Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness around the world.

September 7, 2007

Publishers Favourite Sites:

Rosanne Catalano

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Michael Smith

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Barbara Weymouth

penwormprayerwarriors-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Helen Dowd

www.occupytillicome.com

Dean Perchick

http://symzonia.blogspot.com

Today’s Announcements

Happy Happy Birthday Bill Walker from the whole Storytime Tapestry Gang.  Today Bill is double lucky, double 7’s and we are lucky to have him with us.  Please email your wishes to him at: wildbill6807@yahoo.com

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Please note that Storytime Tapestry is a free newsletter to members and there will never be a cost for the newsletter. Donations are purely voluntary and no member should ever feel guilty for not making a donation at this time.

Today’s Stories

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Jesus, the Singing Rabbi?

Chris Hansen
 

Singing was and is a very normal part of Middle Eastern culture.  Even today, just listen to how the Muslims open their time of prayer.  Or, go to a bar mitzvah and listen as a 12 or 13-year-old boy sings a portion of the torah.

Singing appears often in the Bible through recitations, poetry, and music.

We know that Jesus’ mother sang: “My soul praises the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior …” Luke 1:46-55.  Is it possible that Jesus heard this song, as a small child, over and over again?  We know that Jesus sang:

It is the last night of Jesus’ life.  He and his disciples have just shared a moving last meal together.  Then, Matthew 26:30 adds this tidbit: “when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the mount of olives.”

Exactly what did they sing?  I wasn’t there with a video camera, so I simply have to guess like everyone else.  He may well have sung Psalm 113.  In part it says: “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes with the princes of their people.  He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord.” (Psalm 113:7-9.)

Was Jesus concerned about barren women?  Yes indeed!  How often he must have heard the story of Elizabeth miraculously giving birth to John the Baptist!  How often he must have heard the miraculous story about Mary giving birth to a child as a virgin!  How often Jesus was deeply moved by the plight of the poor.  During his last meal Jesus promised:  “and I confer on you a kingdom just as my Father conferred one on me,” (Luke 22:29.)

The famous Sermon on the Mount assures us that the meek would inherit the earth.  So, we can see that Jesus clearly had in mind that the poor of this world would be the rich of the next world.

Now, let’s use a bit of imagination.  Jesus has just climbed a hillside.  A crowd below has been following him.  Jesus begins to sing in a loud voice, common to the canters or singing rabbis of today: “Blessed are the poor in spirit!”

His group of his disciples respond as they have done so many times before: “For theirs is the kingdom of heaven!”

Jesus sings: “Blessed are those who mourn!”

The disciples respond: For they will be comforted!”

Jesus sings: “Blessed are the meek!”

The disciples respond: For they will inherit the earth!”

Jesus sings: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness!”

The disciples respond: “For they shall be filled!”

Jesus sings: “Blessed are the merciful!”

The disciples respond: For they will be shown mercy!”

Jesus sings: “Blessed are the pure in heart!”

The disciples respond: “For they will see God!”

Jesus sings: Blessed are the peacemakers!”

The disciples respond: “For they will be called the sons of God!”

And finally Jesus sings: Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness!”

And his disciples respond: For theirs is the kingdom of heaven!”

Then, the crowd below has grown very quiet as they hear the familiar song.

Then, Jesus begins to speak in longer phrases, teaching the crowd and extending the theme from the last song verse: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. …”
Matthew 5:3-12.

Now, did it really happen this way?  I don’t know, but there is intriguing evidence from early church documents that recitation was a common way to memorize doctrines.  They didn’t have overheads, or Xerox machines to pass out copies of materials.  So, scholars think that the early church had creedal statements that were used to teach basic doctrines.

Consider the creedal statement in 1 Timothy 3:16: “He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.”

This is a prime example of what scholars believe to have been creedal statements that taught basic doctrine.  So, it’s not 'too big a leap' to suppose that Jesus and other Rabbis may well have used these kernels of truth, encapsulated in songs, or rhymes, or short creedal statements that were easy to memorize.

Singing and recitation or chanting is a tradition that goes back to the days when Miriam sang her victory song in Exodus 15, after the Red Sea had miraculously drowned the Egyptians, and it continued through the days of the early church, it continues now, and will go right on throughout the rest of time in heaven.  Sometimes, a poem or a song just says it better than mere prose.

© by Chris Hansen

chrishansen54@sbcglobal.net

Author of Grandfather's Journal

Revelation Revisited and Secret of the Psalms www.xlibris.com 1-888-795-4274 local bookstores.
This article may be used in its entirety, with credits in tact,
for non-profit ministering purposes.

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TIME TO WAKE UP

By: Joseph J. Mazzella

     I read in a news story today that the ultra rich are now paying 736,000 dollars for watches. As I was shaking my head at the insanity of it I glanced at my own 8 dollar watch. It tells me the time just fine. I guess that would leave me about 735, 992 dollars left over. With that I could send 18 kids to college for 4 years each with room, board, and books included. With that I could sponsor almost 200 needy children overseas into adulthood. With that I could buy meals for 2 ? million starving people around the world. With that much left over money I could do so much good, help so many souls, and still know the time whenever I looked down at my wrist.

     When did our society become so insane that anyone would think they needed a 736,000 dollar watch? When did people become so shallow that they would believe a one million dollar car is essential? My first car cost me only 500 dollars and it still got me wherever I needed to go. When did 50 million dollar yachts and 100 million dollar houses become so vital to a person’s happiness? My tiny home has more joy in it than the biggest mansion in the world and I can walk the shore of the local lake here and delight in its beauty for free.

     I pray that at some point our society says "Enough!" and wakes up from this nightmare of materialism. Each of us only has one life. Let’s not waste it on the watches we wear and the cars we drive. Each of us only has one soul. Let’s not lose it trying to gain the whole world. God put us here to love each other, to help each other, and to make this world a better place together. No house or boat will ever bring us joy like living the way that our Heavenly Father meant for us to. No amount of material wealth in this world will ever equal the treasures of Heaven. Live your life in love, joy, and oneness with God then. Help others whenever you can. Make this world a better place now. Life is brief and no watch will buy you an extra second of it.

Joe Mazzella

joecool@wirefire.com

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Poetry Corner

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The Forgotten

Conrad S. Cardinal

The scriptures say,we're children of God

and should love one another.

To me this means that each of you are

my sister and my brother.

It seems we've forgotten that we're required

to care.

All to often we treat each other as though

no one was there.

This robs one of their smile each day.

It makes them hurt in every way.

It makes no difference day or night.

It even seems useless to turn on the light.

They sit in the dark as though they're blind.

It surely begins to dull the mind.

Each day is like the one before.

No one knocks to open the door.

To be forgotten is awful indeed.

It brings about a terrible need.

I pray the spirit will intervene and change

the things we do.

I pray this change will happen soon before

you're a victim too.

Conrad S. Cardinal

cconseth@aol.com

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