Moonlight and Moonshine
"Born-Again Christians"
Batteries
Pine Trees
Dialogue
Great Lakes
Lake Erie/Niagara Falls
Thanksgiving
Baroque and Victorian
T/Tee/Tea
Prayer
Mauritania
"Saint" Andrew

Moonlight and Moonshine
01/11/03

The moon is a natural satellite of the earth. It is about one-eightieth the size of the earth and takes 29 and a half days to make one revolution around the earth, during which it may be seen as a crescent or a full moon. It is interesting that people may see different images when they look at the full moon. In America, we may see the face of a man, but in Japan, a rabbit pounding steamed rice is seen. The moon does not emit any light of its own but reflects light from the sun. Such light may be called "moonlight" or "moonshine", but each of these words has a secondary, informal meaning. To "moonlight" means to work at another job than one's primary, full-time job. Often such a job is done at night under the moonlight. "Moonshine" may denote foolish or nonsensical talk, thought or action, but it is more often used to mean illegally distilled whiskey. From 1920 to 1933, the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages was forbidden in the United States of America. During this Prohibition era, whiskey, which is distilled from grain, was illegally produced in many secluded rural areas by moonlight and transported under cover of darkness to places where it was illegally sold. In 1925, over 1.7 million stills were thought to be in operation. But moonshining did not end with the repeal of the Prohibition Amendment to the Constitution. A recent investigation in a mountainous area of Virginia has resulted in the arrest of a number of accused moonshiners and it is estimated that, from 1992 to 1999, moonshiners produced 1.5 million gallons of liquor, avoiding $19.6 million in federal taxes. (328)

"Born-Again Christians"
01/11/05

In the New Testament, the followers of Jesus are often called "disciples". This English word comes from a Latin word meaning "learner" or "pupil". A "disciple" is one who is taught by another and who follows the teaching and example of his or her teacher or master. From among his many disciples, Jesus chose twelve men who became his inner circle of disciples, to whom he gave more particular instruction and whom he sent out to preach and to minister as his representatives. These twelve men were called "apostles", from a Greek word meaning "one who is sent out". According to the 26th verse of the IIth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus' disciples were first called "Christians" in the town of Antioch. Evidently, the name was first applied by unbelievers to the followers of Christ. A "Christian" may be defined in various ways. A person who believes that Jesus is the Christ and has become his disciple, one who manifests the spirit of Christ and seeks to follow his teachings, may be called a Christian. In a more formal sense, a Christian is one who has been baptized and has joined a Christian Church. Since some people are baptized as infants or without a personal commitment, the term "born-again Christian" is sometimes used to describe those who have made a personal decision to believe in and follow Christ and have experienced new life through that faith. Jesus indicated the need for a basic change of thinking and manner of life when he said to Nicodemus in John 3:3, that "No one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again." (347)

Batteries
01/11/07

What comes to mind when one hears or reads the word "battery" will depend upon one's profession or special interest. Obviously, this word is related to "batter", the primary meaning of which is "beat", but a baseball player will think of the man at bat and a cook will think of the mixture of flour and milk used in cooking. So it is that "battery" also has a number of different meanings. It may denote machinery used in battering, but a lawyer will think of the illegal beating or touching of another person which may be considered a crime. A baseball enthusiast will think of the pitcher and catcher combination. A military officer will imagine a fortification equipped with heavy guns. Residents of New York City may think of the park on the southern tip of Manhattan Island, previously the site of Dutch and English fortifications, which is now called "the Battery" and has monuments of historic significance. But many of us common folk will think of the small device for generating electric current used in flashlights, radios, tape recorders and many other appliances in common use today. In fact, the stimulation for this message came while I was shaving and I realized the small batteries in my electric razor needed changing. And a couple of days ago, my neighbor could not get his car started because the battery had no power, so I drove my car beside his. Then we connected my car's battery to his and jump-started his car. And I thought: minds or spirits may be compared to storage batteries. If they are being used, they need to be regularly recharged or revived from some stimulating or inspiring source. (348)

Pine Trees
01/11/09

Diversity is one of the attractive features of Penney Retirement Community. Not only is there diversity among its residents who come from various parts of the country, have been members of a variety of Christian churches and have served in various capacities in many different countries around the world, there is also a variety of activities that appeal to a wide range of interests. And there is variety in the natural beauty in the midst of which the community is located. Looking out my window, I see different kinds of trees. One has a very large trunk and many large, long branches full of green leaves. Another is much shorter and slimmer with shorter branches and smaller leaves with red berries scattered among them. A third tall tree is called an evergreen because it remains green all year long. Its long and thin leaves are called pine needles for it is a pine tree. We now have two large plastic bags full of pine needles behind our house which I swept up from the roof over our front porch and raked up from our front lawn. They will eventually be used as mulch in my wife's flower garden. Another kind of "pine", spelled and pronounced the same, denotes an intense longing or yearning. My wife pines for the beautiful autumn colors of tree leaves she remembers in Japan and northern states in the U. S. A., which are not seen in Florida. According to Isaiah 60:13, the pine will be one of the trees which will adorn the Lord's sanctuary and I recall the closing lines of a famous poem by Joyce Kilmer I memorized many years ago: "Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree." (349)

Dialogue
01/11/12

A monologue is a speech by one person, but a dialogue is a conversation between two or more people. Sermons in Christian churches are usually monologues by a preacher, or sermonizer. However, if there is opportunity for listeners to speak back to the preacher in a relaxed atmosphere following the sermon, his monologue may provide the starting point for a dialogue (which may be called "Sermon Feedback"). Jesus often made use of dialogue in his ministry. The 4th chapter of the Gospel of John includes a dialogue he had with a woman of Samaria. This dialogue shows how Jesus refused to be bound by traditions or customs of his day which were unjust or unkind. In the first place, he was willing to engage in meaningful conversation with a woman, which proud men of his day refused to do. Secondly, this woman was a Samaritan, a person of mixed-blood who would be called a "ha-fu" (or "half) in modern Japanese, who were despised by the so-called pureblooded Jews of that day. Finally, she seemed to be a woman of poor reputation who evidently came to draw water from the community well at noontime to avoid meeting other women of her neighborhood who usually came earlier in the morning. Jesus' dialogue with her indicates his lack of prejudice and his concern to share God's love with all kinds of people. To this woman, he offered "living water" which would quench her spiritual thirst and stated the important biblical truth found in verse 24 that "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." (346)

Great Lakes
01/11/14

"That's great" is an expression one may use upon hearing some good news. In that case, the meaning of "great" is "very good." Other meanings of "great" are "of outstanding significance or importance" and "extremely large in size." "Great Britain" was the central nation in the British Commonwealth and a number of terms related to areas on the mainland of the United States of America include this word. The "Great Plains" denote the large area of low valleys and plains east of the Rocky Mountains, which are called the "Great Divide" because they are the dividing line of precipitation that will eventually flow eastward into the Atlantic Ocean or westward into the Pacific Ocean. The "Great Basin" is the plateau between mountain ranges in the states of Utah and California which covers most of the state of Nevada. And the "Great Lakes" signify five freshwater lakes which are the largest area of fresh water in the world with a combined surface area of over 246,000 square kilometers. Except for Lake Michigan, which lies entirely within the United States, these lakes form part of the international border between the United States and Canada. From west to east, their names are: Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario. The lakes are connected to each other by straits, short rivers and canals. From an American viewpoint, these are Great Lakes, lying east of the Great Basin, the Great Divide and the Great Plains, but the perspective of a man of faith many centuries ago is found in the 145th Psalm, verse 3. "Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom." (342)

Lake Erie/Niagara Falls
01/11/16

Lake Erie is the fourth largest and the shallowest of the five Great Lakes. The name, Erie, is not limited to the lake. There are counties in three U. S. states and cities or towns in four states that bear that name. If an "e" is added to the beginning of this name, a word meaning weird or mysterious is formed, having the same pronunciation. But the name of the lake and of these counties and cities is not related to this word. Lake Erie is not an eerie place. Erie was the name of a particular group of Native Americans that lived in that area before the coming of immigrants from Europe. In the native language, this word meant "long tail", or "cat", and this group of Native Americans was referred to as the Cat Nation. Lake Erie is connected to Lake Huron on the west by two rivers and a small lake and to Lake Ontario on the east by a river and a canal. The water in the 55-kilometer-long Niagara River must flow over the famous Niagara Falls on its way from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. This river is the boundary between the United States and Canada and there are cities on both sides of the river named Niagara Falls. The city on the Canadian side is in the province of Ontario and the one on the United States side is in the state of New York. Niagara Falls, one of the most famous spectacles in North America, is divided into the American Falls, which are 51 meters high and 323 meters wide, and the Horseshoe, or Canadian, Falls, which are 48 meters high and 792 meters wide. The volume of water that flows over Niagara Falls is the greatest of all the waterfalls in the world. (344)

Thanksgiving
01/11/18

Autumn is the season of the year when the leaves of trees become dry, die and fall to the ground in areas where the weather gets cold. Consequently, this season is also called "fall". The beautiful colors of the leaves in various shades of red, orange and yellow create a very pretty atmosphere for observant people. This beautiful display of color which stimulates pleasant feelings in the viewer as the leaves die may stimulate further reflection. If at our demise, those around us are impressed with some beautiful, inspiring remembrances that we are leaving behind, we should be thankful. Autumn is also the season of harvest, when farmers' efforts of planting, transplanting and caring for the plants bear fruit. In many countries it is the time for harvest festivals and thanksgiving celebrations. In Japan, a harvest festival tradition with ancient roots is called "Niinamesai", which literally means "New Taste Festival." At this time, the emperor tastes newly harvested rice in the darkness of night, supposedly in the presence of the spirits of his ancestors. This tradition is the background for the national holiday now called "Labor Thanksgiving Day", celebrated on November 23. Thanksgiving Day in the United States is now celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Its roots go back to the Pilgrims who set apart a day of thanksgiving to God for the abundant harvest in 1621 which they joyfully shared with many of the Native Americans in the area. Thanksgiving, first to God and then to human beings, should not be limited to one day or season. It should characterize our daily lives all year long. (352)

Baroque and Victorian
01/11/21

Recently, my wife and I joined a group of residents in this retirement community who attended a symphony orchestra concert which was titled "Baroque Chronicles". A "chronicle" is a historical record and there are a couple of books in the Old Testament named "Chronicles". "Baroque" denotes a particular style of art, including both architecture and music, characterized by elaborate ornamentation, that flourished in Europe in the 17th century. The 36 members of the orchestra (20 women, 16 men) were all dressed in black. For the pieces composed by Telemann, only stringed instruments (violins, violas, cellos, basses and a harpsichord) were played. For the pieces composed by Vivaldi, a bassoon was added. Two flutes and the organ were added for those of Handel and oboes were included when the pieces composed by Bach were played. I was not sure of the meaning of "baroque" until I checked the dictionary and it reminded me of the term "Victorian", which also denotes certain qualities that characterized a certain period of English history: the 19th century, during the reign of Queen Victoria, the longest reigning monarch in English chronicles. In the case of "Victorian", moral qualities, including prudery and pompous conservatism, are included along with a highly ornamented style of architecture. Both the feminine name "Victoria" and the masculine name "Victor" are related to "victory", which is the aim and hope of those involved in military operations. A necessary element in accomplishing this aim is faith. In I John 5:4, it is written: "This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith." (350)

T/Tee/Tea
01/11/23

The 20th letter in the English alphabet is the letter T. A "T-square" is a ruler in the shape of a T that is used by draftsmen for drawing right angles or parallel lines on technical drawings so the expression "to a T" means "perfectly" or "precisely." We may say that an actor fits the role to a T. There are two three-letter words that have the same pronunciation as this letter. The one spelled t-e-e denotes a small peg with a curved top which is used for holding a golf ball for the first drive of the golfer. As a slang expression "tee off" may mean to begin or to make angry. The other word, spelled t-e-a, denotes a plant, the dried leaves of which are used to make a beverage also called "tea". This beverage, which originated in China about 2700 B. C., became popular in Western countries over 3500 years later. There are a number of different kinds of tea and I may tease you to tell me the names of some teas. Tea is the common beverage served in Japan at most meals and to guests. There are few meetings, whether for business or for pleasure, that do not include serving tea. The common tea in Japan is "green" tea, but there is a clear distinction between the tea that is usually served at mealtime or to guests and the special tea that is made during the formal tea ceremony. The Indian tea which is more popular in the West is called "crimson" tea in Japanese. In Jesus' day, the common beverage among the Jews was wine and, according to the 2nd chapter of the Gospel of John, the first miracle that Jesus performed was changing water into wine at a wedding celebration. (351)

Prayer
01/11/25

Many Japanese have difficulty distinguishing the "r" and "l" sounds in English. Thus, the verbs "play" and "pray" are confused. In the life of a person with a healthy faith, however, there is a great difference between "playing" and "praying" even though, at times, the two actions may be combined. The word "prayer" itself may be pronounced in two different ways. When pronounced with two syllables (pray-er), it denotes a person who prays, but when pronounced as a single syllable (prayer), it denotes the act of praying or the words of the person who prays. The particular meaning of prayer differs depending upon one's religion or faith. "Prayer" is commonly considered to be a petition made to a deity and in some religious groups, the repetition of certain traditional words is considered "prayer". From my Christian perspective, however, prayer is primarily communion with God. It is not limited to petition nor can it be restricted to particular words that will produce a special effect. Both Old Testament prophets and Jesus clearly taught that the mere repetition of words is useless without a vital faith that is evident in daily life. Jesus' teaching on prayer is found in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6, verses 5-15. There he criticizes those who make long, repetitious prayers in public to be seen and praised by others and exhorts his listeners to pray to their heavenly Father in secret. He also taught them an exemplary prayer which is often repeated by Christians today, but there is no special benefit that comes from simply repeating it. The effect of true, personal communion with God is seen in one's life. (353).

Mauritania
01/11/28

Following the terrorist attack in New York City and Washington, D. C. by Muslim extremists on September 11th, there has been an increased interest on the part of many Americans regarding Islam and Islamic nations. In the United Nations, there are five countries that have the term "Islamic" in their official names. They are: the Islamic State of Afghanistan and the Islamic Republics of Iran, Pakistan, the Comoros and Mauritania. The Islamic Republic of Mauritania, located in northwest Africa on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, celebrates its Independence Day on November 28th. On that day in 1960, the country gained its independence after being a French protectorate and colony for more than half a century. Mauritania means "land of the Moors". As a common noun, "moor" denotes a broad tract of open wasteland, which could apply to the large desert area of Mauritania, but as a proper noun beginning with a capital M, it denotes a member of a Muslim people of mixed Arab and Berber descent living in northwestern Africa. The Moors invaded and occupied Spain in the 8th century and greatly influenced the Western civilization of that day. Moorish art and architecture remain in Spain even today. Almost all of the 2,700,000 citizens of Mauritania, about half of whom are living below the poverty level, continue to be engaged in agriculture, but deposits of iron ore have also given rise to a mining industry. The official languages are Arabic and French and although there is friction between the Moorish inhabitants of the north and the black Africans in the south, almost all citizens are Muslims. (359)

"Saint" Andrew
01/11/30

What is a "saint", or who is a "saint"? Many of the letters of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament are addressed to the "saints" in a certain place. The Letter to the Romans, for example, is addressed "To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints" (1:7). The Greek word which is translated "saint" means holy or separated one. Thus, in New Testament days, all believers in Christ, or Christians, were considered "saints". Later, the meaning of that word was changed and now, in the Roman Catholic Church, a "saint" is one who has been canonized, or declared to be a "saint", by the pope and thus worthy to be venerated on the basis of certain conditions having been fulfilled. Recently, the Vatican issued a new list of 6,538 saints, each of which has been given a certain day each year as its "feast day". The feast day of St. Andrew is November 30th. Andrew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples who were called "apostles". In the first three Gospels, all that is written about Andrew personally is that he was a fisherman, the brother of Simon Peter, but in the 4th Gospel, we learn that it was Andrew who introduced his brother to Jesus (John 1:41-42), who brought the boy with five barley loaves and two fish to Jesus with which 5000 people were fed (6:8-11), and who, along with Philip, introduced some Greeks to Jesus (12:20-22). Thus, Jesus' disciple, Andrew, who introduced people to Christ, is a worthy example for all Christians to follow. The Sunday nearest the Feast of St. Andrew is the beginning of the Advent season, which is the beginning of the church year in the Christian Church calendar. (360)