Golf Terms
Illinois: Zion and Chicago
Christopher Columbus
October/Godless Month
Crazy English
Peace Forum
Statue of Liberty
October 31

Golf Terms
07/10/01

In the Penney Retirement Community in Penney Farms, Florida, where my wife and I are now living and enjoying our retirement, there are facilities for three different outdoor sports: shuffleboard, tennis and golf. In Japan, my schedule usually included tennis on Monday mornings and I continued playing tennis after entering this retirement community. In Japan, where land is precious and golf fees are high, I considered golf a “rich man’s game” that required much less energy than tennis and I never played it, but I have now learned some peculiar golf terms, including “bogey,” “birdie” and “eagle.” The golf course here has nine holes and the aim of a golfer is to skillfully use golf clubs to hit the small golf ball into each of those holes using as few strokes as possible. The number of strokes needed to hit the ball into a particular hole is called “par,” and the golfer tries to use fewer strokes than the “par” for each hole. If the number of strokes is one more than “par,” it is called a “bogey,” and two strokes over “par” is called a “double bogey.” On the other hand, if the golfer is able to get the ball in the hole in one less number than “par,” that is called a “birdie.” Two numbers under “par” is an “eagle,” and three strokes under “par” is a “double eagle.” I am not sure how these terms were coined and would appreciate whatever information readers of this message might be able to provide. I only know that “bogey” (or “bogy”) may denote “an evil or mischievous spirit, a hobgoblin.” Although we may see various kinds of “birdies” in our community here, we do not see either eagles or bobgoblins. (1094)

Illinois: Zion and Chicago
07/10/05

The meaning of the names of Japanese prefectures, cities, towns and villages is very clear to Japanese citizens and to all who know the Japanese language, but the situation in the United States of America is quite different. There are very few citizens or residents of the U. S. A. who would be able to explain the meaning of the name of the place where they were born or where they live. I was born and raised in the state of Illinois. Checking a reference book, I discovered that the name of this state is derived from the French alteration of a Native American word meaning “men” or “warriors.” The name of my hometown of “Zion,” however, is recognized by all people who are well acquainted with the Bible, for this name is found in many passages in both the Old and New Testaments, denoting the holy city of God, whether in this world or in heaven. The town in the northeast corner of the state of Illinois was founded in 1900 as a Christian community with the church at the center—both physically and spiritually. Because of its unique character, it became well known for a number of reasons, but about 70 kilometers south of Zion is a much more famous and much larger city. Chicago is the third largest city in the country. This name is derived from the French pronunciation of another Algonquian word meaning “onion place” because of the amount of wild onions and garlic growing in meadows there. One of the historic events in American history is the Chicago Fire, which occurred on October 8, 1871. The fire that started in the barn of a Mrs. O’Leary, whose cow may have kicked over a lamp, continued for over a day, demolishing about 18,000 buildings, killing about 300 people and leaving about 90,000 people homeless. (1095)

Christopher Columbus
07/10/09

Although I have difficulty remembering dates, I always remember the year that Christopher Columbus made his historic voyage from Spain, across the Atlantic Ocean, to the West Indies because of a short poem I learned in grade school: “In fourteen hundred and ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” And I knew the specific date when he arrived because that day, October 12, called Columbus Day, was celebrated as a legal holiday. Since 1968, however, the holiday was changed to the second Monday of October in accordance with the federal policy of creating three-day weekends. The reason that group of islands between North and South America is called the “West Indies” is because Columbus, thinking he had reached India, gave them that name. He also misnamed the natives he met on those islands “Indians,” and that mistaken designation has continued to be used for “Native Americans” over the centuries. Born in Italy, Columbus lived in Portugal for many years and hoped to demonstrate his belief that the earth was round by sailing west from Europe and arriving in Asia. He was unsuccessful in gaining support from the king of Portugal, but the king and queen of Spain agreed to sponsor his trip. After stopping at the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, he continued for over a month without seeing land and his companions tried to force him to return, but he continued the voyage until land was reached. Christopher Columbus is a good example of a person who, despite setbacks and disappointments, continues to progress with a firm conviction until his goal is reached. In his case, however, Columbus reached a different goal than the one he had anticipated. (1096)

October/Godless Month
07/10/13

There are a number of English words beginning with o-c-t, derived from the Greek word for “eight.” An “octagon” is a plane figure with eight angles and eight sides. An “octave” is a series of eight musical tones. An “octopus” is a mollusk with eight tentacles. “October” was the eighth month of the year in the old Roman calendar and the name was retained after two new months were added at the beginning of the year, so it is now the name of the tenth month of the Gregorian calendar. In the Christian retirement community where I live, there are many retired pastors and missionaries who take turns preaching at the community church, and on October 14th, it was my turn to preach. In my sermon, I tried to apply Jesus’ teaching regarding “gnats” and “camels” in Matthew 23:23-24 to our day, when important decisions must be made regarding what is of primary importance in religious, political, and economic areas. It is very easy for us to get so involved in the details of matters of minor importance that we ignore matters of primary importance. We all must establish our priorities, which are a reflection of our basic faith. At the beginning of the sermon, I noted a traditional Japanese name for this 10th month. In Japanese tradition, this was the month when all the “kami” (or “gods”) left their local shrines and territories to gather together at the main shrine in Izumo, so the month was traditionally known as kami-na-zuki, “month without [local] kami (“gods”). Although we may define the “object” of our faith in various ways, whether we speak of a single God or many gods, the genuine expression of our faith is seen in the way we live and what our priorities are. (1097)

Crazy English
07/10/16

It is much easier to learn a foreign language when a person is very young, before one begins to think logically and questions the reason for the inconsistencies evident in the language. The irregularities in spelling and pronunciation of certain English words are frequently noted in my messages. In this message, I will utilize material recently sent to me by a friend who knows of my interest in this subject.

We’ll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn’t the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn’t the plural of booth be called beeth?

Peace Forum
07/10/21

The public square or marketplace of an ancient Roman city, the assembly place for various public activities, was called a “forum.” Now, this word may denote a meeting place for open discussion or an assembly to discuss public matters. The Peace Forum is one of the active groups in our community. It schedules monthly meetings and other activities related to peace. On Saturday, October 20th, the annual Peace Forum Retreat was held at a Peace Farm in a nearby rural community. There, we divided into smaller groups and formulated challenging questions to be presented to candidates in the presidential election, which wil Nations Day, which commemorates the establishment of the United Nations on October 24, 1945. At that meeting, a university professor will speak on “The U.S. and the U.N.: What it costs and what the U.S. gets from it.” Unfortunately, some U.S. citizens consider the U.N. a hindrance to the implementation ofl be held next year. It was a very stimulating time. On Wednesday, October 24th, the Peace Forum will lead the special meeting on United projects beneficial to the U.S., so they oppose U.S. participation in U.N. activities. To gain lasting peace, however, requires nations or groups with different aims and viewpoints to sincerely discuss their differences until a mutually acceptable conclusion is reached. (1099)

Statue of Liberty
07/10/25

People who enter the United States of America after crossing the Atlantic Ocean are greeted in New York Harbor by a tall female figure holding a torch in her raised hand. This 46-meter tall steel-reinforced copper structure, standing on a 45-meter high pedestal, is called the Statue of Liberty. One hundred and twenty-one years ago, on October 28, 1886, this statue was accepted by President Cleveland as a gift from the people of France. France had recently adopted a republican form of government and the French people wanted to pay special tribute to the first modern republic on the occasion of its 100th anniversary in 1876, so the “Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World” was designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and, over the next decade, the entire cost of $250,000 was donated by French citizens for its construction. To provide a base for the 225-ton statue, Americans donated $350,000 for the concrete and granite pedestal upon which it was placed on the 12-acre island now called Liberty Island. In 1903, this quotation from Emma Lazarus was engraved on a bronze plaque and affixed to the statue:

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

October 31
07/10/31

In the church of this Christian Retirement Community, worship services are regularly held on Sunday mornings and retired ministers, who are residents of the community, preach the sermons. On Wednesday mornings, a Communion Service is held in a small chapel in one of the assisted living units. Here also, retired pastors are asked to lead the service and give a homily. On October 31 this year, it was my turn to take part and my message included two themes related to that date. First, the day called “Halloween” is the “evening” preceding “All Hallows [=Saints] Day,” when all “saints” are remembered. In Roman Catholic tradition, a “saint” is a special person who has been canonized by the pope. The Apostle Paul, however, in his greetings at the beginning of New Testament letters to churches, uses this word to designate all believers, chosen by God to manifest God’s character. Therefore, all sincere believers should be recognized as “saints.” Second, the 31st of October was the day in the year 1517 that Martin Luther, a sincere Roman Catholic priest, nailed 95 theses to the door of a church in Germany, questioning certain traditions and doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church of that day. Since the followers of Luther protested certain religious and political regulations, they were called “Protestants” and October 31st is considered “Protestant Reformation Day.” One of Luther’s (and present day Protestant’s) basic emphases is that a person is saved or justified by faith in God and not by good works, keeping a law or making offerings to the church. (1101)