Good Friday

Hello Everyone,

Today is Good Friday in the Christian Religion. It is the day when Christians remember how Jesus died on the Cross outside the Jerusalem City Wall. 

"And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall; and when he had tasted thereof he would not drink. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. And sitting down they watched him there; and set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then there were two thieves crucified with him , one on the right hand, and another on the left." (Matthew Chapter 27 vs 33-38).

                     *************


On Sunday the church  will celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. That first Sunday morning, when the women went to the tomb where Jesus had been hastily lain only to find the stone removed and the body missing, is celebrated. Christianity stemmed from Judaism; Jesus, himself was Jewish and the Jewish holy day or Sabbath is on a Saturday. The beginning of the Sabbath is sunset on a Friday evening and is marked by a synagogue service and meal. It is a day of complete rest and worship; no work is done. Consequently, there was a tremendous rush to pronounce Jesus dead and remove Him from the cross.

The women were anxious to anoint the body, in accordance with Jewish tradition, at the earliest opportunity.  Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and other women arrived at the tomb, expecting to find it secured by a stone. Imagine their surprise, the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Inside, a young man, wearing a white robe, spoke to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go tell his disciples and Peter, that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him as he told you."( Mark ,Chapter16, vs 6 & 7.)

Later, we read of several appearances by Christ to the disciples and others. The belief in the risen Christ was enough for some very frightened Jews, scared of prosecution, to become the first followers, or Christians. The Eucharist/Mass became the main service, where bread and wine were received by the congregation, in memory of the bread and wine at the last supper on the Thursday evening, and having the extra symbolic significance of the body and blood of Christ. Services were held in secret, and the early Christians identified themselves to each other, not by the cross, but a fish, after Simon Peter and his brother, Andrew, the disciples who were fishermen.

Christians remember that first Sunday morning and rejoice. It is proof, that there is an eternal,  afterlife or new life. Chickens, eggs, rabbits are all symbolic of new life and new hope. However, you spend this Covid Eastertide, have a very HAPPY EASTER!

Lady M 

Stimulating September... SHALOM SEARCH! Quiz time!

Hello Everyone!

I hope things are good with you wherever you are. I would love to have some comments on these quizzes from those of you doing them. This is the last week of September and the last quiz.
Can you really believe it is October next week? If you are in the UK, as the nights get longer and the days get shorter, now is the time to read a good book...
If you are 'down under' have a great spring and summer.


1. What is the Decalogue more commonly known as?
The Ten Commandments

2.  Who sold his birthright for a 'mess of pottage'?
Esau


3.  Where did Noah's Ark come to rest after the flood?
Mt. Ararat

4.  Who was the Great Lawgiver of the Israelites?
Moses

5.  What is the Holy Book of the Islamic religion?
The Koran

6.  Which religion has the Five K's?
Sikhism

7.  Who was King of England when the first authorised version of the Bible was published?
King James 1

8.  Who said, 'I find no fault with this man'?
Pontius  Pilate

9.  Name the apostle chosen to fill the place of Judas?
Matthias

10. What does the word shalom mean?
Peace

11. Who captured Samson?
Philistines


12. Which evangelist came to England for the Crusade in 1984?
Billy Graham


13. Who was the founder of the founder of the Salvation Army?
General Booth

14.  Name the most Holy Shrine for the Jews?
Wailing (Western) Wall, Jerusalem


15. Who wrote his autobiography, My Experiment with Truth ?
Mahatma Gandhi


16. What is a monotheistic religion?
A religion which worships one God


17. Which religion does the Golden Temple at Amritsar belong to?
Sikhism


18. Which religion celebrates Ramadan?
Islam


19.  Which Old Testament character is known for his wisdom?
Solomon


20.  How many books are there in the Bible?
66


Answers next week.

Love and goodbye from me. I'm taking a long holiday into 2019 but Sofia and Donald will be back with you next week. I've no idea what they are planning but with those two it will probably be 'x' rated. Enjoy their company.

 Lady M!

HAPPY EASTER

Hello Everyone,





I cannot believe that Easter is here all ready. I am sure it's only five minutes since Christmas, and when time speeds by at such a fast pace, you know you're getting older. It's like noticing that policeman are getting younger!


Easter is a celebration. It is a holiday and a time to eat chocolate eggs. In today's society it is easy to forget the true meaning of Easter. It is a Christian festival remembering how Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday and rose again, three days later, on Easter Sunday. In the days of my youth Good Friday was a day when shops closed and there was an air of solemnity as Christians remembered how Christ died and suffered for our sins, "he died to make us good". There would be hot-cross buns for tea as a reminder of that cross. The church was the focus of everyone's attention as we shared those three hours from 9-12  remembering His suffering. Some people organised Passion plays where actors acted out the entire 'passion' or suffering of our Lord. I remember taking part in one in Crewe in the early 70's.


On Sunday the church celebrates the Resurrection of Christ. That first Sunday morning, when the women went to the tomb where Jesus had been hastily lain only to find the stone removed and the body missing, is celebrated. Christianity stemmed from Judaism; Jesus, himself was Jewish and the Jewish holy day or Sabbath is on a Saturday. The beginning of the Sabbath is sunset on a Friday evening and is marked by a synagogue service and meal. It is a day of complete rest and worship; no work is done. Consequently, there was a tremendous rush to pronounce Jesus dead and remove Him from the cross.


The women were anxious to anoint the body, in accordance with Jewish tradition, at the earliest opportunity.  Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and other women arrived at the tomb, expecting to find it secured by a stone. Imagine their surprise, the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Inside, a young man, wearing a white robe, spoke to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go tell his disciples and Peter, that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him as he told you." Mark ,Chapter16, vs 6 & 7.


Later, we read of several appearances by Christ to the disciples and others. The belief in the risen Christ was enough for some very frightened Jews, scared of prosecution, to become the first followers, or Christians. The Eucharist/Mass became the main service, where bread and wine were received by the congregation, in memory of the bread and wine at the last supper on the Thursday evening, and having the extra symbolic significance of the body and blood of Christ. Services were held in secret, and the early Christians identified themselves to each other, not by the cross, but a fish, after Simon Peter and his brother, Andrew, the disciples who were fishermen.


Christians remember that first Sunday morning and rejoice. It is proof, that there is an eternal,  afterlife or new life. Chickens, eggs, rabbits are all symbolic of new life and new hope. However, you spend this Eastertide, have a very HAPPY EASTER!

Love to you all,

Lady M

Christmas Again... Candles and Cards!

 

 

 

 

Hello Everyone!

 

Well folks, Lady M still here and pleased that we're having a relatively mild December in the UK. I hope you enjoyed the pretty pics of West Bromwich last week. I can hardly believe it but it is Christmas time again. I know it doesn't seem five minutes since last year but that is a sign of age.

There are numerous customs associated with this time of year. I've talked about the origin of the Christmas tree and last year I looked at the origin of Christmas along with the tradition of candles, light and heat. Today, I'm going to add the custom of card giving at this time of year.

 

 

Jesus Christ was born round about 2,000 years ago although no one is really sure as to the exact time of year or date. Many years after his death the early Christians chose 25th December because it was then, under the Julian calendar, the shortest day of the year and the darkest. People worshipped and prayed to the sun in the hope of another summer with long warm days. Christians knew that God had made the sun on the first day of creation and so they decided to worship the 'Son of God' on this day. In 1752, The Julian calendar changed to the Gregorian calendar and the shortest day is now 21st December, but Christmas Day remains on 25th!

 

It was four centuries before the Romans adopted Christianity and began celebrating the birth of Christ as opposed to sun festivals. They would have processions to church on Christmas morning. The first known celebration in England was in 521 A.D. when King Arthur visited York Minster to remember Christ's birthday. By the Middle Ages, Christmas had become a time of much joy and celebration with great feasts. Later, when Oliver Cromwell was Lord Protector, Christmas became a solemn time with feasting and fun forbidden. When Charles II ascended to the throne, he restored the old traditions and celebrating Christmas has continued to be a great and grand tradition.

 

Judaism, prior to the birth of Christ and Christianity, had a festival of light in which candles were burned. The festival was to remember the rebuilding of Solomon's Temple and the candles were an indication that the truth was once again being heard in the Temple. The light of a flame became an emblem for truth. Churches usually have candles on the altar and they are burned during services.

 

There is a story that Martin Luther first put candles on a Christmas tree to remind people of the stars that shone above Bethlehem on the night of Christ's birth. Candles, originally used for light and heat, have become so much more symbolic over the years. They are now used in memory of those loved ones who have left this life and taken that short walk into the next room.

 

Cards, unlike the lighting of candles and the decorating of the tree is a relatively new Christmas custom being little more than a hundred and thirty years old beginning in Victorian times. Originally, cards were given at New Year to wish wealth, happiness and prosperity for the forthcoming year although they often had pictures of Jesus on them. One of the first known New Year cards can be seen at the British Museum and has a picture of Jesus on a cloud and was printed in 1467 AD. The tradition moved to the Christmas season and the early cards were rather like Birthday ones with pictures of animals, flowers and children. Cards with Christmas scenes of holly, snow scenes and the Nativity became popular after 1900 AD.

 

Considering the cost of postage today I fear that this custom may be in decline or change. Cards only sent with gifts or hand delivered. A pack of ten cards can cost less than First Class postage for one. I paid 50pence for an 'Angel' calendar to send to a friend instead of a Christmas card. Imagine my surprise when the Post Office told me that it was too long to be a letter and was considered a parcel and the cost would be £3.00. £3.00 to send a 50 pence calendar? Yes, that is correct but if I were to fold it so that it was the size of a letter I could send it for £1.10p! No prizes for guessing what I did.

 

Anyway, have a great time with your Christmas preparations, decorating the tree and home, wrapping gifts, visiting friends and wishing good cheer. I invite you all to light a candle this Christmas in memory of loved ones and place it in a window where it can be seen as a light to the outside world, and a beacon of hope.

 

 

 

Lady M

 

 

 



Another week... another continent! SOUTH AFRICA







Hi ya folks,

Sofia here. I don't know why 'she' has put the photo of her car on this week. Guess she must be missing her baby Bee Gee. Oh boy, have we had a blast down here in Latin America. . . we are tangoing every where. Well, you know what they say. . . IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO!
It has been a very cultural week and we will be sad to leave here but South Africa will be good, we have friends there and are looking forward to visiting Cape Town again. This week, things are going to be different; 'she' says we are going to three places and not just one. . .sounds fun! We are heading down the runway, about to take off. . .bye bye B A. . . hello S A!

1. South Africa, as it's name suggests is the most southerly country on the African continent.

2. Unlike most countries it does not have one capital but three: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative),  Bloemfontein (judicial).

3. The official languages are Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Setswana, Siswati, Tshivenda and Xitsonga.

4. The currency is the Rand.

5. It is a Republican country having gained independence from the UK in 1910.

6. Christianity is the main religion.

7.Pretoria is situated in the northern part of the country and is also known as 'Jacaranda City' because of  the flowering trees lining the streets in October and November.

8. Probably two of the most famous names associated with S A are Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.

9. Nelson Mandela was an active anti-apartheid man, arrested and imprisoned on Robben Island for 27 years before being released in 1990. He became the first black President of S A from 1994-1999.

10. Desmond Tutu was also an active anti-apartheid person, who became the first black South African, Archbishop of Cape Town.

11 .Cape Town is located on the south west coast, on the shore of Table Bay and is known as the 'Mother City'.

12. C T is the economic centre of the Western Cape Province; it is S A's second main economic centre and Africa's third main economic hub city. It also has the main harbour and airport in the Province.

13. C T's real estate and construction industry has benefited from S A hosting the 2010 World Cup Finals. Many people bought summer houses or decided to move there permanently.

14. C T is  the most popular tourist city in Africa, not just S A. This is due to both  its good climate and infrastructure.

15. C T  has well-known natural features that attract tourists, the most noted being Table Mountain. It also has beaches and cultural attractions like the Victoria and Albert Waterfront built on top of part of the docks which is the most visited attraction.

16. C T also has an architectural heritage and the beautiful Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens set in 36 acres of land.

17. C T  has a blooming mining industry and the highest number of successful Information Technology businesses in the continent.

18. It has been named as the most entrepreneurial city in S A with the percentage of 'Capetonians' pursuing business interests being almost three times higher than the national average.

19. Bloemfontein literally translated means 'fountain of flowers'. It is known as the 'city of roses' due to the abundance of roses and the annual flower festival held there.

20. B is situated on dry grassland at an altitude of 1,395 metres above sea level and it is in the central area of S A.


'Wow, Donald, three beautiful cities in one week . . . we are going to have fun... we had better sign off  with one of Desmond Tutu's saying... did you know that those who graduate from our universities with a 2 2, call them Desmonds after him?'
'No, I didn't Sofia, so what are you leaving our good friends with this week?'

Thought for the week: You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you , as you are to them. (Desmond Tutu)