Advent, Week 3. This week focuses on many promises being fulfilled and the great joy that comes with it. Wednesday covers the third 'role' of Jesus, as Priest. It's a little weak this year. I was a little rushed to get it out. Next year I'll revise and strengthen it.
JOY – FULFILLMENT
Sunday, Dec. 12, 2010 – Mary and Elizabeth Rejoice
Luke 1:39-56
Monday, Dec. 13, 2010 – The Birth of John the Baptist
Luke 2:57-66
Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010 – The Promises Fulfilled
Isaiah 52:7-12
Luke 1:67-79
Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010 – A Priest
Hebrews 4:15-5:10
Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010 – The Birth of Jesus the Christ
Isaiah 7:14
Matthew 1:24-25
Luke 2:1-7
Friday, Dec. 17, 2010 – The Word Became Flesh
John 1:1-18
1 John 4:7-19
1 John 5:20
Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010 – Rejoice!
Psalm 98
Isaiah 61:1-3, 10-11
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Exams and Memorizing
In the spirit of the season (end of the semester finals season) I will have a final exam in my Chinese Philosophy class. Part of the exam is 11 passages I have to be able to recite from memory. I just started last week, thinking I was ahead of the game, since final exams are not until mid-January.
Last night I received a text message from a classmate. The reciting part of the exam will be next Thursday. Now, in the spirit of last-minute cramming, here's 10 of the 11 passages. We can work on them together...
洪犯
无偏无陂，遵王之义；无有作好，遵王之道；无有作恶，尊王之路。无偏无党，王道荡荡；无党无偏，王道平平；无反无侧，王道正直。会其有极，归其有极。
乾卦经传 1
君子以成德为行，日可见之行也。潜之为言也，隐而未见，行而未成，是以君子弗用也。君子学以聚之，问以辩之，宽以居之，仁以行之。《易》曰“见龙在田，利见大人”，君德也。九三重刚而不中，上不在天，下不在田，故乾乾因其时而惕，虽危无咎矣。九四重刚而不中，上不在天，下不在田，中不在人，故或之。或之者，疑之也，故无咎。
乾卦经传 2
夫大人者，与天地合其德，与日月合其明，与四时合其序，与鬼神合其吉凶。先天下而天弗违，后天而奉天时。天且弗违，而况于人乎？况于鬼神乎？亢之为言也，知进而不知退，知存而不知亡，知得而不知丧。其唯圣人乎！知进退存亡，而不失其正者，其唯圣人乎！
论语 学而第一
有子曰：其为人也孝弟，而好犯上者，鲜矣；不好犯上，而好作乱者，未之有也。君子务本，本立而道生。孝弟也者，其为仁之本与？”
论语 里仁第四
子曰：富与贵是人之所欲也，不以其道得之，不处也；贫与贱是人之所恶也，不以其道得之，不去也。君子去仁，恶乎成名？君子无终食之间违仁，造次必于是，颠沛必于是。”
孟子 公孙丑上
曰：“难言也。其为气也，至大至刚，以直养而无害，则塞于天地之间。其为气也，配义与道；无是，馁也。是集义所生者，非义袭而取之也。行有不慊于心，则馁矣。
孟子 卷十三 尽心上 一
孟子曰：“尽其心者，知其性也。知其性，则知天矣。存其心，养其性，所以事天也。夭寿不贰，修身以俟之，所以立命也。”
大学
大学之道，在明明德，在亲民，在止于至善。知止而后有定，定而后能静，静而后能安，安而后能虑，虑而后能得。物有本末，事有终始。知所先后，则近道矣。
中庸 1
天命之谓性，率性之谓道，修道之谓教。道也者，不可须臾离也，可离非道也。是故君子戒慎乎其所不睹，恐惧乎其所不闻。莫见乎隐，莫显乎微，故君子慎其独也。
喜怒哀乐之未发，谓之中；发而皆中节，谓之和。中也者，天下之大本也；和也者，天下之达道也。致中和，天地位焉，万物育焉。
中庸 2
自诚明谓之性，自明诚谓之教。诚则明矣，明则诚矣。唯天下至诚，为能尽其性。能尽其性，则能尽人之性。能尽人之性，则能尽物之性。能尽物之性，则可以赞天地之化育。可以赞天地之化育，则可以与天地参矣。
Last night I received a text message from a classmate. The reciting part of the exam will be next Thursday. Now, in the spirit of last-minute cramming, here's 10 of the 11 passages. We can work on them together...
洪犯
无偏无陂，遵王之义；无有作好，遵王之道；无有作恶，尊王之路。无偏无党，王道荡荡；无党无偏，王道平平；无反无侧，王道正直。会其有极，归其有极。
乾卦经传 1
君子以成德为行，日可见之行也。潜之为言也，隐而未见，行而未成，是以君子弗用也。君子学以聚之，问以辩之，宽以居之，仁以行之。《易》曰“见龙在田，利见大人”，君德也。九三重刚而不中，上不在天，下不在田，故乾乾因其时而惕，虽危无咎矣。九四重刚而不中，上不在天，下不在田，中不在人，故或之。或之者，疑之也，故无咎。
乾卦经传 2
夫大人者，与天地合其德，与日月合其明，与四时合其序，与鬼神合其吉凶。先天下而天弗违，后天而奉天时。天且弗违，而况于人乎？况于鬼神乎？亢之为言也，知进而不知退，知存而不知亡，知得而不知丧。其唯圣人乎！知进退存亡，而不失其正者，其唯圣人乎！
论语 学而第一
有子曰：其为人也孝弟，而好犯上者，鲜矣；不好犯上，而好作乱者，未之有也。君子务本，本立而道生。孝弟也者，其为仁之本与？”
论语 里仁第四
子曰：富与贵是人之所欲也，不以其道得之，不处也；贫与贱是人之所恶也，不以其道得之，不去也。君子去仁，恶乎成名？君子无终食之间违仁，造次必于是，颠沛必于是。”
孟子 公孙丑上
曰：“难言也。其为气也，至大至刚，以直养而无害，则塞于天地之间。其为气也，配义与道；无是，馁也。是集义所生者，非义袭而取之也。行有不慊于心，则馁矣。
孟子 卷十三 尽心上 一
孟子曰：“尽其心者，知其性也。知其性，则知天矣。存其心，养其性，所以事天也。夭寿不贰，修身以俟之，所以立命也。”
大学
大学之道，在明明德，在亲民，在止于至善。知止而后有定，定而后能静，静而后能安，安而后能虑，虑而后能得。物有本末，事有终始。知所先后，则近道矣。
中庸 1
天命之谓性，率性之谓道，修道之谓教。道也者，不可须臾离也，可离非道也。是故君子戒慎乎其所不睹，恐惧乎其所不闻。莫见乎隐，莫显乎微，故君子慎其独也。
喜怒哀乐之未发，谓之中；发而皆中节，谓之和。中也者，天下之大本也；和也者，天下之达道也。致中和，天地位焉，万物育焉。
中庸 2
自诚明谓之性，自明诚谓之教。诚则明矣，明则诚矣。唯天下至诚，为能尽其性。能尽其性，则能尽人之性。能尽人之性，则能尽物之性。能尽物之性，则可以赞天地之化育。可以赞天地之化育，则可以与天地参矣。
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Mostly on Modesty
Does it bother you when you can see a woman's bra through her blouse? Or a dude's underwear or 'crack' when he bends over (or when he's just standing there)?
Language can be a funny thing, especially when translating something from one language and culture to another. Just one of the many idiosyncrasies between Chinese and English is the word Modesty.
In English one of the first things I think of when I hear modesty is physical appearance in relation to clothing (and, I would add, more often in relation to women's clothing). It can certainly take the form of behavior or attitude as well (as a synonym for humble). For example:
"Is this dress modest?"
"What about this swim suit?"
"That guy is really immodest, he's always talking about how great he is."
However, when speaking with Chinese students about modesty (in English) the first thing they usually think of is humble/not humble. The root word 谦 (qian) is translated 'modest', but the basic meaning is humble. Here's a few examples drawn from my little iPod Pleco dictionary:
谦卑 - qianbei: humble, modest
谦虚 - qianxu: modest, self-effacing; make modest remarks
谦逊 - qianxun: modest, unassuming
And not one of the 36 entries for 'modest' had any connotation to physical appearance. It makes me wonder what word(s) my Chinese friends would use to describe 'humble attire'.
Fashion can be a big deal among college students in China. This is encouraged by the proliferation of fake goods that give an impression of wealth and status (not to mention that popular brands often make attractive clothing). Traditional Chinese culture is usually recognized as being modest, both in the unassuming sense and the 'not flaunting of physical features' sense. However, students have begun to experiment with fashion since China began to open up to external influences in the 80s.
Today it is not unusual to find students, particularly girls, wearing some really racy things, and usually below the waist. It is less common to see chest-skin, and I have heard others note that this is more typical in Asia generally. But that doesn't stop the issue altogether. Very thin, light colored sweaters or shirts over off-color or dark bras is very common. Skirts that work better as belts (maybe that's a slight exaggeration), tights worn as pants.
Once, five years ago, I was walking with a friend to the soccer field to kick the ball around and we were dumbfounded to see a girl standing at a phone booth (yes, they still have them in China) wearing a skirt made of that netting normally worn under a dress to make it more poofy. It was like wearing a saran-wrap skirt!
Add to that, there's an extreme issue of not knowing how to wear a skirt, long or short. You can regularly see girls and old ladies squatting down in a skirt, giving full view to everyone what color underwear she's wearing. Once, in class I was trapped in the far corner of the room while teaching because a girl was sitting in a skirt with her legs spread apart. I was so embarrassed, but I couldn't say anything or she would have been mortified.
However, I will stand up for many young girls in China. Many of them still dress with healthy modesty. And, I would argue that many of them really don't know the difference between modest and not, because they've never been taught. Their mother's never wore anything like what's offered in the stores today, and their fathers probably don't care as long as they get married off before they're 30. (There's a saying in China, particularly in rural areas, that girls are like spilt water. I'll blog about that some other day)
This morning I was reading a blog by Michael Hyatt, the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing House, and he was talking about his surprise at the lack of modesty on TV, the MTV VMA awards in particular. He gave four guidelines that I hope can be proliferated among the young, in America and China.
What about you? What does modesty mean to you?
Language can be a funny thing, especially when translating something from one language and culture to another. Just one of the many idiosyncrasies between Chinese and English is the word Modesty.
In English one of the first things I think of when I hear modesty is physical appearance in relation to clothing (and, I would add, more often in relation to women's clothing). It can certainly take the form of behavior or attitude as well (as a synonym for humble). For example:
"Is this dress modest?"
"What about this swim suit?"
"That guy is really immodest, he's always talking about how great he is."
However, when speaking with Chinese students about modesty (in English) the first thing they usually think of is humble/not humble. The root word 谦 (qian) is translated 'modest', but the basic meaning is humble. Here's a few examples drawn from my little iPod Pleco dictionary:
谦卑 - qianbei: humble, modest
谦虚 - qianxu: modest, self-effacing; make modest remarks
谦逊 - qianxun: modest, unassuming
And not one of the 36 entries for 'modest' had any connotation to physical appearance. It makes me wonder what word(s) my Chinese friends would use to describe 'humble attire'.
Fashion can be a big deal among college students in China. This is encouraged by the proliferation of fake goods that give an impression of wealth and status (not to mention that popular brands often make attractive clothing). Traditional Chinese culture is usually recognized as being modest, both in the unassuming sense and the 'not flaunting of physical features' sense. However, students have begun to experiment with fashion since China began to open up to external influences in the 80s.
Today it is not unusual to find students, particularly girls, wearing some really racy things, and usually below the waist. It is less common to see chest-skin, and I have heard others note that this is more typical in Asia generally. But that doesn't stop the issue altogether. Very thin, light colored sweaters or shirts over off-color or dark bras is very common. Skirts that work better as belts (maybe that's a slight exaggeration), tights worn as pants.
Once, five years ago, I was walking with a friend to the soccer field to kick the ball around and we were dumbfounded to see a girl standing at a phone booth (yes, they still have them in China) wearing a skirt made of that netting normally worn under a dress to make it more poofy. It was like wearing a saran-wrap skirt!
Add to that, there's an extreme issue of not knowing how to wear a skirt, long or short. You can regularly see girls and old ladies squatting down in a skirt, giving full view to everyone what color underwear she's wearing. Once, in class I was trapped in the far corner of the room while teaching because a girl was sitting in a skirt with her legs spread apart. I was so embarrassed, but I couldn't say anything or she would have been mortified.
However, I will stand up for many young girls in China. Many of them still dress with healthy modesty. And, I would argue that many of them really don't know the difference between modest and not, because they've never been taught. Their mother's never wore anything like what's offered in the stores today, and their fathers probably don't care as long as they get married off before they're 30. (There's a saying in China, particularly in rural areas, that girls are like spilt water. I'll blog about that some other day)
This morning I was reading a blog by Michael Hyatt, the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing House, and he was talking about his surprise at the lack of modesty on TV, the MTV VMA awards in particular. He gave four guidelines that I hope can be proliferated among the young, in America and China.
Not rules, but good guidelines. Thanks Michael.Here they are: “Four Guidelines for Modesty”:
- If you have trouble getting into it or out of it, it is probably not modest.
- If you have to be careful when you sit down or bend over, it is probably not modest.
- If people look at any part of your body before looking at your face, it is probably not modest.
- If you can see your most private body parts or an outline of those parts under the fabric, it is probably not modest.
What about you? What does modesty mean to you?
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
From the Classroom: Lying
Here's my latest translation, less commentary - more comments below.
他和她是在一个晚会上认识的。那时的她又年轻又美丽，有很多的追求者，而他却是一个穷大学生。可是他却一下子爱上了她，尽管他明明知道自己配不上她。晚会结束的时候，他勇敢的邀请她一块去喝咖啡，她呢，尽管很吃惊，然而出于礼貌，还是答应了。
They met at a party. At that time she was young and beautiful, and she had many pursuers. But he was a poor college student. But after a short while he fell in love with her, even though he clearly knew he was not a good match for her. As the party came to an end he bravely asked her to go with him to a coffee shop. She, although surprised, was very polite, and accepted.
[Good start to a story. Boy, girl, meet at a party, and he's a stud! Although he knows he's only a 3 on the scale and she's a 9, he goes for it...]
坐在咖啡馆里，两人之间的气氛分明很不自然，没有什么话题，咖啡还没上来，她就希望快点二结束。
Sitting in the coffee shop, the atmosphere between them was unnatural, with nothing to talk about and the coffee had not yet come. She desperately hoped that the time would end.
[Things look a little grim for our poor, homely college student...*dramatic rise in music*]
正在这时，服务小姐把咖啡端上来了，他结结巴巴的对服务小姐说：“麻﹑麻，麻烦您那点儿盐过来。”她和那位服务小姐一样大吃一惊，别的客人的目光也一下子集中到了他的身上，他的脸一下子红了，小声说：“我﹑我喝咖啡习惯放点儿盐。”小姐把盐拿过来，他在咖啡里放了点儿盐，慢慢的喝着。她很好奇地问：“你为什么要放盐呢？”他沉默了一会儿，然后红着脸结结巴巴的说：“小﹑小时候，我家住在海边，我老是在海里泡着，海浪打过来，海水进到嘴里，又苦又咸。我已经很久没回家了，真怀念那里的一切，包括那又苦又咸的海水。之所以喜欢在咖啡里放盐，可能是因为想家吧。
Right at that time, the waitress came carrying the coffee, and he stammeringly said to her, "puh-puh-please bring me some salt." The girl and the waitress were quite surprised, and everyone else in the coffee shop turned their gaze to him. His face turned red, and he quietly explained, "I, I, it's my habit to drink coffee with salt." The waitress brought the salt, and he put some in his coffee, drinking it slowly. She was very curious and asked, "Why do you put salt in your coffee?" He sat silent for a while, then stammering, and with a red face said, "When, when I was small, I lived by the sea, and I would always walk along the shore, and when waves would come the spray would get on my mouth, it was so bitter and salty. I haven't been home in a very long time, I really miss it, including the bitter and salty sea water. So when I put salt in my coffee, it's because I miss my home."
[The story reaches a climax. He's bungled his way through things so far, and just at this moment it seems all hope is lost.]
太令人感动了，因为这是她第一次听到男人在她面前说自己想家。她认为想家的男人肯定是爱家的男人，爱家的男人一定是有责任心的男人。她忽然觉得两个人的距离一下子拉近了。于是她也跟他说起了远方的故乡......两个人聊了很久很久，越聊越高兴，不知不觉到了咖啡馆关门的时间。当他提出送她回家时，她竟然没有拒绝。
She was so moved, because this was the first time she had ever witnessed a guy saying he missed his home. She believed that a guy who misses his home is a guy who loves his home, and a guy who loves his home is a responsible man. She suddenly thought these two distant people could be pulled close together. Then she told him a story from a distant place......Two people talked for a long long time, and the more they talked the happier they were. Without hardly noticing, closing time for the cafe arrived. He proposed they return to his apartment, and she unexpectedly did not refuse.
[But somehow he pulls it off and she falls for him! Unfortunately, the story seems to take a disappointing turn, as she follows him like a lamb to the slaughter, to his apartment. And if he's a college student it's his dorm room. Doubly lame.]
从那以后，两个人频繁的约会，她发现他真的是一个很好的男人，大度﹑细心﹑体贴，有很多优点。她暗暗的想：幸亏当时的礼貌，才没有和他错过。后来他们去过了城里的许多咖啡馆，每次她都对服务员说：“请拿点儿盐来好吗？我的朋友喜欢在咖啡里放盐。”
From then on these two frequently met together. She discovered that he really was a very good guy, magnanimous, careful and attentive, and considerate, with many 'advantages.' She secretly thought to herself, 'Thanks to my politeness at that first meeting I didn't miss out meeting him. They went to a great many coffee shops in the city, every time she would ask the waitress, "Please bring some salt. My friend likes salt in his coffee."
[We see that things seem to turn out well for these two.]
再后来，就像童话书里写的一样，“王子和公主结了婚，从此过着幸福的生活。”他们确实过得很幸福，而且幸福地过了四十多年。尽管四十多年中发生了很多变化，但是他们之间的爱从来没有变过，不管是富有还是贫穷，始终相爱，一直到他得病去世。
After that things went just like in the story books, "The prince and princess were married, and lived happily ever after." They were truly happy, and happy for more than 40 years. Although through the 40 years many things changed, the love between them never changed, whether they were rich or poor, from beginning to end, until the day he got sick and died.
[And, the story book ending...or middle part. And, like so many Chinese movies it has a very strange ending. Things seem SO good--and then he dies! What!?]
故事似乎应该结束了，如果没有那封信的话。
It would seem that the story should end there, but that would leave out what the letter said.
[But! It doesn't end there. He wrote a letter from his death bed.]
那封信是他写给她的遗言：“亲爱的，原惊我欺骗了你四十多年。还记得第一次请你喝咖啡吗？当时我太紧张了，不知为什么，竟然对小姐说拿些盐来，其实我喝咖啡从来不放盐。当时既然说出来了，就只好把盐放进去，没想到竟然引起了你的好奇心。这一来，让我喝了半辈子加盐的咖啡。好多次我都想告诉你，可是我怕你不原谅我说谎。我必须用一生去实践这个谎言，不然你可能会离开我，但是我不能没有你。可是，我现在不怕了，因为我就要死了，死人总是很容易被人原谅的，对不对？今生得到你是我最大的幸福，如果有来生，我还希望娶到你，即使再喝几十年加盐的咖啡，也没关系。不过说实话，咖啡放盐简直太难喝了。咖啡里放盐，当时我是怎么想出来的呢？”
The letter he gave her were his last words: "My dear Love, forgive me for deceiving you more than 40 years ago. Do you remember the first time we met? I was so nervous then! I don't know why, but I even surprised myself when I asked the waitress to bring salt. I actually have never liked salt in my coffee. At that time I would never have imagined it would lead to your curiosity. I only drank half the cup. Many times I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid you would not forgive my lie. My whole life I have had to perpetuate this lie, otherwise you would leave me, but I can't live without you! However, now I am not afraid, because I will soon die, and dying people are easy to forgive, right? In this life you have been my greatest blessing, and when I enter the next life, I hope marry you. And even if I have to drink salty coffee for another 40 years, it doesn't matter. To tell you the truth, salty coffee is really hard to drink! Salty coffee, how could I think of something like that?!
[It reads...blah blah blah. "I'm a liar, have been my whole life. And I didn't trust you enough to share my deepest longings and fears. But now that I'm dying I can spill everything. It might leave you miserable, but at least I'll feel good about myself, having spilled it all. Then I can die and leave you." (this is my sarcastic voice, can you hear it?) "And I'm an idiot for drinking salty coffee for more than 40 years."]
信的内容令她大吃一惊，她多想流着泪告诉他：“她是世界上最幸福的人，因为有人为了她，能够用一辈子去实践一个谎言。”
The contents of the letter really surprised her, and she cried very much, telling him: "'She' is the most blessed woman in the whole world, because for her sake a man would perpetuate a lie for his whole life."
[This is the part that got me the most. She was the most blessed person in the whole world because he was so insecure that he would perpetuate a stupid lie for his whole life. Are you kidding me? How is that a good thing?]
The end.
Comments. I was annoyed when I read this story. When I was teaching English, every year I would prepare at least one lesson on lying. It's epidemic here. It goes hand in hand with cheating and plagiarism. And it seems only a few people bat an eye at it. Many times students would say, "what's wrong with a little white lie?"
One of the more interesting 'white lies' that continues to circulate is the melamine in milk issue. The initial 'outbreak' was years ago. But it continue to crop up. How is that possible?
At the same time, I am constantly reminding myself that this is not isolated to China. Just read the news from Capitol Hill, or watch a sitcom, or (I dare you) look at your own life. How often do we just cover up our goofs with our bluffs. It's part of American culture too. It would be all too easy to read this story and my past experiences, and start pointing fingers at 'them'. But that would be a lie.
The only antidote is an encounter with the Truth, the Light that brings all things out in the open.
他和她是在一个晚会上认识的。那时的她又年轻又美丽，有很多的追求者，而他却是一个穷大学生。可是他却一下子爱上了她，尽管他明明知道自己配不上她。晚会结束的时候，他勇敢的邀请她一块去喝咖啡，她呢，尽管很吃惊，然而出于礼貌，还是答应了。
They met at a party. At that time she was young and beautiful, and she had many pursuers. But he was a poor college student. But after a short while he fell in love with her, even though he clearly knew he was not a good match for her. As the party came to an end he bravely asked her to go with him to a coffee shop. She, although surprised, was very polite, and accepted.
[Good start to a story. Boy, girl, meet at a party, and he's a stud! Although he knows he's only a 3 on the scale and she's a 9, he goes for it...]
坐在咖啡馆里，两人之间的气氛分明很不自然，没有什么话题，咖啡还没上来，她就希望快点二结束。
Sitting in the coffee shop, the atmosphere between them was unnatural, with nothing to talk about and the coffee had not yet come. She desperately hoped that the time would end.
[Things look a little grim for our poor, homely college student...*dramatic rise in music*]
正在这时，服务小姐把咖啡端上来了，他结结巴巴的对服务小姐说：“麻﹑麻，麻烦您那点儿盐过来。”她和那位服务小姐一样大吃一惊，别的客人的目光也一下子集中到了他的身上，他的脸一下子红了，小声说：“我﹑我喝咖啡习惯放点儿盐。”小姐把盐拿过来，他在咖啡里放了点儿盐，慢慢的喝着。她很好奇地问：“你为什么要放盐呢？”他沉默了一会儿，然后红着脸结结巴巴的说：“小﹑小时候，我家住在海边，我老是在海里泡着，海浪打过来，海水进到嘴里，又苦又咸。我已经很久没回家了，真怀念那里的一切，包括那又苦又咸的海水。之所以喜欢在咖啡里放盐，可能是因为想家吧。
Right at that time, the waitress came carrying the coffee, and he stammeringly said to her, "puh-puh-please bring me some salt." The girl and the waitress were quite surprised, and everyone else in the coffee shop turned their gaze to him. His face turned red, and he quietly explained, "I, I, it's my habit to drink coffee with salt." The waitress brought the salt, and he put some in his coffee, drinking it slowly. She was very curious and asked, "Why do you put salt in your coffee?" He sat silent for a while, then stammering, and with a red face said, "When, when I was small, I lived by the sea, and I would always walk along the shore, and when waves would come the spray would get on my mouth, it was so bitter and salty. I haven't been home in a very long time, I really miss it, including the bitter and salty sea water. So when I put salt in my coffee, it's because I miss my home."
[The story reaches a climax. He's bungled his way through things so far, and just at this moment it seems all hope is lost.]
太令人感动了，因为这是她第一次听到男人在她面前说自己想家。她认为想家的男人肯定是爱家的男人，爱家的男人一定是有责任心的男人。她忽然觉得两个人的距离一下子拉近了。于是她也跟他说起了远方的故乡......两个人聊了很久很久，越聊越高兴，不知不觉到了咖啡馆关门的时间。当他提出送她回家时，她竟然没有拒绝。
She was so moved, because this was the first time she had ever witnessed a guy saying he missed his home. She believed that a guy who misses his home is a guy who loves his home, and a guy who loves his home is a responsible man. She suddenly thought these two distant people could be pulled close together. Then she told him a story from a distant place......Two people talked for a long long time, and the more they talked the happier they were. Without hardly noticing, closing time for the cafe arrived. He proposed they return to his apartment, and she unexpectedly did not refuse.
[But somehow he pulls it off and she falls for him! Unfortunately, the story seems to take a disappointing turn, as she follows him like a lamb to the slaughter, to his apartment. And if he's a college student it's his dorm room. Doubly lame.]
从那以后，两个人频繁的约会，她发现他真的是一个很好的男人，大度﹑细心﹑体贴，有很多优点。她暗暗的想：幸亏当时的礼貌，才没有和他错过。后来他们去过了城里的许多咖啡馆，每次她都对服务员说：“请拿点儿盐来好吗？我的朋友喜欢在咖啡里放盐。”
From then on these two frequently met together. She discovered that he really was a very good guy, magnanimous, careful and attentive, and considerate, with many 'advantages.' She secretly thought to herself, 'Thanks to my politeness at that first meeting I didn't miss out meeting him. They went to a great many coffee shops in the city, every time she would ask the waitress, "Please bring some salt. My friend likes salt in his coffee."
[We see that things seem to turn out well for these two.]
再后来，就像童话书里写的一样，“王子和公主结了婚，从此过着幸福的生活。”他们确实过得很幸福，而且幸福地过了四十多年。尽管四十多年中发生了很多变化，但是他们之间的爱从来没有变过，不管是富有还是贫穷，始终相爱，一直到他得病去世。
After that things went just like in the story books, "The prince and princess were married, and lived happily ever after." They were truly happy, and happy for more than 40 years. Although through the 40 years many things changed, the love between them never changed, whether they were rich or poor, from beginning to end, until the day he got sick and died.
[And, the story book ending...or middle part. And, like so many Chinese movies it has a very strange ending. Things seem SO good--and then he dies! What!?]
故事似乎应该结束了，如果没有那封信的话。
It would seem that the story should end there, but that would leave out what the letter said.
[But! It doesn't end there. He wrote a letter from his death bed.]
那封信是他写给她的遗言：“亲爱的，原惊我欺骗了你四十多年。还记得第一次请你喝咖啡吗？当时我太紧张了，不知为什么，竟然对小姐说拿些盐来，其实我喝咖啡从来不放盐。当时既然说出来了，就只好把盐放进去，没想到竟然引起了你的好奇心。这一来，让我喝了半辈子加盐的咖啡。好多次我都想告诉你，可是我怕你不原谅我说谎。我必须用一生去实践这个谎言，不然你可能会离开我，但是我不能没有你。可是，我现在不怕了，因为我就要死了，死人总是很容易被人原谅的，对不对？今生得到你是我最大的幸福，如果有来生，我还希望娶到你，即使再喝几十年加盐的咖啡，也没关系。不过说实话，咖啡放盐简直太难喝了。咖啡里放盐，当时我是怎么想出来的呢？”
The letter he gave her were his last words: "My dear Love, forgive me for deceiving you more than 40 years ago. Do you remember the first time we met? I was so nervous then! I don't know why, but I even surprised myself when I asked the waitress to bring salt. I actually have never liked salt in my coffee. At that time I would never have imagined it would lead to your curiosity. I only drank half the cup. Many times I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid you would not forgive my lie. My whole life I have had to perpetuate this lie, otherwise you would leave me, but I can't live without you! However, now I am not afraid, because I will soon die, and dying people are easy to forgive, right? In this life you have been my greatest blessing, and when I enter the next life, I hope marry you. And even if I have to drink salty coffee for another 40 years, it doesn't matter. To tell you the truth, salty coffee is really hard to drink! Salty coffee, how could I think of something like that?!
[It reads...blah blah blah. "I'm a liar, have been my whole life. And I didn't trust you enough to share my deepest longings and fears. But now that I'm dying I can spill everything. It might leave you miserable, but at least I'll feel good about myself, having spilled it all. Then I can die and leave you." (this is my sarcastic voice, can you hear it?) "And I'm an idiot for drinking salty coffee for more than 40 years."]
信的内容令她大吃一惊，她多想流着泪告诉他：“她是世界上最幸福的人，因为有人为了她，能够用一辈子去实践一个谎言。”
The contents of the letter really surprised her, and she cried very much, telling him: "'She' is the most blessed woman in the whole world, because for her sake a man would perpetuate a lie for his whole life."
[This is the part that got me the most. She was the most blessed person in the whole world because he was so insecure that he would perpetuate a stupid lie for his whole life. Are you kidding me? How is that a good thing?]
The end.
Comments. I was annoyed when I read this story. When I was teaching English, every year I would prepare at least one lesson on lying. It's epidemic here. It goes hand in hand with cheating and plagiarism. And it seems only a few people bat an eye at it. Many times students would say, "what's wrong with a little white lie?"
One of the more interesting 'white lies' that continues to circulate is the melamine in milk issue. The initial 'outbreak' was years ago. But it continue to crop up. How is that possible?
At the same time, I am constantly reminding myself that this is not isolated to China. Just read the news from Capitol Hill, or watch a sitcom, or (I dare you) look at your own life. How often do we just cover up our goofs with our bluffs. It's part of American culture too. It would be all too easy to read this story and my past experiences, and start pointing fingers at 'them'. But that would be a lie.
The only antidote is an encounter with the Truth, the Light that brings all things out in the open.
Monday, December 6, 2010
More from the Brown Martyr
I stumbled across this again while reading a friend's blog. The original map and article dates back to late September this year. If you zoom in on China, we live in the small, dark red dot amidst all the swirliness smack in the middle of the 'red zones'.
I'm thinking about moving to Australia, anyone with me?
I'm thinking about moving to Australia, anyone with me?
A Different Kind of Martyrdom
Wikipedia says: A martyr (Greek: μάρτυς, mártys, "witness"; stem μάρτυρ-, mártyr-) is somebody who suffers persecution and death for the people, a country or an organization, or refusing to renounce a belief, usually religious, political or rights.
I once heard about Celtic Christianity's definition of martyrdom from one of the adjunct professors at Wheaton. They recognized three different kinds of martyrdom, organized by color:
Green: Staying home and living one's life in total subjection to Christ (not a bad way to 'go', eh?). This often took the form of joining a monastic group, with strict observances.
Red: Dying for your faith. This could take various forms, but the color makes it obvious.
White (and according to some, the 'highest' martyrdom): leaving home and country through love of Christ and others.
If you look carefully you'll notice that only one of the three involves leaving the earth 'unnaturally'. The implications of that are pretty profound. YOU could be a martyr. Today. Tomorrow. It's basically the choice to live a Romans 12:1-2 life right where you are, to BE a living sacrifice. What a great tension in those two words. Think about it. LIVING - - SACRIFICE.
I'm only one small sliver Scotch-Irish, but I'd like to add one more to the Celts list:
Brown: Continually receiving in your body the Sufferings of Christ due to location and unnatural environmental factors. This is a sloow slooooooow sloooooooooow death, and may even appear 'natural'.
Whether through ignorance, willful neglect or malice the environment (both natural and man-made products) is a serious serious problem in China. We hear in the news about algae blooms that threaten beautiful lakes and rivers, melamine tainted milk, dust storms in the NE caused by desertification which, in turn, is caused by the unchecked felling of whole forests, the utter unsuitability of the water in the last 1/3 of the Yellow River before it reaches the Beihai Sea--if it makes it there at all, air pollution in every major city, and the list could go on.
To add to the already known issues is the whole host of unaccounted for and unreported issues. Things like the smell of burning plastic in your apartment in the morning, the ever-present dust that builds up in large quantities within days, garbage dumping in pretty much ALL rural areas, industrial waste that is secretly (or not) disposed of, and on and on.
You may ask, "Why would anyone chose that?" It's for the sake of His name. There's certainly nothing glorious about it. You definitely won't be anointed a 'saint' by the Holy See in Rome, and Michelangelo won't be enshrining you in oil on the plaster ceiling of a very cool building. But that's not the reward. There are far greater rewards than that.
For example, hearing "Well done, good and faithful (if not a bit dirty) servant. Gabriel, get that guy a clean robe. Come, enjoy your Master's happiness."
Or, the 'crowns' that await that great Day, and the joy of casting them at His feet (see Philippians 4:1 for more details).
Cheers to Brown Martyrs.
I once heard about Celtic Christianity's definition of martyrdom from one of the adjunct professors at Wheaton. They recognized three different kinds of martyrdom, organized by color:
Green: Staying home and living one's life in total subjection to Christ (not a bad way to 'go', eh?). This often took the form of joining a monastic group, with strict observances.
Red: Dying for your faith. This could take various forms, but the color makes it obvious.
White (and according to some, the 'highest' martyrdom): leaving home and country through love of Christ and others.
If you look carefully you'll notice that only one of the three involves leaving the earth 'unnaturally'. The implications of that are pretty profound. YOU could be a martyr. Today. Tomorrow. It's basically the choice to live a Romans 12:1-2 life right where you are, to BE a living sacrifice. What a great tension in those two words. Think about it. LIVING - - SACRIFICE.
I'm only one small sliver Scotch-Irish, but I'd like to add one more to the Celts list:
Brown: Continually receiving in your body the Sufferings of Christ due to location and unnatural environmental factors. This is a sloow slooooooow sloooooooooow death, and may even appear 'natural'.
Whether through ignorance, willful neglect or malice the environment (both natural and man-made products) is a serious serious problem in China. We hear in the news about algae blooms that threaten beautiful lakes and rivers, melamine tainted milk, dust storms in the NE caused by desertification which, in turn, is caused by the unchecked felling of whole forests, the utter unsuitability of the water in the last 1/3 of the Yellow River before it reaches the Beihai Sea--if it makes it there at all, air pollution in every major city, and the list could go on.
To add to the already known issues is the whole host of unaccounted for and unreported issues. Things like the smell of burning plastic in your apartment in the morning, the ever-present dust that builds up in large quantities within days, garbage dumping in pretty much ALL rural areas, industrial waste that is secretly (or not) disposed of, and on and on.
You may ask, "Why would anyone chose that?" It's for the sake of His name. There's certainly nothing glorious about it. You definitely won't be anointed a 'saint' by the Holy See in Rome, and Michelangelo won't be enshrining you in oil on the plaster ceiling of a very cool building. But that's not the reward. There are far greater rewards than that.
For example, hearing "Well done, good and faithful (if not a bit dirty) servant. Gabriel, get that guy a clean robe. Come, enjoy your Master's happiness."
Or, the 'crowns' that await that great Day, and the joy of casting them at His feet (see Philippians 4:1 for more details).
Cheers to Brown Martyrs.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Advent, Week 2
Here's the selections for Advent, Week 2. I titled this week, Announcements, trying to pick up themes that heighten expectation, of what is to come.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010 – The Fullness of Time and the Spirit
Ezekiel 11:16-20
Galatians 4:4-7
Ephesians 1:9-14
Hebrews 10:23
Monday, Dec. 6, 2010 – Comfort Announced
Isaiah 40:1-9
Isaiah 52:7-10
Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010 – One to Prepare the Way
Isaiah 40:3-5
Micah 3:1-4
Luke 1:67-80
John 1:6-8
Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010 – He will be a King
Numbers 24:15-19
Daniel 7:13-14
Micah 5:2-5
Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010 – A Different Kind of Announcement
Matthew 2:1-2
Friday, Dec. 10, 2010 – Elizabeth’s Reproach Removed
Luke 1:5-25
Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010 – The Birth of Jesus Foretold
Matthew 1:18-23
Luke 1:26-38
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010 – The Fullness of Time and the Spirit
Ezekiel 11:16-20
Galatians 4:4-7
Ephesians 1:9-14
Hebrews 10:23
Monday, Dec. 6, 2010 – Comfort Announced
Isaiah 40:1-9
Isaiah 52:7-10
Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010 – One to Prepare the Way
Isaiah 40:3-5
Micah 3:1-4
Luke 1:67-80
John 1:6-8
Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010 – He will be a King
Numbers 24:15-19
Daniel 7:13-14
Micah 5:2-5
Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010 – A Different Kind of Announcement
Matthew 2:1-2
Friday, Dec. 10, 2010 – Elizabeth’s Reproach Removed
Luke 1:5-25
Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010 – The Birth of Jesus Foretold
Matthew 1:18-23
Luke 1:26-38
Thursday, December 2, 2010
My Friend from the northern half of Korea
Yesterday I got my writing midterm exam back. In it we had to write a short note and an email based on things we'd studied, and a longer description of a friend, also based on earlier examples. I chose to write "to" and about my friend from North Korea, and he chose to write "to" and about me.
Yup. How many of you can claim a N. Korean friend? Or, how many of you can claim you've ever met a N. Korean? (shameless little plug for YOU to come study in China)
Things transpired rather naturally. The first days of class everyone is kind of finding their own 'rhythm' and place in the class, choosing seats that will become later habit. For the first couple of weeks the three N. Korean's in our class took turns sitting next to me. Not that it was that obvious, but they just 'happened' to sit next to me. At first I didn't make any overt attempts to be friendly. I didn't want to scare them off. But we made small talk, about the lesson, homework, etc. We settled into a routine, and one of the guys in particular has been sitting with me ever since. Not at every class. I think that would be too 'obvious'. But we seem to have developed a rhythm, and in certain classes on certain days we sit together.
We don't talk about too much, though we've shared about some family things, what we're studying, and some cultural things. Once in a while the course text will talk about something in America, and he'll ask me, "is it really like that?" And usually I have to smile and say, "well, not really, but it makes a nice story, huh?" I'd say we've reached a pretty good comfort level. Here's a little introduction, that I wrote for my exam (with the teachers corrections):
在中级班，我有一个很好朋友。他的中文名字是-- -- --。他来中国三个月了，而这是他第一次来中国。他到中国之前，学汉语五个月。他的汉语水平比我高。
In my class I have a good friend. His Chinese name is (I left it out, you can never really know who's reading). He has been in China for three months, and this is his first time to come. Before he came to China he studied Chinese for five months. His Chinese is better than mine.
他比我大四岁，也比我高一点儿。他有一个妻子，很漂亮。我希望有天跟她见面。他有一个女孩，六岁，很可爱。
He is four years older than me, and a little bit taller. He has one wife who is very beautiful. I hope to meet her one day. He has a daughter who is six years old, and very adorable.
他来武汉学习生物学，读博士。今年他只是学汉语，明年开始学专业。
He came to Wuhan to study for a PhD in biology. This year he is only studying Chinese, next year he will begin studying his major.
虽然他从朝鲜，我从美国来，我们的国家有差别，但这并不妨碍我们成为好朋友。
Although he comes from N. Korea, and I come from the U.S., and our countries have their differences, that does not hinder us from becoming good friends.
他是我很好的朋友。
He is my good friend.
I barely squeaked an A. :)
I'll admit that the test was not too hard. But I'm glad for that. Chinese writing (characters from memory) can be tough. When we got our tests back, he and I traded and read what the other had written. He laughed when he read that he had only one wife, and joked that he's not an emperor like in ancient China. We both laughed.
When he read the end, about our countries having differences but that doesn't hinder us from being friends, he said something to the effect of, "yes, that's true." And we smiled.
I've been trying to think of something profound to say, about stepping beyond our boundaries, reaching out in strange contexts, and the rewards it brings, but nothing comes to mind. I will say, I'm afraid for America's future, because most people in our beloved country don't do that, don't step out of the cushy comfort we think is ours by 'right', and we don't care to (heck, we've earned it, right?). And that's a sure sign of 'heart failure', which only leads to death.
We'll see where our friendship goes in the future. I hope it can last through dark nights, long years, and after we part ways, we meet up again one day in the future, and perhaps walk and talk and share life together, forever.
Yup. How many of you can claim a N. Korean friend? Or, how many of you can claim you've ever met a N. Korean? (shameless little plug for YOU to come study in China)
Things transpired rather naturally. The first days of class everyone is kind of finding their own 'rhythm' and place in the class, choosing seats that will become later habit. For the first couple of weeks the three N. Korean's in our class took turns sitting next to me. Not that it was that obvious, but they just 'happened' to sit next to me. At first I didn't make any overt attempts to be friendly. I didn't want to scare them off. But we made small talk, about the lesson, homework, etc. We settled into a routine, and one of the guys in particular has been sitting with me ever since. Not at every class. I think that would be too 'obvious'. But we seem to have developed a rhythm, and in certain classes on certain days we sit together.
We don't talk about too much, though we've shared about some family things, what we're studying, and some cultural things. Once in a while the course text will talk about something in America, and he'll ask me, "is it really like that?" And usually I have to smile and say, "well, not really, but it makes a nice story, huh?" I'd say we've reached a pretty good comfort level. Here's a little introduction, that I wrote for my exam (with the teachers corrections):
在中级班，我有一个很好朋友。他的中文名字是-- -- --。他来中国三个月了，而这是他第一次来中国。他到中国之前，学汉语五个月。他的汉语水平比我高。
In my class I have a good friend. His Chinese name is (I left it out, you can never really know who's reading). He has been in China for three months, and this is his first time to come. Before he came to China he studied Chinese for five months. His Chinese is better than mine.
他比我大四岁，也比我高一点儿。他有一个妻子，很漂亮。我希望有天跟她见面。他有一个女孩，六岁，很可爱。
He is four years older than me, and a little bit taller. He has one wife who is very beautiful. I hope to meet her one day. He has a daughter who is six years old, and very adorable.
他来武汉学习生物学，读博士。今年他只是学汉语，明年开始学专业。
He came to Wuhan to study for a PhD in biology. This year he is only studying Chinese, next year he will begin studying his major.
虽然他从朝鲜，我从美国来，我们的国家有差别，但这并不妨碍我们成为好朋友。
Although he comes from N. Korea, and I come from the U.S., and our countries have their differences, that does not hinder us from becoming good friends.
他是我很好的朋友。
He is my good friend.
I barely squeaked an A. :)
I'll admit that the test was not too hard. But I'm glad for that. Chinese writing (characters from memory) can be tough. When we got our tests back, he and I traded and read what the other had written. He laughed when he read that he had only one wife, and joked that he's not an emperor like in ancient China. We both laughed.
When he read the end, about our countries having differences but that doesn't hinder us from being friends, he said something to the effect of, "yes, that's true." And we smiled.
I've been trying to think of something profound to say, about stepping beyond our boundaries, reaching out in strange contexts, and the rewards it brings, but nothing comes to mind. I will say, I'm afraid for America's future, because most people in our beloved country don't do that, don't step out of the cushy comfort we think is ours by 'right', and we don't care to (heck, we've earned it, right?). And that's a sure sign of 'heart failure', which only leads to death.
We'll see where our friendship goes in the future. I hope it can last through dark nights, long years, and after we part ways, we meet up again one day in the future, and perhaps walk and talk and share life together, forever.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Advent Season is Upon Us
I was hoping to post this on Sunday, but I came down with a very nice 24 hr flu and was laid up until today. I'm back to my usual scrumming, classes, Chinese characters, philosophy (I'm in the middle of my first paper in Chinese!!!), and just being.
Advent is here! i.e. - advent is advent! since advent means arrival. If you're not familiar with the Advent Season it is a very old Church tradition that anticipates the celebration of the birth of Jesus.
[Yeah, yeah; I know there are a few scrooges and Grinches who want to ruin the holiday by saying it was originally a pagan holiday to celebrate the birth of Saturn, etc. But those kill-Joys are forgetting the beauty of the cross-cultural process of Christian history, and how holidays once used to worship demons and other created things can be turned to the worship of God. You would be hard-pressed to find a person worshiping Saturn today. But many worship Christ, and it has become tradition to celebrate His birth on December 25.]
In the last few weeks I have been working on an Advent calendar that my family (right now just Emily and I) will be using in the coming years to celebrate Emmanuel. For the next couple of years it will probably be a work in progress, adding discussion questions for kids and adults, and a list of songs to sing or play that fit with the themes.
Some Advent calendars have elements for every day, some only for the four Sundays preceding Christmas day (usually used in church services because they usually meet weekly). Each week has a theme (and they vary from tradition to tradition): Week 1: Prophecy/Expectation/Hope; Week 2: Announcements; Week 3: Joy/Fulfillment; Week 4: Proclamation/Invitation. This year is particularly special because Christmas is on Saturday, meaning this year we have the longest possible Advent calendar, and more time to CELEBRATE! For the first three weeks, every Wednesday, you'll also notice that there is an 'inner theme', of Jesus' Three Offices - Prophet, Priest, and King. On years when we have fewer days to celebrate those days can be dropped without losing as much of the basic story and significant points.
Obviously some of the readings might be a little long for smaller kids, but there's no law keeping you from making this work for your family.
Here's the first week's readings, and I'll follow these up each Sunday with the next weeks. Sorry it's already Wednesday. That means you'll have some catching up to do. Curse the Curse, and my flu! Praise Jesus for coming to heal all things!
PROPHECY – EXPECTATION – HOPE
Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010 – The predicament and a veiled solution, the Seed to come
Genesis 3:8-19
Genesis 15:1-6
Genesis 22:1-14
Monday, Nov. 29, 2010 – Brokenness and Healing
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Jeremiah 33:6-9
Daniel 9:24
Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010 – The Shoot from the Stump of Jesse, the Branch
1 Samuel 16:1, 11-13
Isaiah 11:1-11
Jeremiah 23:5-6
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Zechariah 3:8-10
Zechariah 6:12-13
Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010 – He will be a Prophet
Deuteronomy 18:15-19
Hebrews 3:1-6
Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010 – A Great Light
Isaiah 9:1-7
Isaiah 42:6-8
Isaiah 60:1-3, 19-22
Friday, Dec. 3, 2010 – Our Hope of Salvation, a Rock for All People
Psalm 62:5-6
Isaiah 12
Isaiah 26:1-4
Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010 – The Shepherd and His Sheep
Ezekiel 34:11-24
John 10:1-18
Psalm 95:6-7
Isaiah 40:10-11
Jeremiah 23:1-4
Advent is here! i.e. - advent is advent! since advent means arrival. If you're not familiar with the Advent Season it is a very old Church tradition that anticipates the celebration of the birth of Jesus.
[Yeah, yeah; I know there are a few scrooges and Grinches who want to ruin the holiday by saying it was originally a pagan holiday to celebrate the birth of Saturn, etc. But those kill-Joys are forgetting the beauty of the cross-cultural process of Christian history, and how holidays once used to worship demons and other created things can be turned to the worship of God. You would be hard-pressed to find a person worshiping Saturn today. But many worship Christ, and it has become tradition to celebrate His birth on December 25.]
In the last few weeks I have been working on an Advent calendar that my family (right now just Emily and I) will be using in the coming years to celebrate Emmanuel. For the next couple of years it will probably be a work in progress, adding discussion questions for kids and adults, and a list of songs to sing or play that fit with the themes.
Some Advent calendars have elements for every day, some only for the four Sundays preceding Christmas day (usually used in church services because they usually meet weekly). Each week has a theme (and they vary from tradition to tradition): Week 1: Prophecy/Expectation/Hope; Week 2: Announcements; Week 3: Joy/Fulfillment; Week 4: Proclamation/Invitation. This year is particularly special because Christmas is on Saturday, meaning this year we have the longest possible Advent calendar, and more time to CELEBRATE! For the first three weeks, every Wednesday, you'll also notice that there is an 'inner theme', of Jesus' Three Offices - Prophet, Priest, and King. On years when we have fewer days to celebrate those days can be dropped without losing as much of the basic story and significant points.
Obviously some of the readings might be a little long for smaller kids, but there's no law keeping you from making this work for your family.
Here's the first week's readings, and I'll follow these up each Sunday with the next weeks. Sorry it's already Wednesday. That means you'll have some catching up to do. Curse the Curse, and my flu! Praise Jesus for coming to heal all things!
PROPHECY – EXPECTATION – HOPE
Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010 – The predicament and a veiled solution, the Seed to come
Genesis 3:8-19
Genesis 15:1-6
Genesis 22:1-14
Monday, Nov. 29, 2010 – Brokenness and Healing
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Jeremiah 33:6-9
Daniel 9:24
Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010 – The Shoot from the Stump of Jesse, the Branch
1 Samuel 16:1, 11-13
Isaiah 11:1-11
Jeremiah 23:5-6
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Zechariah 3:8-10
Zechariah 6:12-13
Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010 – He will be a Prophet
Deuteronomy 18:15-19
Hebrews 3:1-6
Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010 – A Great Light
Isaiah 9:1-7
Isaiah 42:6-8
Isaiah 60:1-3, 19-22
Friday, Dec. 3, 2010 – Our Hope of Salvation, a Rock for All People
Psalm 62:5-6
Isaiah 12
Isaiah 26:1-4
Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010 – The Shepherd and His Sheep
Ezekiel 34:11-24
John 10:1-18
Psalm 95:6-7
Isaiah 40:10-11
Jeremiah 23:1-4
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)