Yeastless

Friday night begins the week-long feast of unleavened bread.

I wrote most of this a year ago:

Exodus 12:14-20; 13:6-10

"Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast - as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth." 1 Corinthians 5:7-8

It is interesting that God commanded aliens and foreigners to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, but commanded that only Jews and converted foreigners eat the passover meal (The Lamb). Most of us are familiar with the symbolic significance of the passover lamb and Christ. And it was in his sacrifice that Messiah brought unity between Jews and Gentiles who trust in him.

It is required for all people of all times to get the yeast out. As a person goes throughout the house searching for crumbs of leavened bread to throw out, they are also praying and searching their heart for sins to get rid of. Traditionally, Jews use a candle, a feather, and a wooden spoon in their search for leaven. What do you think these items might symbolize?

Even the small and/or hidden sins can have a devastating effect on the whole of our being.

Try going a week without leavened bread, maybe even go buy some matzah; and at each meal when you decide not to have a burger, sandwich, or a roll, ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart for crumbs of malice and wickedness and to fill you with sincerity and truth.

woo-hoo

At last, what we've all been waiting for... pictures!



Nevermind. But I'm working on it.

File & Sort

I've known for a while that my girlfriend has an affinity for filing and sorting stuff such as papers, mostly money related.

I just realized today how much filing I have done in my life. But not having to do with money.

At my tutoring job, I file student's folders all the time and don't mind it one bit. At my practicum I've been doing a lot of filing of clients' charts and don't mind it. At Central Market we each have a little file pouch with sections in which we file the reciepts for the different credit card brands and cupons.

I remembered today how, when I was younger, I would spend hours organizing my baseball, basketball and football cards according to my favorite players, favorite teams, all star players, card brand, card number, etc.

I also had my kid novels organized according to author, subject, book distributor, etc.

I don't remember what else I sorted like that. Anywho, I guess I'm an organized guy. You can believe that because you can't see my desk.

Time and Sacrifices

Today I worked at Central Market from 7:15 am to 6:20 pm. It was fun. It's illegal to sell alcohol before noon on Sunday. There's signs all over the beer and wine section on Sunday morning stating this fact. But this foreign guy came up at 11:30 and wanted to buy a bunch of beer and wine. The checker explained that it was illegal to sell alcohol before noon on Sunday. The guy said, "but I'm going to be late for church." as if that would change the law, or cause the checker to want to break the law so this guy could get to church. He kept coming back every 5 minutes to see if he could buy it yet. I laughed at myself when I wondered if the guy had to get drunk before church or if he could just wait until it was over. Not funny though. But he waited and bought the stuff at 12:01 and was off to church.

In the Torah readings, we're in the beginning of Leviticus which describes a lot about the sacrifices; this article from torah.org brings to life what the temple was like.

Friday night my congregation will be having a Passover Seder. It will be "Good Friday" according to the Catholic calendar, but that's just a coincidence. Your calendar probably says that Passover is April 24. That's according to the traditional rabbinical timing of the holidays. But the Bible lays out a different way of keeping track of days and months. It has to do with barley and the moon. If you care at all, you can read this article about it.

Just as the temple was holy space, the Sabbath day and the biblical (not "Jewish") feast days are holy time. Just as in the temple, everything had to be done just as God said, so God is in control of times and seasons and everything should be done as he said. The feast days are closely linked with the appearances of Messiah. There is some overlap, but for the most part the Spring feasts point to Messiah's first coming (all of which he fulfilled to the very hour) and the Fall feasts point to His second coming (which will most likely be fulfilled just as precisely). The Jewish leaders in the first century didn't understand what God had been communicating to them. Now it seems Jewish and Christian leaders are missing what God has put in scripture about Messiah's second coming.

The Jews will celebrate the spring feasts a month late and ignore Jesus' role in them. The Christians will ignore the spring feasts and celebrate Jesus the way the pagans celebrated their fertility goddess.

The Jews will celebrate the fall feasts a month late and ignore Jesus' role in them. The Christians will ignore the fall feasts and celebrate Halloween inside a church building so that it doesn't seem as pagan.

All that seemingly superfluous stuff (Laws, etc.) that some Christians ignore and some make fun of and that Jews argue about, why is it in the Bible?

Why are there so many stories and illustrations in the Bible?

Why did Jesus speak in parables?

nonstop

This week was superbusy. I barely had time to breathe; no way I could have blogged. It was Spring Break, but I couldn't wait for school to start so I can get a break. Since I didn't have classes, I decided to knock out as much practicum as I could. So I was at practicum all morning and then working at Central Market all afternoon and evening. I spent the last hour or so before curfew with Joy. I squeezed in as much sleep as I could. I barely had time to eat. I have tests coming up that I haven't studied for and probably have homework that I haven't done. But I'll be done with my practicum in 3 weeks. yay! In 6 weeks I'm gonna move into my own apartment! And in 7 weeks I'm gonna graduate!

update 314

I've been enjoying the song "Lonely" by Akon. It sounds like alvin and the chipmunks singing background vocals. It's such a fun and depressing song.

I talked to my mom on the phone tonight during a break at work. She gave me an update on Nathan (I wrote about him a little here) whom I have been thinking about a lot (and praying about a little) this last month. He had/has some kind of viral disease (menengitis?) and had a big fall down last friday and was hospitalized. It was really serious.

A Really Long Post - Japanese Book, Denim Baptist, Australian Anglican, CoworkerstudentPKgirl - With A Really Long Title

A guy and his 5 year oldish son were in my line. The guy handed his son a book and said, "hold your book." I looked at the book and saw cartoon animals and symbols, the animals and symbols looked kinda Japanese. I asked the dad sortof jokingly, "Is he learning Japanese?"

Dad guy answered, "Yes, actually he is. His grandma is Japanese."

I said, "He should be able to learn it starting out this young."

"Right. I only wish I could learn it"

My mind went through thoughts about the plasticity of the young mind and how children can learn languages more readily than adults, because that's what their brains are wired to do at that age, and it's just not as easy for adults to learn new languages because they already have well worn paths in the language section of their brains. And I blurted out, "But your brain doesn't work right." Excellent.

Then my mind raced through do-something-you-idiot mode. I thought, I don't think they sell those books at Barnes & Noble. So I asked the guy, "Where did you get the book?"

And he told me that he has family in Tokyo and they mailed him the book and he said that they have really crazy stuff in Japan like cell phones the size of a pen.

Later at work, I saw a guy with a denim shirt with a clerical collar, and it made me think of Real Live Preacher, because he has one, too. I wondered for a second if it could be him, but then I realized that it wasn't because that guy didn't look like any picture of RLP, Gordon, that I have seen on the site.

This reminds me of a customer at work who I have seen a couple of times (a week ago and a couple of days ago). He wears black pants, black shirt with the clerical collar, a black vest, and a big fat crucifix. I was sliding his groceries along the scanner, and there was the big ol' cross with a guy on it hanging around an old guy's neck. He was a friendly old man. He had an accent. British I thought. So I figured he must be Anglican. I felt like talking to him, so I thought of the most original, creative thing I could, "So you're a minister."

"A Priest," he corrected me, as if it was an insult to call him a minister. Yikes, I didn't know. I knew not to call him "a Pastor" but I thought "minister" would be OK. Then he added, "An Anglican Priest."

You weren't supposed to tell me! I was gonna guess and impress you. I'll show you anyway, "Yeah, that's what I figured because of your accent. British, right."

"Close. Australian"

ooookaaaay. "Not really even close." Guess I'm not gonna be impressing you much.

A coworker and I had a break at the same time today. This coworker is also a classmate, and a friend and a PK (Pastor's Kid). I think she's curious about what I believe about Torah and whatnot, and I think she thinks I'm a little wacko. We should really talk about the Bible sometime. That's something I've noticed, all these spiritual people don't really discuss scripture much, instead they talk about what the lord told them. But I digress. The coworkerstudentPKgirl asked me about work today, like how long I had been there. I worked all day today 9:30am-7:30pm.

"Don't you feel bad about that [working instead of going to church on sunday morning]?" she asked.

"No. It's not like it's the Sabbath." (I'm such a snot)

"But that's not how you were raised."

"I wasn't raised Muslim either." Really, this is why I prefer writing to talking. When I talk, I sound so weird. The Muslim comment made no sense unless you could read my mind. I was thinking about how if someone was raised Muslim and then converted to Christianity, this girl would not be saying the same thing (i.e. "Do you feel bad about not praying to Allah 5 times a day?" "That's not how you were raised"). I don't think I'm explaining it very well. I'm just weird.

Then she asked, "If you were back home would you go to church?"

I think I answered with a "maybe." It doesn't make much difference. I would go to church back home to see friends from the past. I've seen church (as in the sunday morning church service) as pretty whack for much longer than I've observed Sabbath and all that. My apathy towards the sunday morning church service is not a result of observing the 7th day Sabbath and stuff.

I would much rather hang out with a community of believers (why can't I find one on this Christian university campus) and discuss scripture and spirituality with them. I have some friends on campus, but it's so hard to talk about God. And when we do, they get all weird. I guess I'm weird too. I dunno.

A break?

It's Spring Break. So I'll be working more hours at Central Market and at my practicum site.

I was thinking the other day, Mr. Bean would definitely be a customer at Central Market.

Today is the birthday of Beautiful Joy. Happy Birthday!

thrice

Tame the Tongue
Today I heard evil tongue. Jesus and James talked about our words. The rabbis also talk about the power of speech.

Saying something negative about someone else is called lashan hara. This is not just lying about someone. It is even saying something true but negative. Lashan hara kills three people. The speaker, the listener and the one being spoken about. If the speaker or the listener is the one being spoken about it is still dangerous. (I know of four people who have definitely been hurt by the words of this one person.)

Now there are some cases where it is necessary to say something negative about someone. For instance, if someone poses a threat, the person in danger needs to be warned. But then there is no need to go telling people who have no involvement in the matter.

Words are powerful. God created the world with words. Humans also have the ability to create with words. Once a word is spoken, it is filled with power that can bring life and death.

Before you say something harmful about someone else, stop and think about whether or not you need to say it. You probably don’t. We might not have much to talk about if we’re not bashing other people, maybe we should work on that.

Coincidence?
Today I left my backpack in the cafeteria. I got to my room and realized I had to go back and get it. Outside the cafeteria I saw Robert, the other guy on campus who believes somewhat like me. We talked for a few minutes. I now know where he lives, but I don’t have his number. I’m sure I’ll bump into him again.

Wish You Were Here
I’m so stinkin busy. On the days when I’m not busy I feel stressed because I keep thinking that there should be somewhere I need to go within the hour. Every once in a while, when I’m not focusing on what I’m doing right now and what I’m going to be doing next, I think about people that I know. But I don’t get to do this very often. I want to keep in contact with the people that I know and care about. I wonder if she’s still on the other part of the world, and where in America she is, and what he’s doing, and what he’s pondering now. I gotta make time for emailing and phone calling.

No, it's MY birthday.

So Wild. Today I met someone who's been on earth the exact same amount of time as me, give or take a few hours.

That's strange in and of itself, but the odds of that happening are mindblowing (unless I had a twin).

I met him by selling him beer. Now it's already unlikely that two people with the same birthdate, down to the year, would be in the same building.

He had like 8 cashiers to choose from and he came to my line.

He could have gone to the express line. I wasn't even working express.

He was buying beer, so I had to card him. That's how I found out that we have the exact same birthday. If he wasn't buying alcohol we never would have known.

I sold him the beer 5 minutes before I got off work. A matter of minutes and I might not have met him.

His name is Zack. His birthday is the same as mine. I'll probably never even see him again. But WOW.

Why Not Remember?

Today is the Feast of Perpetua and her Companions. We're in between the Feasts of Valentine and Patrick. Why don't we have some way of remembering these martyrs? Read the second link above.

It is also the anniversary of a Bloody Sunday in Alabama. Take a minute to read the above link and think about the brutality and sacrifice that was displayed just forty years ago today.

TWIRP'd

Tonight I went on a TWIRP (The Woman Is Required to Pay) date. It was a “blind twirp” for everyone except Joy and me. She set up four of her girl friends with four guys, and we all went out as a group. I suggested one of the couples, and I’m sure most of the group would agree they were the best match.

The guys all got mysterious notes. We met at the fountain at 8 pm. Then a group of girls came. With a row of guys and a row of girls standing there it looked and felt like a reality show. They stood anxiously waiting to be paired up. One of the guys didn’t show. Phil, my roomate, and I ran and grabbed another guy to come along with us.

So we all paired up and went to Starbucks. Our group of 11 (a sixth girl came along) busted into Starbucks at the same as another smaller group, and the “baristas” (which I learned today is Italian for bartender) were freaked out. The oldest barista asked quite rudely, “Where are you all from?” It was just kinda scary the way she asked it. We hung around the Corporate Monster Cloned Coffee house long after our overpriced unextraordinary drinks and desserts were finished. We were going to possibly do some other things like go to a drive in, ice skate or go bowling, but after Starbucks we went to a house and talked and played Cranium.

Before the date I was in my room singing “Love Me Do” by the Beatles. I stuck in the CD that Wonderful Joy bought me and listened to it. During Cranium, one of the Humdingers was “Love Me Do.” And then at the end of the night we all listened to the song.

It was a super-fantastic night. My girlfriend rocks.

And he gathered

I recently heard someone’s definitions of religion and spirituality. I’m not quoting him exactly, but. Religion or going to church is not what you do to experience or worship God. It is a gathering of individuals who have similar spirituality. Spirituality is a person’s daily private encounters with God. Spirituality is private prayer, a life of worship and an ongoing inner communion with God. Religion is where these individuals get together and symbolically express their spirituality. For example, worship songs are symbols of love for and recognition of God (words are symbols), baptism and communion are symbols. These, along with sermons and testimonies (words are symbols), are expressions of what the person has already experienced personally (spirituality).

Moses gathered together the congregation, then he re-commanded sabbath yet again. Then he commanded whoever had a willing heart to bring gifts for work on the tabernacle. They brought more than enough. As I was reading Exodus 35, I was reminded of what Paul wrote to the Corinthians concerning their giving. When we decide to give/do something for someone else, we ought to carry it out. I like to give when it’s of my own initiative, I don’t like being forced or coerced into giving. I think that most people are the same way.

Spirituality is very important. Without it, religion would be worthless. But religion is also very important. A building is non-existent without the individual stones that make it up.

Today I met someone on campus who believes similar to me. Viva community.

blogalittle and some good writing

I should follow Black Country Christian's lead and blog more often.

I've been really busy, but I don't have a lot to write about. Work was fun today, because I was in a good mood.

I think I'm going to eat a coconut tonight.

OK. If you want to read some good writing, read this two part story by Real Live Preacher called "Came Grief and Compassion." Here's part one and part two.

Today at work

It felt like I was at work forever. I was only there for 4 hours. I think that's the shortest possible shift, maybe 3 hours is. But as soon as I got there I wanted to leave. I checked the clock every 3 or 4 minutes which helped make those hours drag on and on.

So a woman wanted to buy some flowers. The stems were wet and they were loosely wrapped in little plastic sleeves. She handed me the flowers and I tried to scan the bar-code. But those little lines wouldn't scan. I tilted the flowers this way and that trying to find an angle and distance at which it would scan. Just before I was about to move on to more drastic measures, such as typing in the bar-code numbers, I heard a bleep. So I finished checking her order. "Thank you, have a nice day, yadda yadda yadda."

Then I looked down. I don't remember which I noticed first; the small puddle of water on the counter, or the relatively big spot of water on my pants. Those stinking flowers! The placement was perfect. My little brother couldn't have placed a better wet spot on my pants.

I grabbed a paper towel and wiped off the counter, and I helped the next customer. But I didn't dare step out from behind my one and a half foot wide counter of protection. I think she saw it though. She smiled. I think my face felt warm.

"Thank you. Come again." I knelt down behind the counter and scrubbed my pants furiously with a paper towel. And of course I had to decide to wear khakis today. I usually wear jeans, and the spot wouldn't have been as noticeable on jeans. But no.

A pleasant lady pushed her cart up and said, "You look like you need something to do." (No I don't! I'm definitely doing something right now!)

I stood up and scanned her groceries. She smiled. Sure customers smile all the time. But she was inwardly laughing at me. I just know it.

I had been wondering what I should do. Should I call a manager and explain what happened and get permission to go clean up? I finished with her and switched of the register light and walked quickly up to the bathroom. Grabbed some paper towels and used friction and absorption to dry my pants.

My pants dried and I finished the four hours. I don't think any of my coworkers saw the spot. So I wont be mocked unless they happen to read this. Not likely.

Stupid flowers.

22305

I discovered Yahoo! Calendar. Well, actually, I didn't discover it. I was shown it. It's been a tab in my mailbox the whole time. Why didn't I ever think to use it before? Now I can finally see how busy I actually am.

I recently started my practicum for my counseling degree. Three days a week I hang around at a Counseling Center that works mostly, but not exclusively, with recovering adicts. I attend group therapy sessions and the weekly staff meeting and I sort papers. I'm enjoying it so far for the most part. I probably wont talk about it much on here for ethical/confidentiality reasons.

I'm still tutoring at uni (I think that's some sort o' british type slang for university. Black Country Boy can clear it up for ya in the comments if he wants) in the Achievement Center. But I'm only tutoring on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I have one student each of those mornings.

And I've been working at Central Market. Yipee!

Tonight I went to Bible study at Olive Tree, the place I go on Saturdays. I just think it's so cool how Bill, the leader/teacher guy, lets the kids interupt any time. No matter how weird, off topic, and silly their question or comment may seem and no matter how long it takes for them to spit the words out, he listens and responds with respect. I think that's very cool.

I thought this was going to be a more interesting and not as generalized post, but now it is what it is and I gotta go and my brain is turning to mush and my roomate's talking to me about his My Little Pony.

In finite

LORD, compassionate, gracious, abounding in love is undefinable. Moses wanted to see the glory of I AM, but such infinite being would penetrate every aspect of Moses. The finite time and space occupied by Moses would be obliterated.

Moses would later go on to infinite time and space, unbound. And so will we. But we must not forget that we are in eternity now. Eternity, without beginning or end, includes now. You are in the presence of the omnipresent God now. Our time on earth is but a vapor in eternity, each moment of our brief earthly existence is relatively significant. If my life-span on earth was a million years, then one day would not be as significant as in a life-span of only a few years.

The infinitely infinite God is interested in the finite. He created this finite time-space world. The universe seems so huge, why should God care about me? But he does. The infinite stooped down and took six days to make this world. The infinite meddled with the finite creation and stooped down to the level of going one-on-one with Pharaoh, he decided to use the descendants of one man for his universal plan. The infinite became a finite human man living on this earth for only 33 years, so that we can have eternal rest after our finite existence takes on its ultimate infinite form.

Through Sabbath we are making a statement that we are not defined by our finite existence. We demonstrate that our provision is not our own. Our striving and building are not what makes our life. We ought to be reminded and refreshed in the knowledge that the infinite one decided to create us, he chose to free us (by the way, the word for Egypt means a tight and enclosed space), he chose to stoop down and love us. Our time must become his time.

ran/som

Exodus 30:12 - When a census is taken of Israel, each man is to give a ransom (a half shekel) so that no plague would break out.

When I've heard people preach on 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21 (David's census), they talk about David's pride and stuff. They say that the reason a plague broke out was because David took a census. But actually the problem wasn't the census. If David would have had each numbered person give a half-shekel to LORD, there would have been no plague.

Exodus 30:13-15 - Each numbered individual, rich or poor, was to give a half-shekel to LORD for atonement, no more, no less.

An individual is incomplete (half-shekel) without the congregation. Atonement is found in unity with the whole congregation.

The rich were not to give more, nor the poor less for their atonement. The pious can do nothing extra to gain atonement, the wicked or ignorant are not given lower standards for atonement. There is to be equality in the congregation, we all have something to contribute, and whatever we have is of the same worth in God's eyes (and incomplete in isolation from the congregation).

one yeer

Today marks one year of being a boyfriend and having the greatest girlfriend in the world. She's so smart and beautiful and silly and compassionate. I don't deserve her, but I love her.

Analogy

"'Truth' was walking down the street stark naked. No one was able to stand comfortably in his presence. Then his friend 'Parable' fitted him with a suit so people could tolerate and appreciate his essence."

found at Torah.org