So, tonight during our Thursday Night Break-Out we talked about Esther. We are in a series called Heroes of the Bible and Esther was the first one that we taled about. On the Sunday before Mother's Day we had an over view of the story of Esther at Rock. Which you can see some of that on a previous post.
So, tonight we just kind of skimmed through the story so that we could discuss anything that stands out to any of us.
The thing tat we landed on that took up most of our discussion was the following verses:
"On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carcas- to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovly to look at. But when the attendants delivered the king's command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger."
After a lot of talking we decided that we did not see why she would be so upset. I mean what girl in their right mind would not want to be told how beautiful she is in front on everyone. But then the more we talked we came to two different thoughts that could shed some light on the situation.
1 - We decided that this situation could have been potentially dangerous to the Queen. A large gathering of drunk men, asking the beautiful queen to come to them so that they can see how beautiful she is. This could lead to an epidsode of Law and Order: SVU. Which could be why she refused. .
2 - We found the wording interesting. The king is drunk, so he is not in a good state of mind. He calls the eunuchs, who obviously would not touch the quen sexually, to get the queen and bring her to them. Here is the interesting part, we have a very specific instruction, "wearing her royal crown." We find this interesting. He is ordering her to be brought before these men, wearing her royal crown. Why so specific? and since this is so specific, why is she only asked to wear the crown? Is it possible that she was expected to come out naked? It says that he wanted her to come out because, "for she was lovly to look at." Could he have, in his state of drunkness, wanted his queen to come before all of these men (who were allowed to drink to their hearts content) and show off her body without any clothes on? It is interesting to think about. Because if it is the case, then her getting so mad makes a lot more sense. Him sending the eunuchs makes sense (even though they would have been who he sent anyway). It is just interesting. BE CAREFUL, I am not saying that Scripture says this, I am just saying it is an interesting possability that would shed some light on the queen getting upset and refusing to go out.
Well, there you have it. How often do you get to talk about naked people at church? . . . . . . . . . Well this is at least the fourth time for The Way!
You read it, you can't unread it (aren't you glad you didn't watch it?)
~ Charles R.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
The Heroes Post
OK, so we have started a new series at Rock that I am really excited about:
On our first night we talked about Esther. This is a great place to start when you are looking at Heroes of the Bible because, in my opinion, there are not that many really awesome female superheroes. I know, there are some out there, but I just do not feel like they are that cool. Sorry ladies. But that is why I think Esther is such a cool place to start - because when it comes to heroes of the Bible, Esther is a major one. In one brave, selfless act she saved the entire Jewish race which Haman was trying to destroy. If Haman had succeeded in destroying the Jews than the promised Messiah would have had to come from another blood-line and not from the promised blood-line of Abraham.
So, let me give you a few snapshots of what we talked about at Rock:
~ Well, before we even dove into the story of Esther we played a game from Who's Line is it Anyway? called "Unlikely Superheroes" Matt, Skelly, Zach, and Brian, all did a pretty good job of making us laugh. Now whether or not we were laughing at them because they were actually funny or because what was happening was just ridiculous - I cannot say!
~ First of all, God is never mentioned in the book of Esther, interesting fact. A controversial fact.
~ Next we see a king who thinks so highly of himself that he throws a feast for 180 days to celebrate his awesomeness. Wow, what a humble guy.
~ Following the 180 day feast is a 7 day feast to honor everyone else. That was very gracious of him.
~ He puts a decree into motion that everyone is to drink wine to their hearts content. Hmmm sounds like a great idea there Mr. King. If you were at Rock you'll remember us talking about a couple different kinds of drunk people (the "sophisticated" drunk, the "everyting is hilarious" drunk, the "someone keeps moving the room" drunk, and the"I love you so much my life would be meaningless without you" drunk), and although we would all would probably laugh at them, it still does not seem like something we would have liked to be around.
~ Then the humble king wants to show everyone how hot his wife, the queen, is so he sends for her to come in front of everyone with her crown on. She doesn't show - he gets made - she is no longer queen.
~ So they gather up virgins from all over to see who will win the king's favor, and Esther takes the cake. But no one knows that she is Jewish ("Funny, she doesn't look druish" Space Balls [1987]) except for her uncle Mordecai who raised her.
~ Haman gets the king to seal a decree that all Jews would be killed on a certain day. What a jerk.
~ Mordecai finds out about this and tells Esther to do something. She is afraid because if she goes before the king without being summoned she could die. Mordecai gets a little frustrated with her and says one of the best lines in the Bible that is not spoken by Jesus or God Himself. "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Wow
~ She goes before the king, the king listens.
~ Haman is killed on the very gallows he had built for Mordecai, which were 75 feet tall. (I once heard that a gallows' height reflected how horrible the man's crime was, interesting that he hated Mordecai so much to build gallows 75 feet high and than ends up being hung there himself).
~ But the story is not over. You see the knig already put his seal on the decree to kill the Jews, so they cannot remove that decree, so what they do end up doing is a great strategy. First of all the leader of this, Haman, is already dead, so any followers may be weary to carry out the orders anyway. But then they put another decree in effect that says the Jews can defend themselves on that day. And if a Jew kills a person who tried to kill him, the Jew inherits everything that person owns! What a plan!
Well, that is our first Hero of the Bible. I hope that you will seriously think about coming to Rock during this series - it should prove to be a lot of fun.
This coming Sunday we will be talking about Moses.
(FYI Rock is Sunday night at 7:00 PM at Boulevard Christian Church and ends at 8:300 pm)
~ Well you read it, you cannot unread it.
Charles R.
So, let me give you a few snapshots of what we talked about at Rock:
~ Well, before we even dove into the story of Esther we played a game from Who's Line is it Anyway? called "Unlikely Superheroes" Matt, Skelly, Zach, and Brian, all did a pretty good job of making us laugh. Now whether or not we were laughing at them because they were actually funny or because what was happening was just ridiculous - I cannot say!
~ First of all, God is never mentioned in the book of Esther, interesting fact. A controversial fact.
~ Next we see a king who thinks so highly of himself that he throws a feast for 180 days to celebrate his awesomeness. Wow, what a humble guy.
~ Following the 180 day feast is a 7 day feast to honor everyone else. That was very gracious of him.
~ He puts a decree into motion that everyone is to drink wine to their hearts content. Hmmm sounds like a great idea there Mr. King. If you were at Rock you'll remember us talking about a couple different kinds of drunk people (the "sophisticated" drunk, the "everyting is hilarious" drunk, the "someone keeps moving the room" drunk, and the"I love you so much my life would be meaningless without you" drunk), and although we would all would probably laugh at them, it still does not seem like something we would have liked to be around.
~ Then the humble king wants to show everyone how hot his wife, the queen, is so he sends for her to come in front of everyone with her crown on. She doesn't show - he gets made - she is no longer queen.
~ So they gather up virgins from all over to see who will win the king's favor, and Esther takes the cake. But no one knows that she is Jewish ("Funny, she doesn't look druish" Space Balls [1987]) except for her uncle Mordecai who raised her.
~ Haman gets the king to seal a decree that all Jews would be killed on a certain day. What a jerk.
~ Mordecai finds out about this and tells Esther to do something. She is afraid because if she goes before the king without being summoned she could die. Mordecai gets a little frustrated with her and says one of the best lines in the Bible that is not spoken by Jesus or God Himself. "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Wow
~ She goes before the king, the king listens.
~ Haman is killed on the very gallows he had built for Mordecai, which were 75 feet tall. (I once heard that a gallows' height reflected how horrible the man's crime was, interesting that he hated Mordecai so much to build gallows 75 feet high and than ends up being hung there himself).
~ But the story is not over. You see the knig already put his seal on the decree to kill the Jews, so they cannot remove that decree, so what they do end up doing is a great strategy. First of all the leader of this, Haman, is already dead, so any followers may be weary to carry out the orders anyway. But then they put another decree in effect that says the Jews can defend themselves on that day. And if a Jew kills a person who tried to kill him, the Jew inherits everything that person owns! What a plan!
Well, that is our first Hero of the Bible. I hope that you will seriously think about coming to Rock during this series - it should prove to be a lot of fun.
This coming Sunday we will be talking about Moses.
(FYI Rock is Sunday night at 7:00 PM at Boulevard Christian Church and ends at 8:300 pm)
~ Well you read it, you cannot unread it.
Charles R.
Friday, May 8, 2009
College Road Trip: The Interviews
Alright faithful readers, here is the continuation of an interview with Josh Bueno and Becka Woodard about their experiences during the 2009 College Road Trip that took place this April during Spring Break.
Becka, what would you say impressed you the most about the schools? "In all of the schools there was a variety of different classes and majors at each school. I was also impressed by the missions trips of each school."
Josh? "The scenery of where the campuses were." And Josh, what memory do you think will stay with you the longest? The bonding that i shared through out the trip with Charles, Nicole, and Becka. And going up in the St. Louis Arch."
Becka, if you were to pick a one of the schools right now, which would it be and why? "At the moment I don't have a definite choice but I like Roanoke (now Mid-Atlantic Christian University) and Central for various reasons. Central has a co-op program with other schools in the area if I choose to major in something else and Roanoke has a nice campus and I liked the class we sat in on."
Josh, same question, which of the schools would you pick if you had to pick on right now? "Roanoke, it was so beautiful, and the class that we sat on was so interesting."
Do either of you have any thing else you would like to say about the trip right now?
JOSH: "Being able to stop and see where Charles and Nicole lived, in Indy was really cool. Being able to see what their life was like before Boulevard. The Arch was really sweet, because it was a once in a life time opportunity that I never thought I would be doing. Overall seeing, and feeling what college life had in store, I am very excited to start my life, as a young adult, and as a student at a Bible college."
Well, there you have it. The trip was really a great one and one that I think will stay with them forever. I still vividly remember the times my youth minister took me to visit Bible colleges. The bonding that happens on these trips are amazing and I am a strong supporter for the schools as well. I would not be the man I am today if it were not for the time i spent being taught and mentored by great Christian professors.
You read it . . . . . . you can't unread it.
~ Charles.
Becka, what would you say impressed you the most about the schools? "In all of the schools there was a variety of different classes and majors at each school. I was also impressed by the missions trips of each school."
Josh? "The scenery of where the campuses were." And Josh, what memory do you think will stay with you the longest? The bonding that i shared through out the trip with Charles, Nicole, and Becka. And going up in the St. Louis Arch."
Becka, if you were to pick a one of the schools right now, which would it be and why? "At the moment I don't have a definite choice but I like Roanoke (now Mid-Atlantic Christian University) and Central for various reasons. Central has a co-op program with other schools in the area if I choose to major in something else and Roanoke has a nice campus and I liked the class we sat in on."
Josh, same question, which of the schools would you pick if you had to pick on right now? "Roanoke, it was so beautiful, and the class that we sat on was so interesting."
Do either of you have any thing else you would like to say about the trip right now?
JOSH: "Being able to stop and see where Charles and Nicole lived, in Indy was really cool. Being able to see what their life was like before Boulevard. The Arch was really sweet, because it was a once in a life time opportunity that I never thought I would be doing. Overall seeing, and feeling what college life had in store, I am very excited to start my life, as a young adult, and as a student at a Bible college."
Well, there you have it. The trip was really a great one and one that I think will stay with them forever. I still vividly remember the times my youth minister took me to visit Bible colleges. The bonding that happens on these trips are amazing and I am a strong supporter for the schools as well. I would not be the man I am today if it were not for the time i spent being taught and mentored by great Christian professors.
You read it . . . . . . you can't unread it.
~ Charles.
Monday, May 4, 2009
College Road Trip: The Interviews
Alright, this is the continuation of the interview that appeared today in Boulevard Christian Church’s May Newsletter.
Becka, did visiting the colleges change any ideas you previously had about Bible Colleges? “Before the trip I had no idea what Bible Colleges were like, but now I know that they are a good experience and make your relationship with God, and other Christians, stronger.”
Josh, how about you? Did you have any preconceived notions about Bible Colleges? “I was so set on Milligan because it was the only school that I visited. Now that I have gone around I see that I have a lot more options and it will take some thought to really narrow down my decisions.”
Becka, What was the most fun part of the trip? “Making fun of Josh!!! Just kidding!
Learning more about Christian Colleges and the Arch . . . and geocashing!” While we were in St. Louis we went up in the Gateway Arch it was a pretty awesome experience. It was a long wait, but we all agreed that is was worth it. If you want to get more info about the Gateway Arch visit the website.
Geochaching is a really cool treasure hunt type thing, really the best way to explain it to you is to get you to try it, click here for more info.
Josh, what was the most fun part for you? Being made fun of? Just kidding, or am I? “Going from state to state, actually seeing all the sites, and a little of America.”
Becka, back to you. What was the most beneficial part of the trip? “Well, touring the colleges, sitting in on a class, and sleeping in the dorms to get a feel of what college is really like was very beneficial to me.”
Josh? “Figuring out the financial aids, and classes the colleges offered.”
Well, that is it for tonight.
How else can we get you to keep checking back on our blog?
~ Charles R.
Becka, did visiting the colleges change any ideas you previously had about Bible Colleges? “Before the trip I had no idea what Bible Colleges were like, but now I know that they are a good experience and make your relationship with God, and other Christians, stronger.”
Josh, how about you? Did you have any preconceived notions about Bible Colleges? “I was so set on Milligan because it was the only school that I visited. Now that I have gone around I see that I have a lot more options and it will take some thought to really narrow down my decisions.”
Becka, What was the most fun part of the trip? “Making fun of Josh!!! Just kidding!
Learning more about Christian Colleges and the Arch . . . and geocashing!” While we were in St. Louis we went up in the Gateway Arch it was a pretty awesome experience. It was a long wait, but we all agreed that is was worth it. If you want to get more info about the Gateway Arch visit the website.
Geochaching is a really cool treasure hunt type thing, really the best way to explain it to you is to get you to try it, click here for more info.
Josh, what was the most fun part for you? Being made fun of? Just kidding, or am I? “Going from state to state, actually seeing all the sites, and a little of America.”
Becka, back to you. What was the most beneficial part of the trip? “Well, touring the colleges, sitting in on a class, and sleeping in the dorms to get a feel of what college is really like was very beneficial to me.”
Josh? “Figuring out the financial aids, and classes the colleges offered.”
Well, that is it for tonight.
How else can we get you to keep checking back on our blog?
~ Charles R.
College Road Trip: The Interviews
On April 4, 2009 two teenagers from The Way, Josh Bueno and Becka Woodard, along with Nicole and myself left at about 6:15 in the morning for a road trip to see four different Christian colleges. It was a really good trip, but rather than me just give you a bunch of my thoughts about the trip, I thought we would interview Josh and Becka so that you could get a feel of what they thought about the trip. To start off it would be nice if everyone knew what you guys were thinking about going to college for. Josh is very interested in Youth Ministry and Becka is interested in studying worship. Well, why don’t you sum up what you felt about the food that you ate on the trip? “Delicious” was all that Becka could say. “Very good food, all you can eat which I loved!!” Well, let’s get to some stuff that actually tells you about the trip. I asked Becka if this trip may influence where she decides to go to school. She told me, “I now want to attend a Christian college whether I study worship or decide to later transfer for another degree., when before I was set on going to a Non-Christian college.” Josh said that the part of the trip that will stay with him the longest is when we spent the day in St. Louis and went up inside the Gateway Arch. I am pretty sure we would all agree that we will not be forgetting that experience for a long time. They both really liked the class we sat in on at Roanoke Bible College (Soon to be Mid-Atlantic Christian University [MACU]). I asked them both if they were to go to school right now, which school would they chose. Becka said that she is really torn between Central Christian College of the Bible (CCCB) in Moberly, MO and MACU in Elizabeth City, NC. They both had things that really attracted her to them. CCCB would be able to offer her some co-op programs with close-by schools in MO. Bt she really enjoyed the class we sat in on at MACU and the campus really caught her eye. Josh said if he were to choose right now he would chose MACU. He also loved the campus and the class. If you would like to here more about the college road trip you can check out posts from during the trip this interview will continue on the blog as well.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The Alligators Post
So, I am at the Hilton in Harrisburg, PA attending a planning meeting for PCTC 2010. I am sitting in my room alone, nothing is on TV and I am thinking I should just be asleep because everything seems to be funny to me right now.
I was coming up to my room from the parking garage - by myself - hit the button for the elevator and. . . . I burst out with a loud laugh. By myself still mind you. Two maintenance people stopped what they were doing and starred for a second. I did not realize I had laughed out loud. And what was so funny? I am glad you asked. We just watched the movie "Bedtime Stories" last week and there is a scene were this guy has to translate what another guy is saying. The man (Adam Sandler) is talking about how kids love hotels because they do all kinds of cool stuff while they are there. In the midst of reasons kids love hotels the translator all of the sudden says, "Jumping up and down on the alligators". Everyone stares at him and Sandler repeats himself, and the translator says, "Oooohh, riding up and down on the elevators. I see now in this context alligators would fit."
I think this was so funny, but I am not sukre why. It was my favorite line from the movie and it is even making me laugh right now.
Ahh, well you read you cannot unread it!
~Charles.
I was coming up to my room from the parking garage - by myself - hit the button for the elevator and. . . . I burst out with a loud laugh. By myself still mind you. Two maintenance people stopped what they were doing and starred for a second. I did not realize I had laughed out loud. And what was so funny? I am glad you asked. We just watched the movie "Bedtime Stories" last week and there is a scene were this guy has to translate what another guy is saying. The man (Adam Sandler) is talking about how kids love hotels because they do all kinds of cool stuff while they are there. In the midst of reasons kids love hotels the translator all of the sudden says, "Jumping up and down on the alligators". Everyone stares at him and Sandler repeats himself, and the translator says, "Oooohh, riding up and down on the elevators. I see now in this context alligators would fit."
I think this was so funny, but I am not sukre why. It was my favorite line from the movie and it is even making me laugh right now.
Ahh, well you read you cannot unread it!
~Charles.
Friday, April 10, 2009
The Look at Our Pictures Post
I am pretty tird, so this will not be a very long post.
If you have been following our tip but have not been on facebook to see the pictures of the trip let me give you a link that will take you there:
Album #1:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009124&id=104300750&l=9f8bfc4359
Album #2:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009150&id=104300750&l=50e86731b4
Album #3:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009154&id=104300750&l=7ce69673d2
Album #4:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009164&id=104300750&l=8fab653aa9
We spent the whole day here in Elizabeth City. It has been a good packe day of fun. We sat in on a class, took a tour of the campus, got some financial info, and then went geocaching. It was a good day.
We are headed home tomorrow morning at 8:00, I am hoping for no traffic.
~ Charles.
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