Java with the Judges: Week 1

Java with the Judges
Introduction and The Good Guys; Judges 1-3

Welcome to Week 1.a of the SoulPerSuit Blog group venturing through the book of Judges together.
Before we get into the study itself, let's do a bit of administrative housekeeping.

- We are taking TWO calendar weeks to go through every ONE lesson in Java.

Our schedule for Java with the Judges:
March 3- 16: Introduction and The Good Guys
March 17- 30: The Good and the Reluctant
March 31- April 13: Gideon
April 14- April 27: Jephthah
April 28- May 11: Samson the Conflicted
May 12- May 25: Civil War and Anarchy
May 26- May 31: Wrap- Up


- This SoulPerSuit group is going to be hosted solely on the blogosphere. Don't look for a Yahoo group or the instant messaging studio chats we've done in the past, because you won't find them. All the information this Judges group needs can be found right here on SoulPerBlog and in your personal copy of Java with the Judges.
(That said, if you're on Facebook or another social network and you see other Java participants on-line, by all means, strike up a conversation!)
- If you don't happen to have your own blog but still want to participate, SoulPerBlog is here to accomodate you. Just use the comments section here to share your thoughts on the book of Judges.
- Be sure to visit the other Java participants' blogs to see what they're thinking about the book of Judges. Of course, that means...
- If you're participating in this Java with the Judges study, please let us know when you've written a new blog post relating to Java with the Judges. A simple note of "Hey, I wrote something today, come and read it" in the comments section here is great.

Right here on SoulPerBlog every 2 weeks I'll be posting some Shuffle the Deck activities to kick start your creative thinking. Rhonda will keep us visually motivated on Gallery Wednesdays, and Sandi will offer some additional insights to round out each study with a set of Play Your Hand questions.

(Not sure what any of that means? Click this link for an overview of each aspect of SoulPerSuit.)

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So, without further ado...
I give you...


Shuffle The Deck activities to get things rolling:

1. Create a circular calendar on one sheet of paper representing the four seasons.
Indicate within each season’s decoration- your favorite time of year, your favorite weather, how your mood changes with each season, and/or any family or household events that happen with the cycle of these seasons.
2. Who is an invaluable resource in your life, someone you are glad to know because you can cry to him or her for help? Maybe the son-in-law who’s a computer whiz, a friend who knows how to decorate cakes, the handy-man you have on speed-dial, a babysitter, etc.
Make them an especially creative, elaborate business card. Be sure to list all of their wonderful qualities and why you’re able to depend on them. Decorate it to show how important they are.
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So, what next? If you've already got your Java with the Judges book, begin by reading the Introduction (pgs. ii- xvi). Jot down your first impressions of the culture in which the Hebrew judges operated. Compare and contrast that to your own culture and historical context. Note the things that don't make sense to you or any questions that arise. Get out your map pencils and color code the judges and their corresponding regions or spots on the time line. Try a Shuffle the Deck activity.

Let's roll (like Gideon's biscuits)!

Java with the Judges: Week 3

Java with the Judges
Gideon

Welcome to Week 3 of the SoulPerSuit Blog group venturing through the book of Judges together.

Here's a refresher on our schedule:

March 3- 16: Introduction and The Good Guys
March 17- 30: The Good and the Reluctant
March 31- April 13: Gideon
April 14- April 27: Jephthah
April 28- May 11: Samson the Conflicted
May 12- May 25: Civil War and Anarchy
May 26- May 31: Wrap- Up

Reminder:
- This SoulPerSuit group is hosted solely on the blogosphere. All the information this Judges group needs can be found right here on SoulPerBlog and in your personal copy of Java with the Judges.
- If you don't happen to have your own blog but still want to participate, just use the comments section here to share your thoughts on the book of Judges.
- If you're participating in this Java with the Judges study, please let us know when you've written a new blog post relating to the study.
- Be sure to visit the other Java participants' blogs to see what they're thinking about the book of Judges.

Right here on SoulPerBlog every 2 weeks I'll be posting some Shuffle the Deck activities to kick start your creative thinking. Rhonda will keep us visually motivated on Gallery Wednesdays, and Sandi will offer some additional insights to round out each study with a set of Play Your Hand questions.

(Not sure what any of that means? Click this link for an overview of each aspect of SoulPerSuit.)


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Shuffle the Deck activities for "Gideon week."

1. Make a cootie catcher: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Cootie-Catcher

2. In the movie Waitress, making pies is Jenna’s art form. She used it to process and deal with all the trials, events, and emotions in her life. She made “Fallin’ in Love Chocolate Mousse Pie," “Lonely Chicago Pie," and “Jenna’s First Kiss Pie." (More pies from the movie.)

Like Jenna, make a luminary that represents you today – your feelings, tasks, or events today. Represent these with simple images/icons that you put on a paper bag. You can cut the images directly out of the paper bag, you can draw or write directly on the bag, or apply cutouts, clippings, or stickers. You can make any size and any number of luminaries. (Example: make a small one that sits in your kitchen window.)

Java with the Judges: Week 4

Java with the Judges

Jephthah

Welcome to Week 4 of the SoulPerSuit Blog group venturing through the book of Judges together.

Here's a refresher on our schedule:

March 3- 16: Introduction and The Good Guys
March 17- 30: The Good and the Reluctant
March 31- April 13: Gideon
April 14- April 27: Jephthah
April 28- May 11: Samson the Conflicted
May 12- May 25: Civil War and Anarchy
May 26- May 31: Wrap- Up

Reminder:
- This SoulPerSuit group is hosted solely on the blogosphere. All the information this Judges group needs can be found right here on SoulPerBlog and in your personal copy of Java with the Judges.
- If you don't happen to have your own blog but still want to participate, just use the comments section here to share your thoughts on the book of Judges.
- If you're participating in this Java with the Judges study, please let us know when you've written a new blog post relating to the study.
- Be sure to visit the other Java participants' blogs to see what they're thinking about the book of Judges.

Right here on SoulPerBlog every 2 weeks I'll be posting some Shuffle the Deck activities to kick start your creative thinking. Rhonda will keep us visually motivated on Gallery Wednesdays, and Sandi will offer some additional insights to round out each study with a set of Play Your Hand questions.

(Not sure what any of that means? Click this link for an overview of each aspect of SoulPerSuit.)


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Shuffle the Deck activities for "Jephthah week."
1. Put on some music and do a happy dance.
For inspiration:
The Evolution of Dance
Snoopy's Dance
Matt's Dance
Ellen's Dance

2. MonochromaFace
In descriptive writing color and emotion are often tied together. “He turned red with embarrassment.” “She’s green with envy.” “A yellow-bellied coward.” “The little girl was tickled pink.”
What color describes your mood today?

Enlarge, print and color in one of the mannequin faces below using the entire range of hues for the color you choose. (Ex. for green- use light green, kelly green , olive, lime, forest green, teal, grass green)

Java with the Judges: Week 2

Java with the Judges
The Good and the Reluctant

Welcome to Week 2 of the SoulPerSuit Blog group venturing through the book of Judges together.

Here's a refresher on our schedule:

March 3- 16: Introduction and The Good Guys
March 17- 30: The Good and the Reluctant
March 31- April 13: Gideon
April 14- April 27: Jephthah
April 28- May 11: Samson the Conflicted
May 12- May 25: Civil War and Anarchy
May 26- May 31: Wrap- Up

Reminder:
- This SoulPerSuit group is hosted solely on the blogosphere. All the information this Judges group needs can be found right here on SoulPerBlog and in your personal copy of Java with the Judges.
- If you don't happen to have your own blog but still want to participate, just use the comments section here to share your thoughts on the book of Judges.
- If you're participating in this Java with the Judges study, please let us know when you've written a new blog post relating to the study.
- Be sure to visit the other Java participants' blogs to see what they're thinking about the book of Judges.

Right here on SoulPerBlog every 2 weeks I'll be posting some Shuffle the Deck activities to kick start your creative thinking. Rhonda will keep us visually motivated on Gallery Wednesdays, and Sandi will offer some additional insights to round out each study with a set of Play Your Hand questions.

(Not sure what any of that means? Click this link for an overview of each aspect of SoulPerSuit.)

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So, ready to launch Week Two? Here are a few Shuffle The Deck activities to start it off:

1. The Best of the Best
Make a first place award (ribbon, trophy, crown, sash, etc.) to give to yourself.

2. Chorgatron 6000
Using magazine clippings, objects from your junk drawer, drawings, and other found objects, glue them on paper to build a robot that will do your most dreaded chore(s).

3. Necessity is the Mother of Invention
Human beings are always coming up with unconventional ways to use things. Old boots and whiskey barrels as garden planters, using a butter knife as a stand-in screwdriver, holding hair back with a pencil or a chopstick, etc.

Think about your daily routine and write down some examples of your creative uses for ready-made goods.
OR
Challenge yourself this week to find a useful, but unconventional job for something in your house, desk, or purse.

Java with the Judges- Week 5

Samson the Conflicted
Java With the Judges (Coffee Cup Bible Series)

Welcome to Week 5 of the SoulPerSuit Blog group venturing through the book of Judges together.

Here's a refresher on our schedule:

March 3- 16: Introduction and The Good Guys
March 17- 30: The Good and the Reluctant
March 31- April 13: Gideon
April 14- April 27: Jephthah
April 28- May 11: Samson the Conflicted
May 12- May 25: Civil War and Anarchy
May 26- May 31: Wrap- Up

Reminder:
- This SoulPerSuit group is hosted solely on the blogosphere. All the information this Judges group needs can be found right here on SoulPerBlog and in your personal copy of Java with the Judges.
- If you don't happen to have your own blog but still want to participate, just use the comments section here to share your thoughts on the book of Judges.
- If you're participating in this Java with the Judges study, please let us know when you've written a new blog post relating to the study.
- Be sure to visit the other Java participants' blogs to see what they're thinking about the book of Judges.

Right here on SoulPerBlog every 2 weeks I'll be posting some Shuffle the Deck activities to kick start your creative thinking. Rhonda will keep us visually motivated on Gallery Wednesdays, and Sandi will offer some additional insights to round out each study with a set of Play Your Hand questions.

(Not sure what any of that means? Click this link for an overview of each aspect of SoulPerSuit.)


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Shuffle the Deck activities for "Samson week."

1. My Cathedral, My Prayer Closet (Inspired by Rhonda’s Week 4 Gallery post)

Cathedrals were built to be awe-inspiring places of worship. The grandeur and beauty of the cathedral was meant to overwhelm the senses of anyone who entered and, using craftsmanship and artistry, to draw visitors into adoration for God.

Think of a place that acts like a cathedral in your personal worship life. Is it the seaside? The mountains? Lying on your back, identifying stars in the summer sky? Sitting in the front row of the symphony?
Take a photo or sketch your personal cathedral. Describe what it is about this place that inspires such worship in your spirit.

The Bible speaks of each Christian keeping a “prayer closet,” a quiet place where we can individually meet with God for contemplation, conversation and intimacy.

Think of a place that acts as a prayer closet in your personal worship life. Is it a literal closet? Is it your hot morning shower? Is it in the car on your evening commute? Is it walking laps around the high school track?
Take a photo or sketch your personal prayer closet. Describe what it is about this place that enables you to climb like a child onto the lap of Jesus.


2. Describe your day-to-day activities as a warrior doing battle. Describe the enemy, weapons, fields of battle, victories, and defeat. Do it in the form of prose, a comic book, an illustrated book, or an epic poem. Or video tape it using puppets or actors.

Java with the Judges- Week 6

Civil War and Anarchy
Java With the Judges (Coffee Cup Bible Series)

Welcome to Week 6 of the SoulPerSuit Blog group venturing through the book of Judges together.

I must confess that Samson is a character that I love to hate. Even though God used him to bring judgment on the Philistines and to even act as a judge amongst God's own people, I still don't really like the guy.

There, I said it.
I'm not fond of someone lifted up in Hebrews as "a giant of the faith."

I have some more wrestling to do with the concept of God using a very flawed character to perform His purposes. Obviously, God is a God of grace. I am quite thankful for that fact, and certainly when I examine my own character next to Samson's character, I'm going to come up smelling just as stinky in just as many ways. Thank God for His sovereign grace on me!

Ready to jump into our last week together?


Here's a refresher on our schedule:

March 3- 16: Introduction and The Good Guys
March 17- 30: The Good and the Reluctant
March 31- April 13: Gideon
April 14- April 27: Jephthah
April 28- May 11: Samson the Conflicted
May 12- May 25: Civil War and Anarchy
May 26- May 31: Wrap- Up

Reminder:
- This SoulPerSuit group is hosted solely on the blogosphere. All the information this Judges group needs can be found right here on SoulPerBlog and in your personal copy of Java with the Judges.
- If you don't happen to have your own blog but still want to participate, just use the comments section here to share your thoughts on the book of Judges.
- If you're participating in this Java with the Judges study, please let us know when you've written a new blog post relating to the study.
- Be sure to visit the other Java participants' blogs to see what they're thinking about the book of Judges.

Right here on SoulPerBlog every 2 weeks I'll be posting some Shuffle the Deck activities to kick start your creative thinking. Rhonda will keep us visually motivated on Gallery Wednesdays, and Sandi will offer some additional insights to round out each study with a set of Play Your Hand questions.

(Not sure what any of that means? Click this link for an overview of each aspect of SoulPerSuit.)


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Shuffle the Deck activities for Week 6.

1) At the dinner table, each person usually has his or her place to sit. In the family room, dad has his chair and mom has hers. Each person has his or her own room, office, desk, etc.
Make a decorative name-plate for one of your “spaces” in your home. Maybe include rules for your space.
2) Alter a magazine cover! Find a magazine cover (a person’s face is a great starting point). Alter the image using pen, pencils, paint, scissors, whatever! Take a photo of your creation. * No digital work - get off your computer!

Java with the Judges- Wrap Up

Here we are in our final wrap-up of Java With the Judges. Whadidya think?

What characters stand out to you?
Which passages of Judges struck you at your core?
What timeless truths have you gleaned through this study?
How has God revealed His nature, or the nature of mankind, to you?
Did you find a new role model?
What would you like to continue studying deeper?


Java with the Judges encouraged me to begin looking at the habits of my flesh. My eyes were opened to a few areas in my life, both minor and major, in which I operate on "auto pilot" and allow my flesh patterns to dictate my behavior. I end up frustrated/angry/irritated by circumstances that (surprise, surprise!) can often be traced right back to me. It's as though I am standing beside a pond, grumbling because the water splashed up, when I was the one tossing rocks in the pond to begin with!

Circles, spirals, carousels, concentric rings and spheres kept coming to mind.
I listened to Life House's song, Sick Cycle Carousel, a lot during the first weeks of Judges.


Trying to break out of the cycle of thinking only about circles (ha!) I prayed God might give me another mental image of what was going on in the time of the Judges; and a parallel to my own experience.

Nothing profound came to me until I mowed my lawn for the first time this spring. Our home is situated on old farm land, and there's enough grass here that we have to use a riding mower. There's a certain direction in our yard, that every time I mow that way I can feel the rise and fall of each of the farmer's old furrows and hillocks. I often wonder what sort of crop was sewn along these bumps that now threaten to jostle me off the seat of my John Deere. It brings to mind images of long days spent in back-breaking labor in the sun-- breaking the sod, poking holes in the dirt, counting out seeds, covering and tenderly nurturing what's been sewn, watching the sky for rain, trying to keep critters and disease at bay, and eventually rejoicing in a harvest.

This land has been tended for a long time; much longer than I've been around on it.

So it is with the book of Judges. Israel already had a history before the time of the Judges. They recounted to each other the stories of being chosen as God's people, His deliverance from slavery to Egypt, His provision for them as they wandered in the desert. They even had accounts of God's wrath against His people that chose to go their own ways in gross and egregious fashions. And yet... here we are in Judges watching the people of Israel continuing to make many of the same poor choices their forefathers made.

I think of Samson, in particular, who seemed to think that being a Nazarite (a chosen amongst the Chosen) meant that he was entitled to special treatment. His extreme strength, his position as a judge of Israel, his go-get-'em spirit somehow warranted him permission to seize whatever shiny thing caught his attention. And when he screwed up, he believed he had a never ending supply of get-out-of-jail-free cards. He was God's golden boy, after all, right?

Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.

Tend To It
Acrylic on Canvas
12 X 12

It's easy for me to think that Samson got off scot-free, but the reality is that he paid a price for his arrogance. Israel paid a price for the lustful seeds Samson sowed and nurtured. Like the furrows I bump along on my riding mower, Israel has had to bump along over the seed beds of their ancestors for centuries. Their ancients tended the spiritual fields of the nation, but the question is, what kind of seeds were they planting? God-honoring, righteousness-seeking seeds? Or self-focused, defiant, thumbing-their-nose-at-God seeds?

Israel planted many seeds of sin, and even though they were God's chosen people, that didn't absolve them. Those seeds eventually ripened and came to fruition such that the entire nation reaped and harvested some pretty ugly stuff. Some of that painful harvest was the discipline of God, but some of it was just plain natural consequences. If you plant a bitter herb, you ought not expect a sweet flower to grow up in its place.

So, what kinds of seeds am I tendng? The season of harvest is approaching.

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.

Not for the Life of Me - Judges 3

It seemed appropriate, when I kicked off my TGIF playlist this morning, that "Vacation" by the Go-Go's started. I'm reading Eat, Pray, Love by Melissa Gilbert about her year long trek across Italy, India and Indonesia so my mind is in a get-away kind of mood.

When Gilbert was first in Italy, she struggled with the notion that she was there for pleasure. She had an ingrained sense of guilt about deserving to enjoy her surrounding. In a response that I'm very familiar with, she tried to strive for pleasure. "I wanted to take on pleasure like a homework assignment."

I am constantly striving and the question in this week's study, Java with the Judges, is very hard to register: Does it ever bother you that you're weak? Yes! Always!

Somewhere along in my early childhood I surmised that being weak was bad, very, very bad. So, from this childhood mystery developed my self preservation technique to never be weak. Seriously. Freaky, huh? I mean, how can someone do that? Quite obviously, not without a lot of damage which defeats the whole self preservation thing and creating guilt in experiencing any kind of pleasure. Hmm, that sounds like a cycle.

God wants us to have pleasure in the way that we live and serve; he's provided so much for us to have pleasure in. The reward in living and obeying is in discovering where you fit and experiencing pleasure from it that you never imagined possible. The obstacle we all run into is our modus operandi - our mode of self preservation. It blinds us from seeing what we can do.

Gideon was scared, there's no doubt about it (Judges 6:15). When told what he was to do, he stalled. But when you get him in battle, he's on fire (Judges 7:15)! He takes the reigns and thrives. It may be hard to say he took pleasure in this but its obvious he's in his element; there is no more fear or worry of self preservation. When he got past his knee jerk reaction, he learned something new and amazing about himself.

So maybe the false modes of self preservation we have aren't only preventing us from serving God in some cool way but even keeping us from experiencing the amazing delights God has bestowed generously on us like food, worship, and relationship.

Judges Week 1

The Cycle of Misery in introduced in the first week study of Java with the Judges. This is the painful cycle we see God's people (that includes us) repeating: sinning, suffering for their disobedience, grieving their disobedience against God, and then God saving them.

In two of these steps, we are active participants: sin and supplication. For the other two steps, we are the recipients. Now if I boil this down in my analytical mind, that means, of the things I have control over, I am either in communion with God or I'm not. My role is not complicated to understand although it may be difficult to do.

In the book, Sandi asks if there is something you can do to improve where you are in the cycle.

This week I did something different and took a 1-person retreat for 48 hours. In Hamptonville, NC there is a not-for-profit ministry called Well of Mercy. Established and run by the Sisters of Mercy, it is intended for individuals - no group retreats allowed. They are meeting the need of individuals who want a place to go to be alone with God. Embedded in a beautiful, natural setting along a creek, there are no TVs, no ringing phones, and no computers! Believe me, the silence is hard to get use to.

We take vacations to de-stress. We take coffee breaks, smoke breaks, snack breaks, even "mental health" days. But what do we do for our spirit? How tired and stressed must our spirit be?

How creative can you be in coming up with new ways to vacation with God?

Oops! I did it again. - Judges 1

Like the Israelites, there are some things in our lives that God has asked us to eliminate and we just haven't done it. What's amazing is that these are things God knows are tripping us up and of no benefit to our lives and to those around us. What's the deal and what do we do about it?

1. Look for a pattern. Do you find yourself saying, "Oops! I did it again."? What do you keep doing? Is this a part of your cycle of misery? Write it down and give it a name. Come face-to-face with it.
2. Look for the catalyst. More than likely, you're back in the cycle of misery because of fear and instead of trusting God, you've invented some other built in response when you get afraid. Why don't you trust God? Is it a lie? Find the truth!
   
3. Look for time with God. Confess. Get it off your chest. Explain it all to God and ask for help. He's dying to be a part of this with you.
   
4. Look forward. So, what's next? Will this ever happen again? Probably. But, things can be different next time. You have a name for what you've been doing and the trigger. You've started a dialogue with God about it. Make a battle plan. Set up reminders. Be on offense, not defense.

SPS cards are great for this working through this process.

Monday, we start Week 2 of Java with the Judges. It's a tough study. Or, is it just me?

If you're still on Week 1, that's fine. Stay there as long as you need to. We're all about flexibility here. Send in your SPS cards whenever you get them done and we'll post them on Gallery Wednesday. Post links to your blog post in our comments and we'll make sure they get highlighted too.

Play Your Hand

We’re in week six of our journey through Java with the Judges. This study includes both the ending of the Book of Judges (the diced-up concubine) and the introduction to the Book of 1 Samuel (Hannah). The events in the stories we’re exploring took place during a time in Israel’s history when judges ruled. In this week’s events—which include both gang rape and quiet faithfulness—we see the interplay of power and corruption as well as silent strength.

Now it’s time to engage creatively, reflectively in what we’ve read.

Below are some options. Feel free to make up your own or select from one of these:

Make your card about…
. How your actions/treatment of strangers reflect your spiritual condition.
. What sacrifice you could exchange for obedience.
. What purpose you are fulfilling--or not fulfilling.

For more info about how to do Play Your Hand exercises, you can go here.

Play Your Hand

It's "Play Your Hand" day. Play Your Hand is a SoulPerSuit label for the exercise in which we provide questions designed to inspire artistic interaction about the week's study. Because we're journeying through the biblical Book of Judges, this week's questions relate to our third week in Java with the Judges.

For more info about how to do Play Your Hand exercises, go here.

This week: Choose one of the questions below or make up one of your own. As you ponder it, think about how you can make an SPS card (or clay piece, or jewelry, etc.) to illustrate your idea of choice. Here are some idea options for week three.

Make a card about…

. An area where you’re weak and God is strong.
. The signs you require from God before you believe Him.
. Your fleece.
. Bing like Jotham—allowing God to seek vengeance on your behalf.
. Worship in the midst of your weakness.