The Upper Room

A friend

Ok...I'm  this Ofra Haza binge. It seems that all the singers I really like are no longer with us.  This is an old song but speaks of love, friendship and faithfulness.

Ha Kotel

I came across this very moving song from Ofra Haza. As the song is played read the translation below.

A girl stood facing the kotel (western wall)
She drew her lips and chin close to it.
She said to me, the shofar's blasts are strong
But the silence is even stronger.
She told me: Zion, the Temple Mount
She was silent, about the reward and the right.
And what shone on her forehead at evening
Was the purple of royalty.

The kotel - moss and sadness.
The kotel - lead and blood.

There are people - with a heart of stone.
There are stones - with a human heart.

The paratrooper stood at the kotel.
Of his whole division - the only one.
He told me that death has no image
But it has a diameter -
Nine millimeters only.
He told me, I'm not shedding tears
And again lowered his glance.
But my grandfather, God knows,
Is buried here, on Har Hazeitim (the Mount of Olives).

The kotel......

She stood, dressed in black, at the kotel.
The mother of one of the infantry soldiers.
She told me, it's the eyes of my son that are shining
And not the candles on the wall.
She told me: I'm not writing
Any note to hide between the cracks.***
Because what I gave to the kotel only last night
Is greater than any words or writing.

Christian or Christ follower

The name Christian has now become so maligned that it is causing a stir. What do you think of when the word "Christian" is tossed around? Do you think of a true disciple or someone who is rather annoying?

Useful Links

Just like many of you,  I enjoy good research on biblical topics. Bethlehem College and Seminary has created are very useful links page.  Subjects such as Hebrew/Greek, theology etc can all be found here. There is also some links for general research.

You can find the site HERE.

Blogspotting: Worship

At "Losing my religion", there is a great post on worship.  The author writes:

"Just to be clear--I'm not dissing "worship". I love Jesus, and my heart remains toward Him, and I still desire my life to be worship. It's not worship I'm bored with--it's the way we're doing it in church--the whole worship leader thing, the structure, and the subculture that form has generated. The funny thing is, the concept of a worship leader and worship team has existed in the church for less than a century--even less time than the altar call and the "sinner's prayer" have existed! How ironic that at one time I would have vehemently defended this way of worshiping God as THE way it ought to be done!"

To check out the post click HERE.  How do you feel about the current worship culture?

Prayer for Israel

A friend recently informed me of a  new site that targets prayer for Israel.  As readers of this blog know that prayer for Israel is heavy on my heart.  If you are like me, then this site has everything you are looking for.  Not only is there up to date information but audio and video messages as well.

You can visit the Israel Prayer center Here.

Christmas here at last

Yep it is early October and I have already seen my first advertisement for Christmas spending.  While at a business lunch the overhead TV screen declared I should "buy my Christmas music now".  With expected slow retail sales this Christmas advertisers are acting early. This is making me even more determined not to spend this Christmas season.

Efforts and directions

Image: ASBO Jesus.

I was driving in south Minneapolis today and noticed a sign fixed to a bus stop. The sign was an advertisement for a local church.  I couldn't help think about all the meetings and discussions I had been in on "how to get people to come to church".  In many places this had been such an intense topic that all sorts of plans were developed. There was the, turn the church into a social center strategy. Then there was the, develop a program model. Who can forget the professional Christmas play, with live animals.

Jesus never endorsed such marketing methods. The early church never spent a penny on the Christmas play. They had a simple command, "go it all the world and preach the gospel". Then they could, "teach everything I have commanded you". 

Maybe reaching people is just about talking to them, showing love and spending time. But wait...I don't have time for that, I have to get the animals for the Christmas play.

This makes me think

Studies

This has been a very exciting time for me. As many of you know I have been studying Hebrew.   This has been home study with some wonderful resources.  But I got to a point where home study was not enough. I needed to go deeper and have formal instruction. 

I have entered into a Biblical Hebrew class.  The class is very intense with a goal of completing first year seminary Hebrew.  I am loving every minute of it.  There are good stresses and bad stresses.  The bad stresses for me are often work related.  The good stresses are being pushed to think harder and go deeper into GOD's word.  The class is two hours every week then we have eight hours of home work.

Hebrew is a wonderful language.  It is rich and rewarding.  As one person once told me, "English is like a line drawing, Hebrew is like a sculpture, it has contours and texture".  That statement is certainly true.