Worship into the Week- True Contentment

 

Worship into the Week-

1 Timothy 6: 6-19

True Contentment

v.6 "But Godliness with contentment is great gain, 

for we brought nothing into the world 

and we cannot take anything our of the world.

v.8 But if we have food and clothing,

with these we will be content.

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation,

 into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires

 that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.

 It is through this craving some have wandered away 

from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 

Fight the Good Fight of Faith

v.11 "But as for you, O man of God, flee these things.

Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, 

love, steadfastness, gentleness. 

Fight the good fight of the faith. 

Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called

 and about which you made the good confession

 in the presence of many witnesses.

v.17 As for the rich in this present age, 

charge them not to be haughty,

not to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, 

but on God, who richly provides us 

with everything to enjoy.

v.18 They are to do good, 

to be rich in good works, 

to be generous and ready to share, 

thus storing up treasure for themselves 

as a good foundation for the future, 

so that they may take hold of

 that which is truly life.

v.20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you.

 Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions

 of what is falsely called "knowledge,"

 for by professing it some have swerved from the faith."

I decided to include this whole text 

because I have been reading this

 over and over this week.

Truly the guide for an abundant life focus.

Very easy to see how we get off-track

with the "run for the money" culture.

How the slow slide

can become a swerve from the faith.

Oh Lord, help me to guard 

the deposit entrusted to me.

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Tomb of Zechariah- Jerusalem

 

It is a lovely evening bus ride 

from the Dan Hotel in Jerusalem

 to the Kidron Valley to see the Tomb of Zechariah.

Well lit and stately, it stands tall to hold

 the limelight in the Valley landscape.

The ancient stone monument actually 

dates to a later time- probably 1st Century AD.

The monument is a monolith- 

completely carved out of solid rock 

and does not contain a burial chamber.

The Ionic order capitals are decorated with an 

egg and dart decoration suggests a Hellenistic influence.

The front side is fine masonry and decoration 

and the other side is extremely rough and unfinished

 as if the work had to be stopped before completion.

According to Jewish tradition,

 it was first suggested to be the tomb of

 Zechariah Ben Jehoiada in Jewish writings in 1215 CE.

    

                                   Nearby is the Tomb or pillar of Absalom.

                                         (and not so well lit)

It is also a monolith.

  Jewish tradition attributes it to Absalom, 

who was the rebellious son of King David

 about 1000 BC. Modern dating 

says the structure was built about First century AD.

It may have served as an ancient burial cave system

 connected to the Tomb of Jehoshaphat.

The free-standing monument contains a burial chamber

 with 3 burial sites with a complicated entrance and staircase.

 It has been compared to the burial structures found in Petra.

A leading archeologist, Gabriel Barkay 

believes this is the tomb of Herod Agrippa, 

the last of the Herodian rulers of Judea and Herod's grandson.

At one time it was nearly covered with  small rocks,

 as the Jewish people showed their disdain for a disobedient son.

It was uncovered in 1924.

Both of these tombs are at the base of the Mount of Olives,

 where it has evolved to be the largest Jewish cemetery.

According to Biblical projects and ancient Jewish writings,

 the Mount of Olives is the place the "End of the Days" 

will begin and those buried there will be the first 

who are resurrected to everlasting life.

A short walk showcases the evening light 

and beautiful gold glint

 of the Dome of the Rock.

An end to the evening is a stop by the 

Kotel at the Western Wall- (or Wailing Wall)

 for a moment of evening prayer.

This limestone wall in the Old City of Jerusalem

 is a small segment of the greater retaining wall.

The wall was erected as part of the expansion

 of the Second Jewish Temple begun by Herod the Great. 

This resulted in the encasement of the natural, steep hill

 known to the Jews and also the 

Christians as Temple Mount.

 

Worship into the Week- A Quiet Life

 

Worship into the Week

Pray for All People

1 Timothy 2: 1-15

This section is a simple urging that we direct our prayers 

in one direction and in all ways "that we may lead 

a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,

 who desires all people to be saved 

and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

So much of our world does not have this basic human 

need to live in peace and to have a quiet life.

So many people in this world do not know Jesus.

They don't know the truth and have the capacity

 to live that out in daily life.

God does not have closed borders, quotas,

or limits of any kind.

All People.

All People.

Everyone you meet at the grocery store,

library and soccer field.

All People.

All people to be saved.

I think that gives me a new lens.

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Sliding into Fall in the Garden

Fall comes sliding into the garden

 in purple hues among the green.

 

In the surprise of a clematis 

that has never rebloomed in the autumn days.

With the grass bent over from the weight

 of waving with each wash of breeze.

 

Begonias stretch happily with no eye to the calendar, 

but wonder at the glimpse of the orange and yellow popping up.

The Rugosa rose smiles with petals soaking up 

the warmth that still glistens the dew.

Potted plants wait till they come back

 inside to ride out the winter days.

Bold pink mandevilla fades to soft blush 

as it climbs the pole stretching toward sky.

A mid-summer toss of cockscomb seed sprouted

 and is becoming the legacy right now.

My niece sent the seeds gathered from the cockscomb

 plants that my dad grew along the driveway,

Years and years now, they have been nurtured

 and seed harvested to pass along that very same

stand of swirled burgundy. 

I thought I had lost this potted verbena this summer.

Just too hot and cut it back.

This week was this "not done yet" blossom.

The lantana staple of my summer garden- 

is rocking September.

The petals that a grandson 

thinks I stay up late at night to paint.

So we talked about God's amazing 

color palette and imagination.

Fall comes bringing a respite from outdoor labor, 

but mingles in the dance of late summer goodness.

The days of golden light and crossover are here.

Worship into the Week- Abundantly

 

Worship into the Week-

 1 Timothy 1: 12-17

Christ Came to Save Sinners

Paul in his letter to Timothy.

Just spending some time here 

looking at the pouring of gifts:

GRACE, FAITH and LOVE.

Not just a simple measure but-

ABUNDANTLY-

through Jesus Christ.

Promises that are kept and fulfilled

and faith inspired.

Even though I am a sinner, 

Christ came to save me.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, 

that saved a wretch like me.

This grace comes into my life like a waterfall-

 such an overflowing pouring.

I need to live in that grace.

Christ has shown great patience with me

 to believe in him for eternal life.

"To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, 

the only God, be honor 

and glory forever and ever. Amen."

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Hudson is Two

 

Hudson is Two!

His family recently loved to celebrate 

with him with some birthday fun.

                                Some things are easy to spot as 

highlights for a special event.

                    

                    Figuring out a new helmet to manage your ride.

                                  Oh yea! This cake stuff is pretty good.

      A paint party with cousins

      for some wooden car fun.

                                             

                                           Books and Legos.

This is way too cool.

Blessings to you this 

next year- sweet little one.

!

Worship into the Week- Refresh my Heart

 

Worship into the Week-

Refresh My Heart- Philemon

This is a very personal letter and different

 from other New Testament letters.

Paul wrote it to Philemon about Onesimus 

and a specific situation.

He was not giving general advice 

of how to live as a Christian.

Paul is asking Philemon to do something different

 than what the culture around him might expect.

Onesimus was a runaway slave 

and should have been treated harshly- probably death.

 Somewhere in Rome he met Paul 

and came to faith in Jesus.

Paul is asking Philemon to accept Onesimus 

as a brother in faith- to build the unity of the body.

Mercy instead of the accepted cultural response.

Much later in church history Ignatius refers to Onesimus

 as the Bishop of Ephesus.

 Perhaps it is this same runaway slave.

Paul gives thanks for Philemon-

 his "friend in Christ" 

that lives in Colossae and has a "house church."

We are thankful that this letter was included

 in the text of our Bible, so that we may be reminded

on any day that we may 

have a heart refreshed in Christ.

With that gift, we look for other relationships

 that we might be called to mentor.

We too have been set free,

so that we can share our great gift with others.

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The Herodium- Israel

 

In 40 BCE, Herod had to flee for his life from 

Jerusalem and the hands of 

Hasmonean ruler Mattathias Antigonus. 

After Antigonus made a treaty with the Parthians 

(the eastern empire that was fighting the Romans at that time), 

he pursued Herod and his people. 

Herod barely survived the battle and he later chose to 

 build his tomb on the site.

 After the battle Herod went to Rome 

and the Senate crowned him King of Judea. 

It took him 3 years to be in control 

and become the sole ruler of the land, 

but under Roman domination.

In the third decade BCE, Herod began to build the Herodium.

It served as the government and administrative center of Judea. 

This left Jerusalem as mainly the religious center.

Though on the edge of the edge of the desert,

 it had abundant water brought from afar 

with gardens and bathhouses. 

Today it lies on the outskirts of modern day Bethlehem.

 Model of the buildings.

Herod planned the the gigantic site as a complex of palaces 

(the largest in the Roman world at the time).

It had a palace fortress, an entertainment area, administrative center and Herod's funeral complex- with tomb and a royal theater.

 In order that he would never be forgotten, 

he built an artificial mountain that covered 62 acres.

 

The palace was divided with a number of wings

 with a courtyard, bathhouses, 

dwellings and a grand reception hall. 

All of the palace walls were decorated 

with frescoes and stucco, with carved columns. 

                                                                                                                       Internet photo

It is quite the walk up to the top of the Herodian.

This is the rendering of the bathhouse.

This is the ceiling as it stands today.

And the entrance to the bathhouse.

This is the largest and most central of the cisterns dug 

into the slope of the early days of Herodium. 

 It appears the way it did during the Bar Kokhba Revolt. 

The large stones at the end come from Herod's tomb.

Herod's small but splendid royal theater

 is the oldest ever found in the country.

Built into the hillside,

 it was adjacent to the mountain palace fortress.

When Herod decided to transform the entire mountain

 into his mausoleum, he had the royal chambers

 and theater buried under tons of earth and stone.

The excavated theater today.

Stucco in the theater's royal chamber.

Windows on a sacred landscape. 

The style depicts a very unusual style for Judea 

and probably points to an artist from Alexandria.

This site also has extensive underground tunnels

 that were built during the Jewish revolts.

During the Byzantine period a small chapel 

was built in one of the wings to the cross-shaped courtyard. 

Monastic cells were also discovered in the ruined palace.

Research info:

Pilgrims began to visit here as early 

as the 15th century.

 Edward Robinson identified the site in 1838.

Father Corbo began excavation in 1962. 

Ehud Netzer began excavations in 1972. 

                                                                                                 Internet photo

In 2007, Netzer discovered the remains of a large tomb

 and opulent coffins. 

The shattered pieces of this sarcophagus were found 

and identified as Herod's and reside in the Israel Museum.

 He led the plans for a national park on this site.

 Prof. Netzer died in 2010 following a fall 

during work on the theater, not far from Herod's tomb.

Pilate's ring--In 1968–1969, 

a copper alloy ring was found and overlooked until 2018. 

The letters on it spell out Pilates 

and it certainly could have belonged to Pontius Pilate.

John and his sister, Lois, at the Herodium.

Though this site is not connected to Jesus, 

it is an amazing site.

It is located in the West Bank 

about 7.5 miles south of Jerusalem

 and 3 miles southeast of Bethelehem.

There are amazing buildings of Herod's design and 

 this is the only one named after him.

Scripture Doodles- August 2022

 

August 2022 -Scripture Doodles

Short phrases that give me pause in the day 

from my devotional reading-

Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman.

The word that resounded for me this month as KEEP.

Keep your eye on the Living God.

Keep focused on things unseen.

Great words for my prayer time focus.

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