cannot become chometz, even if the bread is allowed to sit for hours and swells up to many times its size (though there may be other rabbinic prohibitions involved).

After "spring cleaning" and on the night of 14th of Nisan, a formal search for leavened products in each room, cabinet and pantry is made to be sure no crumbs remain in any corner. The head of the house recites a blessing while they search. Lights are turned off in each room and searched by candlelight; a feather and a wooden spoon are taken along.

The candle lights corners without casting shadows, the feather is used to dust crumbs from hiding places and are collected in the wooden spoon to be burned the next day with the chametz. Traditionally, 10 morsels of bread are carefully wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic and "hidden" around the house before the search to ensure that the head of the house will find some chametz so that his blessing will not be in vain.

The cleaning ritual is so thorough that NO LEAVENED FOOD, bread or liquid remains in the house. Then the house is kosher.

Well, now ... I can't say that my house is Kosher, but we're closer to clean and neat than its been in a long, long time.

Now I just need to search my mind and heart and clean the dust and cobwebs and try harder not to put the s-word in my mouth when I wouldn't even put it in my hand.

Peace, love, and Contentmen