the brew*crew adventure

As we drove down a winding country road the other day, my son proclaimed to me, with satisfied air, of how glad he is that Fall is just around the corner. "It's my favorite season!" he announced jubilantly. "Oh, mine too!" I agreed, "for so very many reasons."

I love the coolness in the air, so vibrantly felt after summer's long, hot days... I love the smells of harvest and preparations for winter. To me it is the end of one year, and therefore intrinsically it is also the beginnings of the next... It has always seemed like a time of renewal to me, a shedding of the old... like so many falling leaves, bejeweled as they surrender themselves to death, thereby becoming the fertile ground of next year's blooms. It has been the season of my births, both physical and spiritual, and the season that I was full with the lives of my two winter-born babies growing inside of me. Yes, I love this time of year... for so very many reasons.

This month also commemorates the time that my husband baptized me 6 years ago now, on Rosh Hashanna, as we celebrated the Feast with our children and a company of friends and family in the Lord. The month of September correlates with the month of Elul on the Hebrew calendar, a time traditionally set aside by God's chosen people, ancient Israel, specifically "to reflect" upon the year closing. This idea has been on my heart lately, as I've been preparing for a time set aside... for me to reflect upon the preceding year. As a family, we will purposely re-dedicate ourselves to the Lord as we look forward to the next season of our lives together. It is the time of our Lord's High Holy Days, as given by Him to ancient Israel:

"And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts." " ~ Leviticus 23:1-2

:: Artwork is "Tomorrow" by Edward Raymes, from allposters.com

Preparations for the Fall Holidays begin a full month in advance. On the Jewish calendar is a forty-day season called Teshuvah (return or repentance.) It begins on Elul 1 and ends on the Day of Atonement (Tishri 10). This forty-day season is a time for one to annually examine his life and restore relationships between God and man. The first thirty days of this season are the thirty days of the month of Elul. The last ten days of this forty-day season are the Feast of Trumpets and Day of Atonement, or the ten High Holy Days (Days of Awe).

The Jews start the celebration of the Fall Holidays thirty days prior to the Feast of Trumpets, which falls on the first day of the seventh month. For thirty days the shofar is blown every morning in the Synagogue to remind the people that the holy days are approaching, and that they should prepare themselves. Their preparation consists of confessing their sins and seeking forgiveness, and going back to fix mistakes made during the year. The ten days between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) are called the Days of Awe.

~excerpted from Fall Holidays Overview at Biblical Holidays.com

Celebrating the Fall Holidays has become a beautifully integrated part of our family's Christian traditions over the years, as we've been learning more about our Hebraic Heritage. Each year we have learned a little bit more about the Biblical Holidays, and their Messianic significance and associated customs, as we have celebrated them a bit differently each year, with friends and family, according to varying circumstances. I find the topic fascinating and love to learn about these Jewish roots of our faith.

Elul -- the month preceding Rosh Hashana -- begins a period of intensive introspection, of clarifying life's goals, and of coming closer to God. It is a time for realizing purpose in life -- rather than perfunctorily going through the motions of living by amassing money and seeking gratification. It is a time when we step back and look at ourselves critically and honestly, as Jews have from time immemorial, with the intention of improving.

The four Hebrew letters of the word Elul (aleph-lamed-vav-lamed) are the first letters of the four words Ani l'dodi v'dodi lee -- "I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me" (Song of Songs 6:3). These words sum up the relationship between God and His people.

In other words, the month preceding Rosh Hashana is a time when God reaches out to us, in an effort to create a more spiritually-inspiring atmosphere, one that stimulates teshuva.

~ABC's of Elul

These 40 days were set for all future generations as days of repentance and forgiveness. These days are especially appropriate for personal reflection and repentance since they mark the perennial recurrence of Divine compassion.

~ excerpted from the history of Elul

Here is A Kids' Bible Study Workbook for Elul & A Family Handbook for Elul (both of which we'll be using during our Bible time this month, along with our Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays book) and other Fall Festival resources for your perusing.

Awake, you sleepers, from your sleep! Rouse yourselves, you slumberers, out of your slumber! Examine your deeds, and turn to G-d in repentance. Remember your Creator, you who are caught up in the daily round, losing sight of eternal truth; you are wasting your years in vain pursuits that neither profit nor save. Look closely at yourselves; improve your ways and your deeds. Abandon your evil ways, your unworthy schemes, every one of you! (Yad Hichot Teshuva 3.4)

~ from Gates of Repentance, Maimonides' Call to Repentance

Therefore, bear fruit in keeping with repentance. ~ Matthew 3.8

So, with all that I've shared above, you can imagine that when I came across Tonia's thoughtful post about setting aside 30 days for prayerful heart-searching, and consciously breaking away from materialism, as well as contemplating how to reconcile our deeply rooted consumerist mentality (just plain old flesh as one commenter pointed out) with our faith in a Holy God, it struck a timely chord within me. I think it's so awesome how the Lord impressed this upon her, especially during this historically significant season of introspection, repentance and renewal.

It truly does take a concerted, conscious effort to come out of our carnal mindset, to even recognize how deeply materialism affects our daily living, and imparts apathy into our lives...and not only during times of great wealth and abundance, but also as a result of the temptation to succumb to the tendency to use our own felt needs as excuses as to why we cannot necessarily give sacrificially of ourselves, in some way. I've found myself struggling with the natural tendencies to want to hoard... yech! The only way for us to return (teshuvah) to our Lord, and to His Charity, is through repentance... and we begin with prayer, studying Yahweh's Word... and fasting.

Fasting is something that I've been thinking alot about lately... and I plan to share some of my thoughts this month in particular as I partake in Tonia's challenge. She writes:

For 30 days, my family will buy nothing except our basic necessities. No clothes or books. No movies, no trips to the ice cream parlor. No paper, or pictures, or magazines. No fancy hair gel or take-and-bake pizza. Lattes? Nope. Nothing except what it takes to live. During that month, I will journal our experiences, and blog my thoughts about poverty and hunger and our response to those issues. I'd like to try and identify with some of the "least" (economically) of the world. We will try and live without electricity for a day; eat only rice for a day. Perhaps the family will sleep together in one room for a night - on the floor; or walk six miles one day - the distance some African women walk daily to get clean water.

The goal of this month-long fast is to break the grip of materialism in our hearts and minds. We want to live in gratitude, not discontent; and we want to live with awareness of the great responsibility our affluence has laid on our shoulders.

As I'd mentioned earlier this week, we are totally broke right now financially, and already have cut our buying/spending habits down to the bare necessities for living (ie; maintaining). We have been going without treats, fancy anything, eating out, buying books, even fieldtrips that cost a mere $3 ea., etc. for the past few months. I can understand how upon a cursory reading of Tonia's challenge, one in my position could feel that there wasn't much that they could do to participate. But one must look deeper... it's not about the stuff, and how much you do or don't have. It's about what's beneath the stuff... you, your family's mission together, our Call as Believers, that armature of our lives, that is hidden and so often forgotten beneath the clutter and everyday business of our lives.

I like Tonia's ideas for real-life, experiential object lessons to share with her kids, of how very different day-to-day life is for so many less fortunate people in the world. We may have to try out some of her suggestions ourselves. I was also thinking that we could build a sukah with our kids for the Feast of Tabernacles this year, and actually eat and sleep in it, outside, under the stars, remembering that He is our covering and our provision.

The Lord knows that we are but earthen vessels, mere dirt... and I believe that this is why He has given us these holy convocations, because we are a forgetful people!! They remind us throughout the daily living of each year to look to Him, for He is our sustenance, our Father.

And so, during this month of September/Elul, I/we as a family shall be focusing on Teshuvah - Repentance.

I have started a list of what the Lord would have me to do, to finish, to make right, both between myself and those around me, and between myself and God. I would like to be more consistent in remembering the Sabbath with a special weekly meal, and I would like to add the ceremonial remembrance of the less fortunate, or the "Giving of Tzedekah" to our time of Sabbath blessings (both traditional and spontaneously Spirit led). It is customary for Jewish homes to have a "tzeddakah box", where children and adults alike may make donations to charity during private family worship. I think this is a wonderful formality to start together. I'm thinking a huge glass jug or jar! Though we have as a family given offerings, we haven't had an ongoing "pool" like this. And then, as the Lord leads us, we will give it away.

I will spend less time blogging this month, as all of my computer time will be spent studying. Chris and I have already begun taking account of our household, and focusing on getting it in order. I'll be working with him on finishing up some more of our on-going house renovations here. We have been discussing our dreams for the future, and even so, surrendering them to the will of our Lord. As a family, we will continue to make a concerted effort to focus on our daily priorities, and to thoughtfully pray for our brothers and sisters who are in more difficult times and places than we ourselves are. We shall spend extra time prayerfully exploring our Window on the World book. We'll also be reading George Mueller: Champion of Orphans, by Fern Stocker.

We'll discuss how God uses us to help others according to our faith in Him, not according to our natural abilities and resources alone. What a relief this Truth is, especially when we seem depleted ourselves. Ironically though, I have found that it's especially during these times of neediness and dependency on our part, that the Lord likes to show Himself as our Jehovah Jireh. Just yesterday, as a friend remarked over how awesome is the opportunity that I have been given to influence the parents of the children I've recently started babysitting, I immediately thought of Jesus's multiplication of the boys loaves and fishes... and remarked that I am trusting Him to multiply my efforts... for they do seem so meager in light of the task at hand.

I shall be meditating on this Truth~

Ecclesiastes 11

Bread Upon the Waters

1 Cast your bread upon the waters,
for after many days you will find it again.

2 Give portions to seven, yes to eight,
for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.

3 If clouds are full of water,
they pour rain upon the earth.
Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where it falls, there will it lie.

4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

5 As you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the body is formed ^[a] in a mother's womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things.

6 Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let not your hands be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well.

It can easily become so overwhelming when we begin to consider all of this broken world's needs and illnesses, both physical and spiritual. But we must remember that we are just like that little boy, who had faith enough to offer up to the Rabbi's hands his meager portion. Oh, but it was enough!! Not because of his great wealth, or goodness, but because of WHOSE HANDS distributed it! What a rich thought! And it is with this in mind that I/we shall consider and hope to apply any nuggets of truth the Spirit imparts to me/us as we partake in fasting this month, as the Lord leads us.

"By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. 'This is a remote place,' they said, 'and it's already very late. Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.'

But he answered, 'You give them something to eat.'

They said to him, 'That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?' 'How many loaves do you have?' he asked. 'Go and see.'

When they found out, they said, 'Five-and two fish.' Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand."

~Mark 6:35-44

(note: The Scriptures point out that Jesus was preaching to a crowd of 5,000 men, but since they were there to hear the teachings of the Messiah, they probably had their wives and children with them as well, and there were likely upwards to 25,000 people there!)

 

In John 6.6, we read that~

He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

What a comfort, He already has in mind what to do, He is but waiting for us to respond, to BELIEVE that He is ABLE to provide much more than we could ever think or ask! Truly, when things seem beyond our scope of provision, it is but merely a testing ground for us, but not for His sake... He knows what He shall do, and even what He shall accomplish through us. No, the test is for our own sake, that we may see ourselves in the mirror of His Words spoken, for what and who we really are... sinners in need of a Saviour. Lord, help us to overcome our unbelief.

My prayer is that we learn and partake together of the true fast...

Thank you dear Tonia, for reminding me to go deeper...

The Lord's "Much More"

And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this. (2 Chronicles 25:9)

If you have made a mistake, bear the loss of it; but do not act contrary to the will of the Lord. The Lord can give you much more than you are likely to lose; and if He does not, will you begin bargaining and chaffering with God. The king of Judah had hired an army from idolatrous Israel, and he was commanded to send home the fighting men because the Lord was not with them. He was willing to send away the host, only he grudged paying the hundred talents for nothing. Oh, for shame! If the Lord will give the victory without the hirelings, surely it was a good bargain to pay their wages and to be rid of them.

Be willing to lose money for conscience' sake, for peace's sake, for Christ's sake. Rest assured that losses for the Lord are not losses. Even in this life they are more than recompensed: in some cases the Lord prevents any loss from happening. As to our immortal life, what we lose for Jesus is invested in heaven. Fret not at apparent disaster but listen to the whisper, "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this."

~ daily devotional by C.H. Spurgeon

In Biblical Hebrew, the idea of repentance is represented by two verbs: שוב shuv (to return) and נחם nicham (to feel sorrow).

Click here to read more about Rosh Hashanah & Yom Teru'ah

Click here to read more about Sukkot~ The Feast of Tabernacles

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