Messages of other months can be read by clicking HERE.

Bible Translations
Cricket(s)
Chameleons
Holy Books
"The Vicar of Bray"
"Timely Words" Messages
Terrorism
National Crisis
Prophets
Islamic Extremists
The Press and Pressure
Feast Days

Bible Translations
01/09/02

At a recent worship service at Penney Memorial Church, I used both the King James Version and the American Standard Version of the Bible in my sermon. Both translations use archaic words, such as "thou" and "thee" for our modern English "you", but I chose these particular translations for two reasons. First, my sermon centered on the expressions used for Christians in I Peter 2:9 and I preferred the term "a peculiar people" used in the King James Version. "Peculiar" does not mean only "queer, strange or odd". It may also mean "belonging distinctively or primarily to one person, group or kind". The New International Version of the Bible translates the Greek term "a people belonging to God", and I wanted to emphasize that the retired church workers from many different denominations and areas of service who now live in this retirement community are really "a peculiar people" for various reasons. In the Old Testament passage, Exodus 19:1-8, similar expressions were used for the Israelites. In this case, I used the American Standard Version, which is a more accurate translation because it gives the original Hebrew name for God: "Jehovah", or "Yahweh". In the King James Version and most other English translations, the Hebrew name for God has been changed to "LORD", written in small capital letters. This was because the Jews avoided mouthing the Hebrew name for fear of "taking it in vain" or "misusing" it and so violating the commandment given in Exodus 20:7, but I think our understanding of the Old Testament is deepened when the more exact translation is used. (317)

Cricket(s)
01/09/05

The yard around our house in this retirement community includes a large grassy lawn along with trees, bushes and flowers. There is also a variety of birds with their distinctive shapes, colors and chirps or songs which we enjoy seeing and hearing. And there is also a variety of insects. Among those that we have seen or heard are the slender, chirping, hopping insects called "crickets". Crickets have long antennae, strong hind legs for jumping and two pairs of fully developed wings. Male crickets may produce a shrill, chirping sound by rubbing their front wings together. We sometimes hear the chirping of crickets in the evening. But there is another kind of "cricket" that is not so common in this North American country. Rather, it is in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries where the summertime ball and bat game called "cricket" is popular. In cricket, two teams of eleven players each compete against each other. Two wickets are placed 20 meters apart in the middle of a field. A "wicket" consists of two small wooden crosspieces known as "bails" resting on three wooden stumps, 71 centimeters high. A batsman with a paddle-shaped bat stands in front of the wicket and tries to protect it by hitting balls bowled toward the wicket by members of the opposing team. If the ball is hit far enough, the batsman and his partner run to exchange places to score a run, but if the bails are knocked down, the runner is out. It may take several days to complete one game and George Bernard Shaw has written that "Baseball has the great advantage over cricket of being sooner ended." (315)

Chameleons
01/09/07

Some politicians are called "chameleons". Not only politicians. Others in offices in which the approval of the general public is important may also be called "chameleons" at times. In fact, this word may be used for anyone who often changes his or her opinion in order to conform with those of others. When used of human beings, "chameleon" means a changeable or inconstant person. This word is derived from a Greek word literally meaning an "on the ground lion". Its primary meaning in English is a certain kind of lizard with a flat body and bulging, independently rotating eyes. Chameleons feed on small animals, chiefly insects. Although they move very slowly, they have a long, sticky tongue with which they capture their prey. In fact, their tongues may be longer than their entire bodies. A distinctive characteristic of the chameleon is the changes that occur in its skin color. Such changes are actually caused by changes in light, temperature and emotion but their shades of brown, gray and green generally blend with the forest surroundings. It is because of the ability to change color and to blend in with their surroundings that their name is given to people who change their opinions to blend in with those around them. People desiring the acclaim of the general public may need to conform to public opinion, but the person with a healthy faith and firm principles does not simply conform to the pattern of this world, but is transformed by the renewing of his or her mind in order to follow what he or she believes to be right, or God's will, as we read in the New Testament Letter to the Romans, chapter 12, verse 2. (321)

Holy Books
01/09/08

The adherents of Judaism, Christianity and Islam are distinguished by their reliance upon a sacred book as the basis of their faith. The holy book of Judaism and Christianity is called a "Bible", which is derived from a Greek word meaning "books". In the Bible there are many books of different types of literature, written by many different individuals over hundreds of years. The Bible of Judaism has three major divisions: Law, Prophecy and Writings, into which its 24 books are divided. This Bible has been rearranged into the 39 books which now constitute the Old Testament in the Christian Bible. The 27 books in the New Testament include 4 Gospels related to the life of Jesus Christ, a history of the Early Church, 21 letters and a final prophetic vision. Thus, there are a total of 66 books in the Christian Bible. The holy book of Islam is called the Quran, the Arabic word for "reading". This holy book consists of divine revelations to the Prophet Muhammad which were recorded by his secretary. The Quran is divided into 114 chapters, generally arranged in relation to their length, from the longest to the shortest, rather than in chronological order. In the case of the Bible, the original manuscripts, written in Hebrew and Greek, are not in existence, but the manuscripts now available have been translated into many different languages. The original text of the Quran, however, written in the classical Arabic of the 7th century, has been preserved and is considered literally as God's Word. As such, Muslims believe that it cannot genuinely be translated into other languages. (319)

"The Vicar of Bray"
01/09/11

The word "vicar" is rooted in a Latin word meaning "substitute", as is the word "vicarious". Although the specific rank and duties of a vicar vary according to the particular church, vicars are clergymen in the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of England and the Episcopal Church in the United States. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope is sometimes called the "Vicar of Christ". Although I have never heard it, I understand there is a popular song about the "Vicar of Bray". This 18th century song depicts a "chameleon-like" vicar of the 16th century who managed to maintain his position during the exceptional religious changes that occurred at that time. In 1534, King Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England came into existence. Henry VIII was succeeded by his son, Edward VI, who became king at the age of nine and died when he was 15. During his reign, the country moved further toward Protestantism, but after his half-sister, Mary I, was recognized as queen, the country returned to the Roman Catholic Church. Then, after her half-sister, Elizabeth I, became queen in 1558, the country again became Protestant. To remain a vicar throughout such drastic changes must have been difficult, but the song about the Vicar of Bray implies that it could be done. This is that song: "And this is the law I will maintain, / Until my dying day, Sir, / That whatsoever king shall reign, / I'll still be the Vicar of Bray, Sir." The endeavor to be faithful to the contrasting religious affirmations of these different sovereigns certainly required both religious and political agility. (322)

"Timely Words" Messages
01/09/16

The shocking events of Tuesday, September 11, stimulated my thinking about the meaning of the name of this homepage. What is the implication of the title, "Timely Words"? I would like to receive readers' reactions to the kinds of messages I have been writing. Would you prefer more "timely" comments on: current events? daily activities in this retirement community? Bible passages? rather than messages related to the meanings and usages of words? You may respond in the "Guestbook" or in e-mail to me. I hope readers will inform me of the kinds of messages they prefer. On Tuesday, after playing tennis for a couple of hours, as is my Tuesday morning custom, I was shocked to read the headline, in Japanese, related to the terrorist attacks on the webpage of the Japanese newspaper I subscribed to in Japan. I immediately left the internet and turned on our television set to get the details; the TV set stayed on for the rest of the day, whenever my wife and I were at home. Later in the morning, we attended a meeting where a book review was given, but where people talked about the terrorist attacks. In the dining hall at noon also, the table conversation centered on the terrorist attacks. In the evening, we attended the suddenly scheduled church service which provided time for prayer and meditation related to the proper Christian reaction to such attacks (=manifesting the holy love of God). Before that service, my wife, who is head of the Flower Committee, went to place flowers on the church altar and I went to the nursing home, as I do every Tuesday, to help feed a disabled patient. (329)

Terrorism
01/09/18

Recently, newspapers, radio and television broadcasts have made repeated use of the word "terrorism." "Terror" denotes intense fear, and "terrorism" is the use of terror and violence to intimidate to achieve an end. The world is still in a state of shock as a result of the suicidal airplane crashes that occurred within a couple of hours in American cities that caused thousands of deaths of innocent people. Along with feelings of sorrow and anger, thinking people will seek to understand and learn from these terrorist attacks by asking such questions as "how" and "why." How was it possible for so many individuals to work together so efficiently to carry out such attacks without being discovered or opposed and why did they do so? The question of "how" should eventually be answered by investigations now under way, but as usual, the question of "why" is more complicated. It is very difficult, maybe impossible, to truly understand the heart or mind of another person, whose physical and psychological constitution, personal experiences, culture and religion are all different than ours. Motivations and methods of terrorists differ according to the situation, but Christian Americans should take time to reflect on attitudes and actions of our predecessors during the Crusades and the colonization of North America, their/our treatment of Native Americans, black Africans, Jews, Muslims and other "outsiders" and certain nations or systems with which we disagree. In our effort to comfort the sorrowing and restore damaged places and minds, let us also seek to understand and to eliminate the causes of such terrorism. (330)

National Crisis
01/09/21

One meaning of "crisis" is a crucial or decisive situation, a turning point in the course of anything. The terrorist attacks of last week in which four plane crashes caused by suicidal hijackers resulted in the sudden deaths of thousands of common people going about their daily activities or flying in one of those planes stimulated a national crisis. Some radio and television stations changed their programs and devoted themselves to broadcasting the latest news related to the attacks and their aftermath. News segments included repeated broadcasts of the President's declaration of war against terrorists and nations that protect and encourage them. My impression is that, whereas the citizens and their elected representatives are sharply divided in their evaluation of the policies of the federal government, in this crisis, they are, generally, supporting the President. Sports events and other activities were canceled. People have been forced to reconsider their basic values, which are related to their faith. Church services last Sunday were crowded with worshippers. A patriotic atmosphere has developed and we see many national flags displayed. But the government must be careful in its response and how it engages in the "war" it has declared. It must seek to be fair in its investigation of who or what groups were behind the attacks and not descend to the immoral level of the attackers in its retaliation. We should keep in mind Jesus' command to "love your enemies" (Matthew 5:44) and the exhortation in Romans 12:21: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (332)

Prophets
01/09/23

The last part of the Old Testament in the Christian Bible consists of books of "prophecy" written by or about men called "prophets". The English word "prophet" is derived from a Greek word, the latter part of which means "speak", so it denotes a "speaker". But the prefix "pro" can have different meanings. It can mean "before". If that is the meaning, a "prophet" is a person who foretells events; that is to say, he "speaks before" the events take place. This is the common meaning of the term today, but it is not the primary meaning of the term in the Bible. Another meaning of "pro" is "for" or "forth". In the Bible, a "prophet" is a person who "speaks forth" God's word, a person who "speaks for" God. Sometimes, the prophecy includes words about the future, but that is not the primary sense of the term. Much of the Old Testament prophecy was related to the time in which it was spoken. Insofar as the person was a spokesman for God and was communicating God's word, he could be called a "prophet". An important belief of Christians is that the infinite God who created the world has spoken to finite human beings who are God's creation. If one asks "How does God speak to human beings?" my answer is that God speaks in a manner that a person whose "spiritual ears," "heart" or "mind" are alert and open to receiving such a word will understand. I do not expect God to speak to an American today in the Hebrew of the Old Testament, the Greek of the New Testament or the "King James Version" of English. If a person's heart is open to the leading of God's Spirit, that person may receive guidance from God. (320)

Islamic Extremists
01/09/26

"Islam", an Arabic word meaning "submission", denotes the religion of those who are in submission to Allah, or "God", as revealed in the Qur'an, the holy book of Muslims, or "true believers". This word has often been seen in articles related to the terrorist attacks in the United States which were evidently orchestrated by Islamic extremists. A full-page letter recently appeared in American newspapers addressed to "Dear Fellow Americans" and signed "Your Muslim Brothers and Sisters." It began with the words "In the name of God, The Compassionate, The Merciful." These words are found at the heading of each chapter of the Qur'an. The aim of the letter was to disassociate Islam from the recent crimes caused by "individuals with distorted minds." It noted that "any terrorism against innocent victims is strictly prohibited by Islam." As a matter of fact, history shows that any religion, philosophy or political policy can be deformed by extremists who utilize it for their own perverted purposes. Using the terminology of respected documents, their aims and methods are often in direct contradiction to the original implication of those documents. We must also recognize the danger of identifying certain religious, philosophical or political characteristics with particular ethnic groups. All Irish are not really Catholic. All Japanese are not really Buddhist. All Arabs are not really Muslims. And even all WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants) are not really Christian. We must judge individuals on the basis of their own, individual attitudes and actions. "Actions speak louder than words." (333)

The Press and Pressure
01/09/28

When used as a verb, "press" means to exert steady weight or force against something. The keys of a piano are pressed to make beautiful music. Oranges are pressed to extract juice from them. And clothes are pressed with an iron on an ironing board to make them more presentable. When used as a noun, "press" often denotes a machine used in printing, a printing press. Sometimes, "press" is used to signify the various kinds of printed matter, such as newspapers and magazines, the people involved with such publications, such as editors and reporters or the matter dealt with in such publications, such as news and criticism. This press is very important in a democratic society to either create or reflect public opinion. The word "pressure" may denote the condition of being pressed, but there are various kinds of "pressure". Along with air pressure and water pressure, there is psychological pressure when we feel we must get something done by a certain time, before a deadline. There is also social pressure to make us conform to a particular tradition or the general opinion of those around us. In democratic nations, the press is very influential in exerting pressure, whether in accordance with the program of those in power or of those in the opposition. At the present time, the government of the United States of America is applying pressure on other nations to join in the "war against terrorism" and the American press, in general, is supporting that effort. Whether or not one submits to social or political pressure depends upon the character and strength of one's own convictions. (334)

The Press and Pressure
01/09/28

Feast Days
01/09/29

Nowadays, "feast" usually means a large, elaborately prepared meal, but this word is rooted in a Latin word meaning "joyous," and its basic meaning is a periodic religious festival having special significance. Calendars distributed in English-speaking countries may include names of civic holidays and feast days of both Jews and Christians. In the Christian calendar, the major feast day is Easter Sunday, which commemorates Jesus' resurrection, after his crucifixion on Good Friday. That festival, determined according to the lunar calendar used by the Jews, occurs in the Spring, the time of new life in nature. In the Jewish calendar, the holiest day of the year is Yom Kippur, "Day of Atonement". Observed in the Fall, ten days after Rosh Hashanah, which marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year, it is a solemn day of fasting, penitence and prayer. This year, Yom Kippur fell on September 27th. When the Jewish Temple (destroyed in 70), was still standing in Jerusalem, ceremonies were held on this day, as commanded in the 16th chapter of the Old Testament book of Leviticus (where we find the origin of the word "scapegoat"). The sins of the people were confessed and sacrifices were offered to atone for them. Made up of the words "at" and "one," "atone" is to be at one, to reconcile. The Bible teaches that sin separates us from God and reconciliation, or atonement, requires an offering to atone for sin. In the Old Testament, animals were offered, but in the New Testament, Jesus became "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" {John1:29), so animal sacrifices are no longer needed (Hebrews10:1-18). (335)