Intro to the Book of Judges

“Oops, I did it again.”

Britney may have made these words famous, but she didn’t originate the concept. In fact these words summarize perfectly the recurring cycle we find in the biblical Book of Judges, the events of which took place about 1220 BC to 1050 BC. The entire book demonstrates a national downward spiral of sin, suffering, supplication, salvation, sin, suffering…

The setting? The Israelites’ promised land, following centuries in Egyptian bondage and forty years of wilderness wandering. God had parted the Red Sea, given them daily manna, kept their shoes from wearing out, given them daytime clouds so the desert wouldn’t fry them and nighttime fire so the desert wouldn’t freeze them. And then He finally brought them home to the land of their ancestors. So do you think they responded in worship and love? Of course not. They’d do okay for a little while and then blow it. Over and over. And over. Oops.

Kind of like us.

Sometimes we learn from our own mistakes; when we’re wiser, we learn from the mistakes of others. The Book of Judges, if we pay close attention, will help us learn the easier way. (So join us here for a study that starts in March.)

Why the title, “Judges”? In contemporary times we think of a judge as someone who presides in court. But judges then served both as judicial officials and clan chieftains. And God directed ancient Israel for a time through these judicial-chieftan leaders, male and female. (The image above: Jael showing Barak the dead body of Sisera, whom Judge Deborah helped him defeat.) Our foray together into the Book of Judges will give us a glimpse of the Lord’s greatness despite humanity’s weakness.

If you’re imperfect but you have a big God, you’ve come to the right place!

February 23 - Java with the Judges

Get your book now for our Spring study through Java with the Judges.

On February 23, Sandi will give us an introduction to "Judges".
We'll begin Java with the Judges in March.

Get your book as soon as possible to be ready:
Amazon
ChristianBook
Bible.org
Overstock.com
AMG Publishers

Stay tuned here for more details to come.

Can't wait?
Read an excerpt here.

Gallery Wednesday

theme: Decay vs. The Divine


"I wanted to draw a Barbie to represent the perfect, empty, false person I present to the world, but it was ironic. The Barbie that a friend lent me had slightly mussed hair, her leotard slightly off one shoulder and one knee duct-taped. I kind of forgave this Barbie because it seemed she'd been a bit battered by the world, like we all have." - Jodie


See all of the Decay/Divine Gallery.

Artuality: The Table of Grace

Each month, L'Chaim hosts a blog carnival in which participants celebrate the varied forms of art and the ways it inspires our lives. The theme for Artuality in February is furniture.

I am attracted to furniture because of the stories I imagine behind the pieces. How was it made? Where did the materials come from? Who made it? Was it a rugged cotton farmer making a primitive stool for his son to sit on and whittle by the fire after chores? Was it a highly-trained furniture maker tooling a cabriole legged chair with velvet upholstry and claw-and-ball feet for a wealthy British family? Did it sell for millions of dollars at Sotheby's last auction? Did a bunch of neighborhood kids find it in a chicken coop and heft it up to their tree house to store their treasures?
I just love to imagine who and where it came from... and who and where it's going to.

My mother owned a small antique shop when I was in junior high and there were few places I'd rather be on a weekend than milling around the antique mall while she worked, looking over strange and wonderful remnants of days gone by. My teenage-girl bedroom was outfitted in primitive antiques. I felt so comfortable there.


Here are my inspirational pieces of furniture for February:
About 3 years ago some neighbors of my parents were moving and trying to find homes for their unneeded furniture. Our family was the blessed recipient of a complete set- dining room table, 6 chairs, a sideboard and hutch, and a china cabinet.

Free furniture that is in gorgeous shape, with a beautiful finish, and is large enough for our family and several friends... and... did I mention it was completely free?
Sounds like grace.

I thank my God for those kind neighbors every time I enjoy dinner with my family at this table, or see the kids fetching their crayons and Playdoh out of the sideboard, or dusting Granny's thimble collection in the china cabinet. Every time we add another leaf to the table to make ready for a feast with friends, I recall the grace that was bestowed on us in this gift.

We barely knew those neighbors of my parents. There certainly wasn't anything we'd done to deserve their dining room set.
Grace.

Doing schoolwork at the table of grace

Gallery Wednesday

theme: Decay vs. The Divine


"It honestly brings me to tears to see the beautiful thing that God makes out of what looks like just another layer of dust to me. I would sweep it away without blinking an eye but He writes love letters to me in it." - Beverly


See all of the Decay/Divine Gallery.

Decay and Divine

I find an interesting juxtaposition of decay and divine in illuminated books of hours or pieces like this from one of Dante's early works. The ideas and the pictures that illuminate them raise us to new heights. We ponder lofty thoughts and look on works of art, all on the same page.

Yet these hundreds of years later we find decay amidst the beauty. Yellowed edges crack and fall off. Places touched by human hands have marks where body oil met paper. Bindings leave flakes in the laps that hold them.

A used book store is full of such fading finds. A new store smells of fresh ink; an old one reeks of mildew. New books have perfect, white pages; old books have watermarks, dog-eared pages, underlining, and yellow paper. But what treasures one can find amidst the decaying edges.

Check it out: This site includes photos from old books as well as engravings of initials.

What is the oldest book you own? Does it show signs of decay?

Gallery Wednesday

theme: Decay vs. The Divine


"I hope this card elicits some sense of reality. War seems distant and unreal until we face it's ultimate sacrifice - loss of life. We can try to justify it but the fact remains - a lot of people are going to die." - Melissa


See all of the Decay/Divine Gallery.

Mini-SPS Group: DIVINE

Today marks our first day examining our next theme:

Divine

As a particular compliment to last month's focus on "decay," I look forward to enjoying what God reveals to each of us. I have a suspicion there's a lot more to decay/divine than just a simple compare and contrast activity.


We're going to camp out on the Divine for the entire month of February, so there's plenty of time for you to observe and engage your life. And then, of course, share it on your blog or right here in the comments section on SoulPerBlog.



Here's a Shuffle the Deck question to get your thinking started:

What reminds you most of the Divine?
Take a picture of it and put it next to the pictures you took last month of Decay. (If it's a song or a video, play it while you look at the pictures of Decay.)
What are the differences? Why do those differences exist? How can you focus more on the Divine during your day?

Gallery Wednesday

theme: Decay vs. The Divine




Please leave a comment if you can't watch the video for some reason.

See all of the Decay/Divine Gallery.

Quote to Ponder

I came across this quote today in my old notebook. Sorry, I didn't write the source! But I had to share it:

Imagination ...[isn't], as some would have it, a dreamer's way of escaping through reality, but rather an active power by which language one reshape[s] the world, overlaying images of alternative possibility and the beauty of change over static images of defeat.

Sound like decay and divine to you? Me, too.

The Decay of Passions

Webster's Dictionary defines "passion" as; a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept.

This week I've been pondering why it is that our passions often seem to suffer the decay of this fallen world. The things we are devoted to deep within our hearts are, many times, not the things we spend the bulk of our days engaged in.

What I'm not talking about are fads. Florescent socks, mullet haircuts, poodle skirts, catch phrases and Hollywood diets are fickle trends. They come and go as quickly as the sun rises and sets.

What I am thinking of are the gifts, talents and passions that our Creator has placed within us. The things that stir us up to heights, quicken our heart beats, occupy our thoughts all day, and come out of us like a native language. Writing, painting, composing music, contemplating, prayer, meditation...


Click here to read how Abby, at Credo ut Intelligam, stretches herself against her creative decay.

How have you seen your own passions suffer decay?

Gallery Wednesday

theme: Decay vs. The Divine


"No matter how many times you check the pockets, a tissue always ends up in the wash. This was my first card. I joked about using dryer lint on it. Without any other ideas, I did just that." - Rhonda


See all of the Decay/Divine Gallery.

New SPS Mini-Group: Decay Vs. Divine

Introducing the next mini-SoulPerSuit group, running exclusively here on SoulPerBlog for the months of January and February:

Decay Vs. Divine

For the remainder of January, our SoulPerSuit team reflects on the first half of this conundrum:

Decay

Shuffle the Deck for Decay: Take a picture of something in your life that is decaying. Take a picture of the same object everyday for a week. Compare the pictures.

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If you'd like to join us in reflecting on the contrast between decay and divine, post your thoughts and artwork on your own blog and then leave a comment here so we can link to you.
If you'd like to reflect (or lament) on decay in quiet anonymity, please be sure to come back and enjoy the other offerings of fellow SoulPerSuiters.

Gallery Wednesday

theme: Decay vs. The Divine


"Today my son, Will, lost his pacifier at nap time (not lost, I took it away). He is so sad, he loves it so much. So I'm really feeling the affects of "why can something we love be bad for us?". "Why do I have to take it away?" Screaming in rage for half an hour he said, "I'm not big, I'm not big."" - Jodie

See all of the Decay/Divine Gallery.

FYI

All you artsy spiritual people: You need to check out this artist. And this, too:

Gallery Wednesday

theme: Decay vs. The Divine


"My first card simply represents contemplation about this project - what Divine/Decay means, how I will represent it and different materials I will use." - Melissa

See all of the Decay/Divine Gallery.

---

Today is the first day of our new feature, Gallery Wednesday where we will post one of your SoulPerSuit cards.

Our theme for January and February is Decay vs. Divine. Using sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound, contemplate this theme for the next two months. Post your thoughts in the comments anytime during January and February. If you write a blog post, include the link in your comment. Also, if you make a SPS card, please photograph or scan it and send it to us. If you do, I'll post it on Gallery Wednesday.

SPS on The Master's Artist

Author Mary E. DeMuth ("Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture") is a regular contributor to The Master's Artist. We were thrilled that Mary wanted to feature SPS in her post today. Hop on over and learn how SPS got started, how it's done, and how it can benefit you as an unique and amazing creation of the Creator.

Contemplative Christmas Wrap-up

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Contemplative Christmas group here at SoulPerBlog. This has been a deep and reflective experience for me, personally, and it provided my family some direction during the often-aimless-and-distracted holiday season. I hope each of you enjoyed yourselves as much as I did! *
(If you'd like to know, our New Year's Eve Asian pot stickers lived up to their name, they stuck to the bottom of the pot completely. 2009 means wok lessons for me!)

As we close down this mini-SoulPerSuit group, here's one more question:
Which of the five Christmas themes was your favorite and why?

If you'd like to read (or add to) our collective thoughts on each week's theme, click the links below:

Week 1: Barn Smells
Week 2: Bright Light
Week 3: Singing
Week 4: Cradled in Arms
Week 5: Lavish Incense


The Adoration of the Magi
Federico Fiori Barocci, 1561-63
Black chalk, pen and brush on blue paper
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

*Rhonda will be here on Wednesday to fill you in on our next SoulPerSuit excursion.

Play Your Hand V

LAVISH INCENSE

See other reflections:
Erin
Schweer's Mom on Family Food Traditions
Schweer's Mom
Erin's Blog Post on Lavish Incense

Scent for the King

Song of Songs 3:6 - Who is this coming up from the desert like a column of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and incense made from all the spices of the merchant?

Say three words—gold, (frank)incense, and myrrh—and what do most people think? Yes, magi bringing gifts to the Baby Jesus.

Did you know we also find gold, incense, and myrrh in Song of Songs. “Gold” appears five times, “incense” three times, and “myrrh” seven times.

Of this trilogy, we find “myrrh” most often, so let’s take a closer look at it. The beloved says her lover is a sachet of myrrh. Later she says he smells like myrrh. And then he’s dripping with myrrh. There’s no doubt about it—she definitely associates him with myrrh.

We know myrrh was and is a perfume, but a quick glance through the entire Bible tells us that it appears more often in association with scenting men than women.

“Myrrh” means “bitter.” And myrrh was used for more than providing fragrance on special occasions. It also deadened pain. And people used it to prepare the dead for burial. Jesus turned down wine mixed with myrrh when He hung from the cross. And Nicodemus brought about seventy-five pounds of spices, including myrrh, so he could prepare Jesus’ body before it was placed in the tomb.

Because so many of us read the New Testament a lot more than we read the Old, we may associate myrrh more with death than with life. I’ve heard it said, for example, that the myrrh that the magi brought to the Christ Child foreshadowed Jesus’ death. The person who said it thought the wise men consciously brought a substance associated with death to give to the Baby Jesus, knowing He was born to die.

Now, what would you think if someone gave you a casket or a headstone as a baby gift? Imagine the conversation! “Here, I hope you like it. I brought you some toys, and some booties, and some expensive embalming fluid. We’re all terminal cases….”

The wise men had no idea that Jesus was going to die to save us from our sins. Even His own disciples didn’t get it. Only Mary of Bethany, Lazarus’s sister, who anointed Jesus’ feet before the crucifixion, appears to have understood “before the fact” that our Savior had to die before He would reign as King.

Reigning as king—that’s why the magi brought myrrh. It was a gift fit for a king. Consider Esther, who, before her “night with the king,” spent six months treating herself with oil of myrrh (Esth. 2:12). Centuries later when the magi found Herod, they asked the location of the one born King of the Jews, saying they had come to worship Him (Matt. 2:2). And when they came to the house and found Him, they fell down in worship, offering that King their gifts.

In Psalm 45:6-8 we read, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad.”

The focus on loss in association with the myrrh brought by the magi to Jesus misses the strong association of myrrh with riches, royalty, and celebration. When Matthew wrote his gospel, he was presenting Jesus Christ as Israel's long-awaited royal Messiah. And the gifts of the magi were gifts worthy of His Majesty--the one coming to reign in glory.

Celebrate His coming and His return!

(Adapted from Solomon Latte, used with permission.)

Contemplative Christmas V

This is our final week of the SoulPerSuit Contemplative Christmas.

I hope you'll stick around and join us for this last theme, because even though the presents are opened, the Christmas musical extravaganzas are concluded, the family photos taken, and the figgy pudding eaten, there is still plenty more going on with the Christmas story. Lots of opportunities to respond.

You can find our previous collective thoughts (and add your own) here:

Week I- Barn Smells
Week II- Bright Light
Week III- Singing
Week VI- Cradled in Arms

Throughout the month of December, SoulPerSuit has been inviting folks to reflect on a theme phrase pertaining to the Nativity. We also offer one or two Shuffle the Deck activities to kick start your creative thinking. All the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and sensations of this Christmas season are at your disposal- you just need your Bible and your imagination.

________________________________________________

This week's theme is:
Lavish incense

Optional Shuffle The Deck activities to get things rolling:

1) There are certain foods that are a tradition this time of year and every family is different. Do you know where those traditions started? Why are these so important? What do these traditions do for the season or family gathering? When is the food served?
Create a recipe card or write a short story about the food and the tradition. Decorate the card or story with clippings, photos, or drawings.

2) Cook a new recipe to ring in the New Year. Try something from an ethnic tradition or region different than your normal fare.

A couple of websites to begin with:
All Recipes
Recipe Source
Epicurious
Recipe Zaar
_________________________________________________

So, what next? We are hopeful that the Holy Spirit will lead you in worship over the next week.
If you'd like to worship and reflect quietly then you don't need to do anything.
If you create a piece of artwork or have thoughts you'd like to share publicly (or you're new here and wondering what we're up to), click here to see what we're up to.

Play Your Hand IV

CRADLED IN ARMS

Safe
Loved
Enveloped
Transported
Eternal
Special


See other reflections:
Amy
Erin
Schweers' Mom
Erin's Kids

Shuffle the Deck

Point of view...

Think on this: What must it have been like for the Child? For the mother? For the angel? For the Father?

Contemplative Christmas IV

Today marks the beginning of Week 4 of our SoulPerSuit Contemplative Christmas.

Throughout the month of December, we've been inviting folks to reflect on the Holiday season and share their observations. You can find our previous collective thoughts (and add your own) here:

Week I- Barn Smells
Week II- Bright Light
Week III- Singing


Right here on SoulPerBlog for another 2 weeks we'll be posting a theme phrase to reflect on and one or two Shuffle the Deck activities to kick start your creative thinking. All the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and sensations of this Christmas season are at your disposal- you just need your Bible and your imagination.

________________________________________________

This week's theme is:
Cradled in Arms

Optional Shuffle The Deck activities to get things rolling:

1) Cuddle up with something or someone that you love. Notice its weight in your arms, the surface texture, its smell, its breathing pattern. Enjoy a few moments of stillness together.

If you don’t readily find a thing, pet or person to cuddle with, think back to your favorite stuffed toy or blankie. What do you remember about it?


2) It's the beginning of some very hard times. What are some creative ways that we can serve this season or throughout the year?

_________________________________________________

So, what next? We are hopeful that the Holy Spirit will lead you in worship over the next week.
If you'd like to worship and reflect quietly then you don't need to do anything.
If you create a piece of artwork or have thoughts you'd like to share publicly (or you're new here and wondering what we're up to), click here to see what we're up to.

Play Your Hand III

SINGING

Check out:

greta lynn hernandez
Erin
schweers' mom
mutating missionary

Shuffle the Deck

Do you ever re-read a book or watch a movie for the tenth time (say, The Sound of Music) and find yourself surprised to notice something you never saw previously, despite the work's familarity? Christmas music can be like that. Perhaps you traveled this year and you're arrested by a reference to Christ as the Desire of nations... Or you served your country in Iraq, and "peace on earth, goodwill to men" rings in your ears with new force. Maybe you're involuntarily childless and you appreciate "For unto us a Son is given..."

Put on some Christmas music and pay attention to the words. Appreciate the organization of Scripture in Handel's "Messiah." Discern the message in "The Holly and the Ivy." Or figure out for the first time the point in the one about the good king who stepped out on the Feast of Stephen. Perhaps you've sung the first verse of something and never actually understood it, so it's both familiar and unfamiliar. Start by considering the lyrics to "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming":

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming, as men of old have sung.
It came, a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind;
With Mary we behold it, the virgin mother kind.
To show God’s love aright, she bore to men a Savior,
When half spent was the night.

The shepherds heard the story proclaimed by angels bright,
How Christ, the Lord of glory was born on earth this night.
To Bethlehem they sped and in the manger found Him,
As angel heralds said.

This Flower, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere;
True Man, yet very God, from sin and death He saves us,
And lightens every load.

O Savior, Child of Mary, who felt our human woe,
O Savior, King of glory, who dost our weakness know;
Bring us at length we pray, to the bright courts of Heaven,
And to the endless day!

Listen anew, ponder anew. And when something strikes you with new force, sing it out. Own it. Make it your own. Then offer it up.

In case you're wondering what is behind this exercise, here's the scoop.

Contemplative Christmas III

This is Week 3 of the SoulPerSuit Contemplative Christmas. I pray you're enjoying it as much as I am!

Both of the previous themes, Barn Smells and Bright Lights, are still open for your artwork and commentary. Please drop us a note if you'd like to add something to the on-going discussion.


Joining us for the first time? Welcome!

Each week here on SoulPerBlog we'll be posting a theme phrase to reflect on during this Christmas season and one or two Shuffle the Deck activities to kick start your creative thinking. Otherwise, SoulPerSuit is going to let Emmanuel speak for himself. All the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and sensations of this Christmas season are at the disposal of the Holy Spirit. You just need your Bible and your imagination.

Here is Week 3's theme.

________________________________________________

This week's theme is:
Singing

Optional Shuffle The Deck activities to get things rolling:

1) Below is a list of 25 words. Select any five of them and use them in some way to create a worship service. If possible, try to include all five senses in your service. You can write your service out, record it, videotape it, create a collage from magazine clippings – however you want to record your service.

Burned
Straw
Ripe
Barn
Trough

Bright
Gold
Regal
Star
Field

Loud
Soft
Melodic
Distant
Tender

Fur
Gravel
Dry Leaves
Bark
Numb

Milk
Wine
Water
Bread
Spicy


2) Record yourself singing or playing your favorite Christmas carol. Or make yourself a mix of several artist’s versions of the same song.

_________________________________________________

So, what next? We are hopeful that the Holy Spirit will lead you in worship over the next week.
If you'd like to worship and reflect quietly then you don't need to do anything.
If you create a piece of artwork or have thoughts you'd like to share publicly (or you're new here and wondering what on earth these people are doing), click here to see what on earth we're doing.

Play Your Hand II

BRIGHT LIGHT

"I wanted to make someone a sympathy card in case they know someone who has died. Jesus can shine a bright light on their sadness." - Ellie


"This is the moment the angel appeared to the shepherds. The light is so bright that everything turns white. You can't see the shepherds because they are off the page." - Rebekah

What others were thinking this week:
mutating missionary
Erin

What were your thoughts this week?

Shuffle the Deck

Imagine you’re a Bedouin. You live in a tent and hang out with sheep and camels. You never plant fields. You’re most at home in the desert moving from scene to scene. Free. And you've made yourself wealthy trading incense that replaces the stench of animal dung with its fragrant aroma.

After thousands of nights spent gazing at the sky, you’ve memorized the stars' patterns. Every night at least once you glance wistfully to the west, recalling to mind something the sages recited to you in your childhood and which you now teach your many descendants. It’s a promise given to your Jewish cousins:

“Arise! Shine! For your light arrives! The splendor of the Lord shines on you! For, look, darkness covers the earth and deep darkness covers the nations, but the Lord shines on you; his splendor appears over you. Nations come to your light, kings to your bright light. Look all around you! They all gather and come to you –your sons come from far away and your daughters are escorted by guardians. Then you will look and smile, you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride. For the riches of distant lands will belong to you and the wealth of nations will come to you. Camel caravans will cover your roads, young camels from Midian and Ephah. All the merchants of Sheba will come, bringing gold and incense and singing praises to the Lord” (Isa. 60:1-6).

Then one night it's there—blazing on the Western horizon! A star you’ve never seen! Can it be? It’s brighter than a planet, and it moves.

What does it mean to you? What do you do?

In case you're wondering what this exercise is all about, here's the scoop.

Contemplative Christmas II

Here we are at Week 2 of the SoulPerSuit Contemplative Christmas.

Last week's theme, Barn Smells, was such an interesting journey. Rhonda was right when she said, "One woman's manure is another woman's rose." If you've not had a chance to read the SPS participants' comments and blog entries connecting barn smells with Christmas, please treat yourself.
Don't worry if you intended to post something about barn smells and haven't gotten to it yet. Whenever you are ready, SPS is ready.

And if you are joining us for the first time, welcome!

Right here on SoulPerBlog each week we'll be posting a theme phrase to reflect on during this Christmas season and one or two Shuffle the Deck activities to kick start your creative thinking. Otherwise, SoulPerSuit is going to let Emmanuel speak for himself. All the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and sensations of this Christmas season are at the disposal of the Holy Spirit. You just need your Bible and your imagination.

Ready for Week 2's theme?

________________________________________________

This week's theme is:
Bright light

Optional Shuffle The Deck activities to get things rolling:

1) Stand in front of a brilliant light for a few moments. (A flashlight, the hi-beams on your car, a desk lamp turned toward your face, etc. Please do not damage your retinas!)
Take stock of the sensations you experience. Do you strain to keep your eyes open? Strain to keep them closed? Are your eyelids throbbing? Tearing up? Can you feel warmth from the light source? Close your eyes and notice the "colors" and after-images you experience.

2) Compile a list of all the uses for light. Make a list of all the different sources of light.

_________________________________________________

So, what next? We are hopeful that the Holy Spirit will lead you in worship over the next week.
If you'd like to worship and reflect quietly then you don't need to do anything.
If you create a piece of artwork or have thoughts you'd like to share publicly (or you're new here and wondering what on earth these people are doing), click here to see what on earth we're doing.

Play Your Hand I

For this week’s shuffle, I spent my time trying to imagine what it was like to be a shepherd. The closest reference I have is camping trips as a kid. Like Erin, I remember nights sitting around the campfire where your backside was freezing and your clothes closest to the fire were scorching hot (although I don’t think I ever melted my shoes).

The sad little photo to the left is of the “fire” I tried to start in an aluminum pan with matches and twigs from my yard. The hope was to recreate the marvelous aroma of a campfire but, as you can see from all the burned and broken matches, the only aroma I appreciated was sulfur. I doubt the shepherd’s of Jesus’ day had the luxury of matches.

From the comments on this contemplation I’ve learned that one woman’s manure is another woman’s rose. Although I tend to think the shepherds had a stinky, lonely job, the descriptions of shepherds in scripture are in tender and loving terms. Their task was more than just labor. This is the way Schweers' Mom describes cleaning out horse stalls and greta lynn hernandez remembers the smell of fresh milk in a barn with a sulfur powered earthen floor. Being a shepherd was more than a job.

He takes me to lush pastures,
he leads me to refreshing water.
Your rod and your staff reassure me. – Psalm 23

Like a shepherd he tends his flock;
he gathers up the lambs with his arm;
he carries them close to his heart;
he leads the ewes along. – Isaiah 40:11

…I will seek out my flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a cloudy, dark day. – Ezekiel 34:12

In emphasis, being without a shepherd is described in negative terms.

And they were scattered, because [there is] no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. – Ezekiel 34:5

Did you have any further insights this week on BARN SMELLS?

Check out what others have thought about this week:
Schweers' Mom
Erin
Erin's kids
greta lynn hernandez
Michelle Pendergrass

Shuffle the Deck

"Were you born in a barn?"

What a tacky question! Has anyone ever said this to you? When I was a child, my siblings sometimes said it to me. And their tone of voice told me they meant that only an animal would be so uninformed, so uncultured, so ignorant.

Yet imagine being really, truly, literally born in a barn. What might that suggest about you? Your parents? How clean do you think the feeding trough (manger) would be? If you had the choice, would you volunteer to be born among barn smells and flies and placed where animals slobbered? Think about it...

In case you're wondering what this exercise is all about, here's the scoop.

Contemplative Christmas I

Welcome to Week 1 of the SoulPerSuit Contemplative Christmas.

We have participants coming from near and far and across the globe for this group. A truly international affair. I'm excited to see the variety of worship experiences God will bring about in each of us because, truthfully, joining a community of God-seekers and sharing in the journey is my very favorite part of SoulPerSuit.

Right here on SoulPerBlog each week we'll be posting a theme phrase to reflect on during this Christmas season and one or two Shuffle the Deck activities to kick start your creative thinking. Otherwise, SoulPerSuit is going to let Emmanuel speak for himself. All the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and sensations of this Christmas season are at the disposal of the Holy Spirit. You just need your Bible and your imagination.

________________________________________________

This week's theme is:
Barn smells

Optional Shuffle The Deck activities to get things rolling:

1) What’s the most rugged camping or outdoor experience you’ve ever had? Have you ever sat around a campfire? Our memories of those times are strong because the sensory experiences were extreme. Was there food involved? Was the fire built with wet or green wood? Was it summer or winter? How do the smells differ with the season? Think about what it would be like if your job required you to camp outside every night.

2) If you have access to a livestock barn or stable, spend some time there with your nostrils on alert. Breathe in the earthy smells of the animals, the hay and alfalfa, the watering trough and all that goes with them.
Jot some notes on a 3X5 card about your sensory experience. Describe the smell as best as you can. What arrests you?
If you are not near a barn but have pets, do the same thing as you feed, groom and clean up after them.
No access to barns or pets? Try your compost bin, leaf pile or kitchen garbage.

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So, what next? We are hopeful that the Holy Spirit will lead you in worship over the next week.
If you'd like to worship and reflect quietly then you don't need to do anything.
If you create a piece of artwork or have thoughts you'd like to share publicly (or you're new here and wondering what on earth these people are doing), click here to see what on earth we're doing.

What is a SPS Contemplative Christmas?

This Holiday season is packed with sensory delights for each of us so we have no doubt you will find many spiritual and creative dots to connect in the midst of your Christmas week.

Escape from the madness of the holiday season this year and reorient your focus with a mini SPS experience here on the blog beginning next Monday, December 1.

Mondays –Shuffle the Deck
Erin will post a Christmas sensory theme phrase for you to contemplate during the week. Explore this theme all week in your comings and goings and be open for what you can learn.

Along with the theme, Erin will post one or two Shuffle questions. These are intended to “mix things up”, to get you thinking creatively about the theme, and make it memorable throughout the week. Shuffles are optional; they’re just ideas you can use to explore the theme, but you may have your own.


Wednesdays - Deal the Cards
Sandi will post a Thought Provoker for the week, an idea, a picture, a link, etc. It’s another sensory source to help connect your mind to the theme and your daily activities. Check in to remind yourself about the theme and read the comments to discover what others are thinking. It will help spark more ideas.


Fridays – Play Your Hand
The way you participate is up to you. Here are just a few ideas:

• Post a comment. You can post a story, a link, an idea, a thought, a quote, an anecdote – whatever comes to mind, whatever you learn or discover about that weeks theme. You can post anytime during that week. You don't have to wait until Friday to post!


• Post a link. If you have your own blog, post about your SPS Christmas on your own blog and then simply add a link in comments of the SPS blog. This way you can post pictures, video, or longer content without the restrictions set up in our blog comments.


• E-mail. If you don’t have a blog but have something you’d like posted about that weeks theme, e-mail it to us and we’ll post it on Friday. Even if you make something for the first week’s theme and we’re on week three, send it anyway! We’ll still post it on the blog! It’s never too late and everyone will be so happy to see it because this is everyone’s favorite part of a SPS anyway. Well, it’s my favorite part.

The only agenda we have is that SoulPerSuit would provide an oasis and an avenue to seek the face of Jesus amidst the crowd.

SoulPerSuit Contemplative Christmas

We'd like to invite you to join SoulPerSuit in a Contemplative Christmas group.

For the five Mondays in December, we'll post a theme phrase for participants to contemplate during the week. But it’s going to be a different SPS format. There will be no Yahoo group to join. We won't have scheduled chat sessions. Just the bare-bones of SPS.
We’ll provide a Shuffle the Deck question- just to help get your creative juices flowing- but all the Bible Study, all the contemplation, all the creative output… it's wide open. This Holiday season is packed with sensory delights for each of us so we have no doubt you will find many spiritual and creative dots to connect in the midst of your Christmas week.

Take part for only one week if that's what you can manage. Join us for all five weeks if you’re able.
Make a SoulPerSuit “card” for any theme that impacts you. Spend extended time meditating on His Word. Select an evening to fast and pray. Bake an extra batch of Christmas cookies to take to your ailing neighbor. Decide to stay home from the Christmas Eve service if you always go. Decide to go to the Christmas Eve service if you never do. Make art. Knit socks. Dance in a circle with your dog. There are no rules.

The only agenda we have is that SoulPerSuit would provide an oasis and an avenue to seek the face of Jesus amidst the crowd.


Use your own blog to post your reflections and creations.
If you don’t own a blog, join the discussion here on SoulPerBlog. We would love to post photos of your creative pursuits here as well.

Our first theme will be posted here on Monday morning, December 1st.


Want to try it? Leave a comment here that you’d like to join our contemplative Christmas group and we'll look for you!

- Erin, Rhonda and San

I Wonder...

Why don't we use Bedouin tents for our nativity scenes? And why do we never see camels among the angels and donkeys?

What trivial things do YOU wonder?

Artuality: The Truman Show

Heather at L'Chaim has started a new monthly feature. We'll call it a participatory feature, because it's all about art and spirituality- called Artuality. Neither art nor spirituality are intended to be in a vacuum, so Heather has invited the world to join her each month in sharing how art and spirituality intersect in their own lives.

November's theme is: FILM. (Please consider this your invitation to join the discussion.)


I don't know if there is such a thing as a Christian existentialist movie, but if there is, The Truman Show must be it.

Poking at questions such as: "Who am I? What's my purpose on earth? Who's in control when things seem to go wrong? Why are can lights falling from the sky in front of me?" You know, those elemental questions we all ponder in the dead of night when we can't sleep. ;)

Who has not wondered if the world as we know it is simply our imagination, a fabrication by a benevolent (or malevolent, depending on how you're feeling that day!) higher being, or if we are maybe just dolls in a dollhouse here for the enjoyment of a giant child.

I think The Truman Show raises some interesting questions about the Christian journey in particular. The main character, Truman, has been rescued from an orphan life in order to become the star of a 24/7 live television show, aptly named, The Truman Show. Thousands of cameras are trained on every moment of Truman's tranquil and near-perfect life. His steps have been ordered for him. His environment carefully planned. Every interaction with his wife, neighbors and co-workers is scripted, with commercial spots cleverly inserted in the conversation at periodic intervals. Only Truman thinks it's all real. He's the only one who doesn't know that his life is a television show.
Strange things begin to occur, however, and Truman is getting suspicious. Stage lighting falls from the sky into his front yard. His dead father- whose character was killed off when Truman was younger because the director thought it made an interesting plot twist- makes a surprise visit to the set and rocks Truman's world. Truman innocently veers off the script (throwing the entire directing crew into "catastrophe mode") and discovers theatrical props instead of working elevators, office buildings and surgical equipment. The never-met-before haz-mat crew on the other side of the island somehow know Truman's name like they're old buddies.

Truman ain't no dummy. Perfection is becoming suspect.


When I became a Christian, I was rescued from an orphan life, and I was under something of the same belief as Truman. In fact, I think I even desired a life like Truman's. I wanted Christ to script my life; to make the birds sing on cue, to have traffic part like the Red Sea so I could get to work on time, to keep me from all discomfort and pain. If it required that I have the occasionally quirky conversation about the features of the latest devotional guide or contemporary Christian facial tissue that was a price I was willing to pay for convenience. Just please make it all perky and pristine, Jesus. That's what you're about anyway, right? Bringing love and bunnies to the world. Right???

Imagine my disappointment when the spiritual stage lighting crashed down in front of me. When my spiritual journey included traffic jams and grouchy neighbors with their grouchy dogs. Imagine my chagrin when Jesus didn't deliver me from the ugly and the tainted and the treacherous that is in this world. Imagine my shock when I discovered that he was not the least bit interested in scripting the perfect Christian life for me.

Imagine my distress upon reading Christ's own words, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

But Jesus, I thought you wanted to make the kingdom of heaven come for me NOW. No bunnies? No 72.4 degree sunshine-y days? Are you saying I'm blessed through persecution? I don't see how blessing and persecution can be used in the same sentence... blessing is defined as tulips and birdies. Isn't it???


He's not here to replace my spiritual weeds with Astroturf, He is here to be the Loving Gardener. There are weeds and brambles. Bare patches and dirty spots. Poison ivy, even. Some weeds stay and some get yanked. They like to grow up while my back is turned. It's not pretty, it's not cozy, it's not neat and tidy. Christ is interested in loving me through the fallen-ness of this world.

Perish the day that I'd think Christ came to make my life like Truman's.

Pixel Stained Glass Window

Last year, the historical Cologne Cathedral in Germany finally received a new stained glass window. When the original was blown out from bombings during WWII, it was replaced simply with plain glass - until now.

The design chosen for the new window is modern, beautiful, and geeky! The design by German artist Gerhard Richter is made from 11,500 squares of glass in 72 colors like pixels! The result is quite wonderful.

Spiegel Online International News

Wikipedia

Wired August 2007

The Movie Was Better

It's rare, but it does happen.

The movie is better than the book.

One movie that comes to mind right away is, The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio. I both read the book and watched the movie. I liked the movie better.

What made it better than the book? The ability of film media to infuse kitschy 1950's-style special effects throughout the movie. Faux sparkle added to a character's brilliant smile or dewy eyes. The trio of "jingle girls" singing the praises of a new sandwich spread as they offer the TV audience a 5ft. long sandwich through the screen. Evelyn Ryan zooming in outer space on her kitchen-appliance-contest-winnings. The campy effects made me feel that I was really watching TV in the 1950's, commercials and all. It adds a whole new dimension to the story when you see it on film.



Know of any other movies that turned out to be better than the book?

Verlee Mickel By Any Other Name...

...would sound better, huh? I get that one from Name Generator. Same place I got Tangia Aspen Cade and Lainey Stone Sailor. I've heard of stone drunk and stone fox, but never Stone Sailor. Still, there's a first time for everything, eh? (Note to self: my next novel is not that place.)

Think I'll stick to the phone book. It's where I found Ima Pickel.

If you have a pregnant friend, do not tell her about this site until she and her man have settled on names already. I cannot be responsible...

Word Up!

My friend Kelley's little girl, Maggie, is into the PBS show, WordGirl. Last time I saw Maggie, she was throwing her fist into the air and charging forward saying, "Word up!" The word for the day was "frog." (When I saw her a week later, the word was...still "frog.")

Today I'm taking my cues from little Mags and wording up. The word for the day here at SPS is "beauty." In our last episode we considered physical beauty, which the Bible reminds us is fleeting. (Wrinkles, anyone?)

Yet one kind of beauty is imperishable. Here are some excerpts about that kind of beauty from this WordGirl's fave book:

Psalm 27:4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

Psalm 50:2 From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.

Isaiah 53:2 He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

Isaiah 61:3 For those who grieve in Zion... to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

1 Peter 3:3-4 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit that is so precious in the sight of God.

What Lies...

...are you believing about beauty?

Art Meets Spirituality

Introducing a new monthly festival on art and life!

Art has been a shaping force in Heather Goodman's life. Through art, she encounters God, is challenged to think in new ways, and see new perspectives. Art influences her spirituality, art, and life. She writes:

I have a feeling I'm not the only one who experiences art in this way.

Hence, Artuality.

Artuality is a festival for artists and art lovers to share the place of art in their lives. Every month we'll focus on a different art form. You can share how this form or a particular piece done in that medium influenced you by writing about it, telling a story, composing a song, penning a poem, or sharing a painting, photography, a quilt, a new recipe, a collage, a sculpture (Play Doh, marble, clay, whatever your favorite medium) or any other art form you love or want to try.

This month is paintings. It can be a painting you've seen at a museum or gallery, a painting you've done, or the one your son hung on the fridge.

For more information or to participate, visit Artuality: A Festival of Art and Life.

For an example of an Artuality post, visit Artuality: White Crucifixion by Chagall.

The Sanctified Imagination

Why did God create our imaginations? Our ability to dream, to make up stories, to play make believe?
Surely if He made it and put it in us He intends that we should use it as we interact with Him.

Sometimes though, we're scared to engage our imaginations when we pray or read Scripture because we fear our creativity will push us into the realm of heresy. We might create a make believe Bible-ish scenario that contradicts what Scripture teaches and so... well we just don't even want to go there.

The result is often a flat and one-dimensional faith. We read our Bibles but never glean anything that captures our hearts or minds because our hearts and minds are simply not engaged. We are not grabbed by anything (but our grocery-list-in-progress) when we come to the Lord, because we put more imagination into what we're cooking for dinner than we do into what it must have felt like to be lowered down a city wall in a basket with the enemy army close behind. Or a Hebrew child watching our first blood sacrifice in the Temple courtyard.

Years might even be spent in the Kingdom wondering if this is really all there is to Christianity and secretly yawning behind our devotional books. May it never be!

Of course we need to be on our guard against false teaching and trying to twist the Bible to say things that it doesn't say. Lots of preachers, teachers and Bible readers fall into that. It's the nature of our flesh. But I think we're missing out on a gigantic portion of the thriller/romance/drama/suspense/horror/comedy/poem that our Lord desires to share with us. He is, after all, the world's greatest storyteller.

Let's approach the Scriptures with sanctified imaginations. With our creativity primed and at the ready, submitted to the leading and correction of the Holy Spirit. Praying before we jump into the action, asking the Lord to keep us from making up our own comfortable truth- but at the same time to engage all of our senses, all those parts of us that love a good role play, and every fiber of our story-loving spirits.

And then let's imagine how it must have been to...