Continuing Education
Lame Duck Amendment
Saint Valentine's Day
“Meet and Greet” Reception
Indians
“The Pealing Organ”
Lent

Continuing Education
07/02/03

It is generally recognized that regular exercise is necessary to maintain a healthy body. Even after reaching retirement age and withdrawing from a daily routine that included physical activity, it is important to continue exercising to keep the body in good condition. The same rule holds true for the mind. To maintain a healthy mind, mental exercise is important. My wife and I are happy that in the Penney Retirement Community in which we have been living for the past eight years, there are many opportunities to exercise both our bodies and our minds. Along with exercise classes, both on the ground and in the swimming pool, there is a Fitness Center, which includes a number of machines that can be used to strengthen the muscles of arms and legs; residents are also involved in a variety of volunteer activities that include physical exercise. A golf course, tennis and shuffleboard courts are also available. To continue the stimulation and further development of our mental ability, there are a number of groups that meet regularly, including the Symposium, which meets twice a month and one of the members reads the paper he/she prepared as a result of research on a certain subject, the Literary Club, at which a book report is given, the Penney Writers, who share their writings with one another, the Drama Club, which presents dramas periodically for the entire community. For those with musical talent, there are a number of choirs and a band. At certain times, “Continuing Education Classes” are offered and I am now attending four different classes on the following subjects for an 8-week session led by recognized scholars who have retired in this community: “Genesis—Foundation for Biblical Faith,” “Women in Christian History to 1500,” “Books Left Out of the New Testament,” and “Islam and Christianity in North Africa and France.” (1034)

Lame Duck Amendment
07/02/06

Next to the nursing home in this retirement community, there is a pond with a fountain in the middle. Residents in the community as well as patients in the nursing home enjoy walking or being pushed around the pond in a wheelchair. During the day, we often see a flock of ducks swimming in the pond or gathered together along the shore. Some people throw pieces of bread to the ducks. A “duck” is an aquatic bird having a broad flat bill, short legs and webbed feet. Literally, a “lame duck” denotes a duck that is disabled because of a damaged leg. I have never seen a lame duck, but this term is now used for an elected officeholder continuing in office during the period between failure to win an election and the inauguration of a successor. Until 1933, in the United States of America, a congressman who was not reelected in the November election remained in office until the following March 4. During that period of nearly 4 months, such congressmen could cause problems if they felt bitter about their rejection by the voters. The 20th amendment to the Constitution, which designated January 3 as the day when the terms of congressmen end, has been called the “Lame Duck Amendment.” Evidently, the origin of this expression is related to the old hunter’s maxim: “Never waste powder on a dead duck.” The representatives who remain in office after an election in which they were not reelected are not yet “dead,” but their political power is limited, so they are called “lame ducks.” This “lame duck amendment” was proclaimed in effect 74 years ago, on February 6, 1933 after 36 states had ratified it, but eventually, it was ratified by all 48 states. (1035)

Saint Valentine's Day
07/02/10

As a common noun, a “valentine” is a card or gift sent or given to one’s sweetheart or lover at this time of year. As a proper noun, beginning with a capital V, Valentine is a masculine name, derived from a Latin word meaning “to be strong.” There were three Roman emperors named Valentinian. In the New Testament letters of the Apostle Paul, the term “saint” (meaning “holy person”) denotes all Christian believers, but the Roman Catholic Church limits the term to those who have been canonized by the pope. Two Christian leaders named Valentine suffered martyrdom near the end of the third century. Both of them were canonized and the 14th day of February was designated their feast day. According to a tradition in rural Europe, that was the day when birds began to mate, so the feast of Saint Valentine became associated with romantic gestures. It was in the 17th century that the custom of sending a greeting or a gift to one's lover developed. Nowadays, in the West, it is customary for men and boys to give a valentine to girlfriends or wives, but in Japan, chocolate makers have influenced public opinion so that it is the lady who is expected to give a gift to one or more men--including her superiors, to whom she feels obligated. Hopefully, some recipients will return the favor by giving some white chocolates to the giver one month later, on "White Day," March 14th. Customs related to Saint Valentine’s Day should stimulate us to consider the true meaning of "love." In the Bible, I John, chapter 4, and I Corinthians, chapter 13, are the basic passages regarding God’s love and the love we should have for one another. (1036)

“Meet and Greet” Reception
07/02/14

In this Penney Retirement Community, it is customary for residents to wear a small identification tag with their name on it. Not only is this helpful when we meet new residents, but since our memories are fading, we sometimes forget the names of people we know, so it is helpful to see their names when we talk to them. Also, there is a “buddy system” in this community by which the administration links newcomers with residents who have been here for some years and are able to introduce the newcomers to the lifestyle here, answer questions and assist them in making their adjustments. During the past year, many new residents have entered this community and recently, a “Meet and Greet” Reception was held for them. A “reception” is a social event to welcome or honor certain people. It is customary to hold a wedding reception in honor of a newly married couple and a reception may be held for new business or government officials, graduates or others who have attained certain goals. At the recent “Meet and Greet” Reception, 11 couples and 4 single women and men were welcomed by the other residents. Their “buddies” were also present to be of assistance if needed. It was an interesting and enjoyable time. My wife and I were especially surprised when we spoke to a new couple who had served as a doctor and nurse in a hospital in the Central American country of Panama. When I asked whether they knew a certain man from Panama who we had met at the university where we first met each other, their reply was that not only did they know him, but they had served in the hospital that bore his name. (1037)

Indians
07/02/18

The country of India is located on a large peninsula in southern Asia. People who live in that country may be called “Indians.” When Christopher Columbus made his historic voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain in 1492, his aim was to sail to Asia. When he arrived at an island off the coast of North America, he thought it was an island off the coast of India, so he called the inhabitants “Indians.” From that time on, the native peoples of the American continents have been mistakenly called “Indians,” and the group of islands separating the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean have subsequently been called the “West Indies” to distinguish them from the “East Indies” in Asia. In recent years, “Native American” has become the preferred and more exact term for those native Americans, who have had a lasting influence on the history of the colonies and countries that developed there. The names of many states, cities, towns and rivers in the U.S.A. are derived from Native American languages and there is a state called Indiana, whose capital, Indianapolis, ends with the Greek word for “city” (polis). Considering the present state of Native Americans and their experiences with the European invaders who forced them out of their native areas and made many promises that were never kept, we should be ashamed. Even as Japan has been criticized for not showing sufficient remorse for its cruel treatment of people in China, Korea and the Philippines during the war and for not including reference to this in history books, so the U.S.A. needs to publicly recognize its failures relating to Native Americans and seek to make amends. (1038)

“The Pealing Organ”
07/02/22

In a poem of the classical English poet, John Milton, written in 1632, we find these words: “Let the pealing organ blow to the full-voiced quire below.” In modern English, although the spelling is different, the pronunciation of the word designating a group of singers, now spelled c-h-o-I-r, rather than q-u-I-r-e, is the same. But what is a “pealing organ”? In this case, two different words pronounced the same, but spelled differently, have very different meanings. When spelled p-e-e-l-i-n-g, the word denotes the stripping or cutting away the skin or rind of something. We peel oranges before we eat them. When spelled p-e-a-l-i-n-g, however, the word primarily denotes the ringing of a set of bells, but in this case, it signifies the melodious music issuing from an “organ.” In my English dictionary, there are five different definitions of “organ,” including “a periodical publication issued by a certain group” and “an organization that performs certain specified functions.” As a biological term, “organ” may denote a particular part of an organism adapted for a specific function. Our hearts, kidneys and livers are all “organs.” But the “organ” in Milton’s poem denotes “a musical instrument consisting of a number of pipes that sound tones when supplied with air and a keyboard that operates a mechanism controlling the flow of air to the pipes.” There are also pump organs and electronic organs that produce similar music. Joyful music has always been a characteristic of Christianity and most traditional churches have organs that provide the musical accompaniment to hymns sung by the congregation or to the anthems sung by the choir. (1039)

Lent
07/02/26

The common meaning of “lent” is the past tense of the verb “lend,” which means to give something to someone temporarily, expecting it to be returned. When used as a noun, however, and beginning with a capital L, the word denotes a special period in the Christian church calendar preceding Easter, the church festival commemorating the resurrection of Christ. The date of Easter varies from year to year, but Lent denotes the 40 weekdays before Easter, which are traditionally considered a season of self-denial and penitence. In the early church, ashes were considered a sign of repentance and the first day of Lent, which was February 21st this year, is called Ash Wednesday. On that day, in Roman Catholic churches church members are invited to come forward and let the priest make a cross on their foreheads using his thumb which had been dipped into the ashes that remained after the burning of the palms used on Palm Sunday of the previous year. The number 40 is found in a number of Bible stories, including the following: the Israelites endured 40 years in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 2:7), Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:18), Jonah preached 40 days to the Ninevites (Jonah 3:4) and Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness lasted for 40 days (Luke 4:1-2). Although the custom of using ashes to symbolize repentance is not followed in most Protestant churches, this season preceding the meaningful celebrations of Good Friday and Easter is considered a time to quietly meditate on the deep meanings of those holy days and some Christians express their self-denial in concrete ways by denying themselves certain favorite foods or pleasures during Lent. (1040)