Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Lumiere remembers Japan


A CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT IN REMEMBRANCE FOR ALL 
IN THE VOLCANIC ERUPTION, JAPAN
Many have suffered and died. 
Our thoughts and prayers are with all who have lost their lives, 
lost loved ones, have suffered.
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Lumiere remembers all in the Ebola Outbreak


A CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT IN REMEMBRANCE FOR ALL IN THE EBOLA OUTBREAK.
Many have suffered and died. Dedicated Doctors and Nurses battle the disease courageously at the risk of their own lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with all who have lost their lives, lost loved ones, have suffered.
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Lumiere English Academy Distance Teaching Course - Preparatory Phase

Education - the Key to a Brighter Future


HERE FOLLOWS THE LUMIERE ENGLISH ACADEMY DISTANCE TEACHING COURSE. This course was drawn up by Lumiere, and is for use copyright free for any worthy purpose. This course is designed for use over the computer and/or telephone. There are students in different areas who for varying reasons are not able to access English lessons. If you are an English Teacher/Professor, why not teach one student gratis? English enables the student to travel freely worldwide, as it is widely used as a popular lingua franca. The following course which will be made available over a series of blog posts was drawn up by myself shortly after qualifying as an English teacher. A number of students and their families kindly allowed me to quantifiably test the efficacy of the course, by undergoing the course. Success has been achieved. One student, Mr Tuhin Bagi has made use of the English linguistic skills he learned through the course in order to pursue his extra curricular studies (see links below).

PREPARATORY PHASE
When a student wishes to learn English as a second language, advise the student to put the request in writing. This gives a good start off point for both teacher and student. If the student is a minor, the study should take place under the ongoing supervision of a parent/ both parents/ guardian. Reports should be regularly written and made available to student and supervisory parent/s/ guardian. These assist the student to pinpoint his or her areas of linguistic strength, and areas where he or she needs further practice.

TIME
Organise a time which is convenient for both student/ student supervisor (parent/s, guardian) and teacher to hold the lessons e.g. once or twice a week. An essential point is that - whatever happens (and life can be very busy!) to stick to the regular lessons. If, for one reason or another, a lesson needs to be postponed, reschedule for another day.
Remember the time difference if you are teaching eg from England on Skype/ cheap mobile telephone contract call/  to another country. Time differences between different parts of the world exist. So if you organise a time and are able to access email, confirm eg 'Lesson confirmed for 10am London time, and (here insert the relevant time of the country in which you are teaching)'.

 Discuss with student and student supervisor how you are going to keep track of the studies. If you are teaching a student in a squatter camp, paying for the purchase of a mobile phone, and paying for the lesson phone calls can be your donation towards the educational future of the student. Electricity is often difficult to access in a squatter camp, and often computers are simply not known. If this is so, make use of the postal service (homework and marked assignments can be posted from the relevant local post offices). Ensure stamps and paper are made available to the student as part of the donation towards the student's studies. Another option is for the student to travel to the nearest town and use the Internet Cafe there. Yet another option is a mobile phone with Internet access. Getting around the difficulties in teaching in squatter camp/ war torn/ crisis/ refugee/ disadvantaged areas is where your creativity can have full reign! Everythng is possible, but not always immediately easy.

Find out from your student and supervisors where the student's interests lie. For example, if your student loves working with cars, fuel and cricket, well then base the essays and work on cars, fuel and cricket. If your student loves baking and cheerleading, base homework on baking and cheerleading. In other words, start off by making the lessons fun and informative for the student, and give them a chance to shine in their lessons by learning English about topics that really interest them. The great thing is, you will also learn many things you did not know. When I started giving lessons, I knew absolutely nothing about fossil fuels, temple treasures, Napoleanic gold coins, mountain climbing, international car fairs and local customs from a number of countries. Now I can chat away about these topics. Being a teacher has not only enabled me to help others by sharing my love of the English language, it has also broadened my mind and knowledge base, and given me the chance to enjoy the diversity and richness of other cultures.

 From Day One
From Day One organise what your strategy will be. If your student sells tea on a station, get him or her to talk about his/her experiences as a chai seller. Let him explore his world, and practise conversational skills. Do conversational role plays, giving him a chance to explore different ways of thinking. If your student is a cleaner in a house, encourage her/him to talk about her/his experiences as a house cleaner, following the same format.
The most important concept of the Lumiere English Academy course is to upgrade conversational skills, enlarge vocabulary, improve diction, and learn confidence and poise in company.

 Find out what kind of books/ magazines your student likes - if your student can read. If your student can't read and write, a whole new challenge awaits you online. Options are to make contact with a kindly and upstanding member of your student's local community who has good English skills, and is willing to take time to coach your student with reading. Family members with English skills can help your student. School Principals, Librarians, English Teachers willing to give pro deo lessons, Social Workers, Charity Workers with Police clearance to work with students are often most willing to help a young student grasp a chance for education.
In eg war torn areas where many of the infra-structures have been affected or no longer exist, online English DVD's or small videos practising conversational English or learning can be made available. Another option is to make a suitcase library. Lumiere has sent these all over the world. They are easy to make. Buy a small, sturdy suitcase with two snap clasps. Fill them with educational books and reading books. Send them to the recipient, to use as a small travelling library in his/her squatter camp, home, community, refugee camp. These suitcases can be passed from home to home, be used in a container/hut/shack/plastic tent as a convenient size library. Further suitcases can be sent with reading and study material as needed.

 Find out your student's age, and base your lessons around the interests of his or her age group. A thirteen year old has different interests to a student of eighteen years old or a mature student of thirty five years old. Your student needs to do regular assignments. I do not give percentages for the essays/assignments. The assignments are a tool for the student to explore his/her own strengths and areas he/she needs to work on in English. Every assignment is a triumph for the student, who is struggling - sometimes from a street corner, begging - or from behind a plough behind two water buffaloes, or from the corner of a kitchen as a scullery worker - to learn. The student is - with each assignment - taking a step further into a future where his or her dream of better education and increased opportunity is becoming a reality. 

 Base your first essay on the interest of your student. If your student loves cars, the first essay thus will be  'WHAT I FIND INTERESTING ABOUT CARS AND THE REASON WHY'.
 Often in the first stages of learning, the student struggles to formulate sentences, and may be quite shy about his or her command of the English language. It is essential for the Lumiere English Academy teacher to be very encouraging of every effort made by the student.  The basis of the Lumiere teacher's philosophy is kindness and patience - bringing light into others' lives.

If your student is at school, base your lessons on the curriculum at the local school at the time. For example, if the student is learning about verbs, base your week's lesson on English verbs. If the student is learning woodworking, base your essay on woodworking. If your student enjoys games, and is playing a basketball league game, base the essay on basketball that week, and your vocabulary list on basketball. This reinforces the learning at the student's school, while increasing her or his English skills. If the student is writing exams, cease lessons until the examinations are over. If the student is going on a holiday, cease the lessons until the student comes back, and then do two lessons a week until the Lumiere Academy projected lessons timeframe is on track again. In other words, the lessons are based around the student's current needs, not constraining the student to adapt to the curriculum needs.

 An example of drawing up a timetable for your student;
Your student is 13 years old
He loves cars, sport and hiking
He is in the local school's 8th class (remember that classes and their names differ from country to country)
The student's supervisor tells you that the 8th class is currently studying articles, determiners, tenses, modals, gerund, active passive,  reported speech, prepositions and clauses.
Draw up your timetable on; articles, determiners, tenses . . . and so on. It is most helpful to ask for a scan - or buy a copy of - the school books the student has at the time and base your English conversational skills on actual school lessons the student is doing at school.

 If your student does not go to school, then here your creativity comes into play again. Lumiere Academy has sent English lesson DVD's  by post all over the world. We have made lessons available for free online by Dr Luky Whittle (links to same below). DVD's for computer, DVD's and small portable DVD's for use with electricity have been donated worldwide. Second hand computers have been facilitated for donation. We have posted essentials such as;  reams of paper, pencils, pens, rulers, erasers, colouring crayons, pens, paints, rulers, staplers, paper punches, plastic envelopes, envelopes, stamps, English books, colouring in books with words of English items, English alphabets, English reading books, Dictionaries with translations from the local language into English and vise versa all over the world. As well as that wonderful perennial, the globe. We found small globes of the world about 8 cm high and posted them out. They form a staple in our conversational online/ mobile call lessons. We'll tell you about them later - watch this space!

 There are free resources on the Internet you can use during your lessons; worksheets can be printed out, interactional quizzes and other exercises can be done.

It is a good idea to ask the supervisor for a list of the books which the student has enjoyed in the past, eg the Hardy Boys; also, other English books read in the past and enjoyed. This list will give you ideas for some of your classes, and also what the student's past experience in reading and writing the English medium has been.

If that most wonderful of resources - the local Library - is available, encourage your student to go and enrol immediately. Any student with access to a Library has wonderful resources at his or her fingertips. Once again, I must thank Tallaght Library in Dublin for their assistance, advice and encouragement while I was writing the Lumiere English Academy Course; as well as for the books they donated which formed the start of many suitcase libraries in squatter camps, orphanages and childrens shelters, disadvantaged areas and areas of conflict. Librarians are the guardians of education and facilitate a better future for all.

Well, that concludes the Preparatory Phase - your student's application to study English is in your computer inbox or in a letter on your desk. You have your support group - parent/s, guardian to help your student locally and encourage them inbetween your regular lessons. You have organised/ donated a mobile phone, mobile contract network, computer, books, postal needs, stationery as applicable. The student is ready to start.

 In the next blog post, we will begin Lesson One for the student on Skype/ Computer/ Mobile phone.
Do remember that in some countries excellent mobile contracts for international calls are available. A cost effective means of communication is essential in order to ensure regular affordable classes for the student. Many tutors make use of Skype.

 Best wishes with your tutoring!
Catherine Nicolette Whittle
Diploma TESOL and EDI level 5 Diploma in Teaching English 
 London Teacher’s Training College England


PRECIS
Preparatory phase to teaching the English Course;
1.  Student submits a written application with permission from parent(s) / guardian
2.  Reports should regularly be written and made available
3.  Organise a time for the lesson
4.  Keep in mind the time difference between countries
5.  Plan how you are going to keep track of the studies
6.  Find out where your student's interests lie, and plan lessons accordingly
7.  Organise your teaching strategy from the very start
8.  LEA goal is to upgrade conversational skills, enlarge vocabulary, improve diction, and learn    confidence and poise in company
9.  Ascertain whether your student can read and write
10. Make a suitcase library
11. Keep your student's age in mind, and plan lessons accordingly
12. Base your first essay on the interests of your student
13. Base your lessons on the curriculum of the student's local school
14. Draw up a timetable for your student 
15. Make English teaching DVD's available
16. LEA has made gratis lessons available by Dr Luky Whittle PhD
17. Ensure student has essentials for learning
18. Ensure student has a globe
19. Make use of free resources on the Internet
20. Draw up a list of books which the student has read and enjoyed, if applicable
21. Encourage your student to enrol in the local Library, if one is available
THE BASIS OF THE LUMIERE TEACHER'S PHILOSOPHY IS KINDNESS AND PATIENCE - BRINGING LIGHT INTO OTHERS' LIVES.


The luminous Kenneth Beare
http://esl.about.com/od/beginningenglish/

Teaching and learning English online
http://www.really-learn-english.com/teaching-and-learning-english-online.html

MITOpenCourseWare Tuhin Bagi 
http://ocw.mit.edu/about/ocw-stories/tuhin-bagi/ 

Teen Tuhin's Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eqDfwK4dH4

The Future; Tuhin Bagi's Blog
http://tuhinfuture.blogspot.ie/ 

Tuhin Bagi edX Learner story
http://edxstories.tumblr.com/post/52725183329/tuhin-tuhin-bagi-nasik-inda-age-15-hi-i-am

How to learn to read with phonics
http://www.starfall.com/

Dr Luky Whittle's English lessons made available gratis to Lumiere English Academy.. 
Dr Whittle PhD Vista University, University of South Africa, University of Free State, Research Dayton Ohio, USA
Doctor of Philosophy in English Literature. Majored in English and Afrikaans Languages.
Lectured at Vista University and University of South Africa (Unisa)
Authority on Marian Poetry
http://lumierecharity.tripod.com/lumiere-english-academy.html

Learnng with Interactive Language DVD's


With thanks to ESL, ReallylearnEnglish, MIT Edu, Tuhin Bagi, Starfall, Dr Luky Whittle




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Saturday, September 27, 2014

Ireland; Restoring a Culture of Life - 11 October 2014



Image courtesy of Pro Life Campaign
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Sunday, September 14, 2014

Good Shepherd Church Seminary; Module 17 - The Carpenter turns Preacher




GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH SEMINARY

MODULE 17



THE CARPENTER TURNS PREACHER
JESUS THE MAN - 
JESUS' PUBLIC MINISTRY

 Objectives; By the end of this Module you should;
  • Know about the ancient Prophecies regarding Jesus 
  • Have knowledge about the Prophecies of Micah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Elijah, Isaiah 
  • Be able to discuss the history of Ancient Nazareth 
  • Have knowledge about King Cyrus of Persia, Tiglath-Pileser II, John Hyrcanus, the Hasmoneans  
  • Be able to give a sermon on Jesus' appearance in Galilee, and the occurrences in the Village Synagogue at  Nazareth

 Contents;
Jesus the Man - Jesus' Public Ministry
1.  The Carpenter turns Preacher
2.  Public Declaration
3.  The First Skirmish
4.  Drama at Nazareth
5.  Nazareth
6.  Hasmoneans
7.  Nazareth Ridge
8.  Ancient Nazareth
9.  John Hyrcanus
10. Why did God choose Nazareth? 
11. Deeper Dimension of Nazareth Confrontation
12. Impact of Jesus' Coming Out on His Family


1. THE CARPENTER TURNS PREACHER
Jesus now appeared in Galilee, ready for the Public Phase of His Ministry. He had a number of objectives;
1. To lay the foundation and framework of a new Church
2. To formulate human rituals which would serve as conduits for Divine Grace (the Sacraments)
3. To fulfil the Prophecies of the Torah
4. To complete the call of the Great Messiah; to save all peoples, from all walks of life, through all the 
     centuries.

     Fresh from the wilderness, Jesus' early battles against hunger, the temptation of earthly power, and the desire for divine vindication infused Him with spiritual strength. This strength stood Him in good stead for the Public Ministry which lay ahead. Jesus was clearly the devil's sworn opponent. However, human adversaries attempted to charge that Jesus was in league with the devil, which was not based on fact (Mark 3;22-27).
Jesus was not in for an easy time; and, from the Prophecies and His own judgement of society and the politics of the time, He was well aware of this. The Father's public affirmation of  love and support meant a great deal to the newly baptised Jesus as He went ahead to meet His destiny.

 2. PUBLIC DECLARATION 
    Jesus was now a man in the prime of His Life. His early and deeply formative years as a refugee and a child over whom a question mark hovered in the village due to his mother's early pregnancy, had marked Him. His early experience of flight, fear, need for hiding, possible societal stigma and subtle marginalisation gave Jesus a deep understanding of the plight of those who experience difficulties in society.

     Jesus' developed personality and character traits had led to the emergence of a strong warrior-like passion to forge a new freedom and justice in society. The Prophets had foretold that Jesus would be a non-military Messiah Who would both be a spiritual warrior of great strength against the powers of darkness, and a gentle defender of the weak, marginalised and despairing.

     Micah predicted a Ruler from the House of David Who would restore Israel and inaugurate an age of peace (Micah 5;1-6). Isaiah described the birth of a special child - a Prince from the House of David - Who would restore Israel and Judah (Isaiah 7;13-15). Ezekiel spoke about a Davidic Prince Who would restore Israel and the true worship of God (Ezekiel 37;22-26). Jeremiah spoke of a King of the Branch of David, Who would rule wisely and do what is just and right in the land (Jeremiah 23;5-6).

    Jesus correctly interpreted these Prophecies as pertaining to Himself; and He had received the Divine Seal as to the veracity of His claim to the Davidic throne of the Messiah, at His baptism. Now the Emperor Warrior of the Spiritual Forces began to plot His long-term strategy for the overthrow of satan's dominion over both humanity and the earth. And He decided to do this in three ways;
  • by fulfilling the master plan laid down by His Father, God, in the Torah; in the ancient prophecies
  • by expelling demon forces which found unlawful homes in human hosts by means of demon possession
  • by setting up His kingdom in the hearts and souls of humanity.

3. THE FIRST SKIRMISH
    Jesus went to Galilee, and taught in the Galilean synagogues. He became famed and praised, and news about Him spread through the countryside like wildfire. Jesus then aimed His first shot across satan's bows at Nazareth; He publicly proclaimed the formal start of His Ministry in the Nazareth synagogue. There - after His reading of the Prophet Isaiah 61;1,2 - Jesus proclaimed that He was the fulfilment of the long awaited Prophecy.

    Every Israelite - steeped in the Scriptures - who eagerly awaited the coming of the promised Messiah could not fail to understand what He meant. Jesus Himself was the long promised and awaited Messiah. Satan, waiting in the wings, was sure at last; this indeed was his nemesis, the Son of God, Who had somehow escaped the death planned for Him as an infant. Satan's earlier plans having gone awry, he now plotted. He had watched with unease over the centuries as the Prophets received their messages and broadcast them to the populace; - that One was coming with the intent of overthrowing the dominion he and his minions had cast over humanity. There was only one way satan could see now; and that was to bring about the death of Jesus.

4. DRAMA AT NAZARETH 
    Heated debate ensued. Nazarenes who had grown up with Jesus began arguing with Him. Jesus pointed out that it was a universally acknowledged truth that prophets are never recognized in their hometowns, and He threw in the caveate that two of Israel's great prophets had not ministered to Israelites as would have possibly been expected, but to foreigners. Elijah ministered to a widow in Sidon, and Elijah healed Naaman, who was from Syria. 

    At this inflammatory remark, the mood, from heated, turned ugly. Suddenly Jesus' peers and childhood friends became a mob which dragged Him out to the brow of the hill on which Nazareth was built, to murder Him there. They were intending to throw Him down the cliff (Luke 4;14-30). Jesus turned, levelled His gaze at them. Before His reproachful and accusing eyes, the people started to come to their senses, and - shamed - let their hands fall from Him.  Jesus went on His way unharmed, but the Man Who died with the epitaph above His Head "Jesus of Nazareth" 1 (John 19;19) never felt at home in His hometown again.

5. NAZARETH
    The Village of Nazareth (in Hebrew נָצְרַת) was a small one. Archeological research suggests that at the time of Jesus, the population of Nazareth was about 120 to 150. Many private genealogies survived, being secretly recorded and hidden by families. These records indicate that Nazareth was home to one clan, descendents of the group that had earlier returned from Babylon.

    Most of the Nazarenes were royalty. In 538 BC, King Cyrus of Persia decreed that the Jews exiled in Babylon should be allowed to return to Judaea. Around 100 BC, one clan from the Line of David returned to Israel and established the town of Nazareth. This clan - from the Tribe of Judah, the Line of David - did not return to Jerusalem and claim the throne, or return to David's hometown, Bethlehem. The reason was probably fear for their lives.

6. HASMONEANS
    The Hasmoneans, a new non-Davidic dynasty, had since assumed the Jewish throne; to be replaced by Herod the Great (73BC to 4BC).  It was well known that the non-Jewish Herod had issues concerning his parentage. Herod had burned all public genealogies of the Jews, so their roots could not be traced. He was fearful of those who were descendents of the royal Davidic line. This showed clearly when he attempted to have the infant Jesus assassinated; killing all the male infants in Bethlehem and the vicinity in order to ensure the untimely demise of the Royal Descendent who would have claim to Herod's throne (Matthew 2;16-18). 

     In his efforts to keep his throne secure, Herod even killed his second wife, the Hasmonean Princess Mariamne, and their two sons. The Emperor Augustus joked that is was safer to be Herod's pig (hus) than his son (huios). (Macrobius, Saternalia, 2,4,11).

7. NAZARETH RIDGE
    Nazareth was located on the "Nazareth Ridge" that separated the central part of the Plain of Jezreel from the Bet Netofa Valley. From Nazareth, the cosmopolitan city of Sepphoris could be seen four miles to the northwest, on its hill. The City of Cana was nearby, nine miles north across the Bet Netofa Valley. It was built against one of the hills of Lower Galilee. A short walk to the south led to Mount Tabor; beyond Mount Tabor was the Hill of Moreh. Farther south lay Mount Gilbon.

    Nazareth was relatively inaccessible, situated as it was approximately thirteen hundred feet above sea level. Nazareth's location and height isolated it from the flow of traffic on the International Coastal Highway on the plain below, as it wound from Megiddo to the Sea of Galilee.

8. ANCIENT NAZARETH
    The ancient settlement at Nazareth had probably been left in ruins in approximately 733 BC when Tiglath-Pileser II, the Assyrian conqueror, had swept through Galilee (2 Kings 15;29). He had taken many of the citizens into Assyrian exile, and replaced them with people from his conquered countries. Isaiah's sad prophecy in 9;1 had thus been fulfilled, "In the past He humbled the land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali." The region was left to be called "Galilee of the Gentiles" (Isa 9;1).

9. JOHN HYRCANUS
    In 176 BC, when the Maccabean era opened, only a few Jewish groups were living in Galilee, and the Hasmonean conquest by John Hyrcanus (b 175 BC  - 104 BC) paved the way for an immigration of Jews from Babylon and Persia. By the time Jesus lived in Nazareth, the predominant population in Galilee was Jewish. Thus the many synagogues Jesus encountered during His Ministry in Galilee.

 10. WHY DID GOD CHOOSE NAZARETH?
    God from ancient centuries had already chosen Nazareth to be the hometown of His growing Son. Nazareth was a centre of Davidic royalty. Jesus, born of Mary, was thus a descendent of King David. His foster father Joseph was also a descendent of King David. Thus, Jesus came from the human royal line with the right to rule Israel in a restored Kingdom (Acts 1;6).

     Jesus was a Nazarene, in that He was the Shoot prophesied by Isaiah 11;1. "Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit." Jesus was thus the "shoot" (Hebrew "netzer", נֵצֶר derived from the verb "to blossom" or "to shine"). Isaiah was prophesying that the coming Messiah would be from the Line of David (Matt 22;41-46). . 

    Nazareth, in turn, would only come into existence approximately 600 years later. Matthew saw the fulfilment of the prophecy in Jesus, and encapsulated the fully blossomed truth of it in the words "He shall be called a Nazarene" (Matt 2;23).

    Pilate proved the prophecy when he placed the writing above the head of Jesus, "Yeshu H'Netzeret V'mlech Ha'Yehudim' (Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews) (John 19;19). Please note; there are different versions by different scholars of the correct Hebraic translation; I have taken one).

11. DEEPER DIMENSION OF THE NAZARETH CONFRONTATION
    Jesus was "one of their own". He was born and bred a Nazarene, and was of the same royal blood as the other Nazarenes. The small size of Nazareth Village meant that all in Nazareth knew each other well. Jesus had returned from the dead, so to speak. The return of the family of three would have been a joy to all. There may also have sorrow involved, as it is quite possible other families had lost an infant relative in the massacre of the Bethlehem infants by Herod. Jesus would have been a reminder of a time of great loss and grief among the Jewish people.

 The rejection of Jesus as the Messiah would have cut Jesus to the heart. He was cast out by His own human clan, who set their face against Him and tried to kill Him. Jesus eventually returned again to Nazareth with His disciples, to face further hostility and credulity. He was challenged to perform miracles there (Matthew 13;54-58). Possibly Jesus had returned to extend an olive branch, to heal the rift between Himself and those He loved. But, as often happens in human relationships, what Jesus brought to the relationship was only half the dynamic. The Nazareth extended family and clan were their own persons, and they too brought their own personalities and temperaments to bear on the relationship; and they despised Jesus. He was appalled at the level of contempt they had for Him, and marvelled at their unbelief (Mark 6;1). Jesus was a Prophet without honour in the very place He had expected to find the most love and support - His own people.

     Thus Jesus the Son of God was welcomed into the tough reality of what it meant to be fully human; He learned the lesson of rejection. Jesus' journey towards the crown of thorns had already begun.

 12. THE IMPACT OF JESUS' COMING OUT ON HIS FAMILY
    The small size of the Village of Nazareth when Jesus lived there was pivotal. His mother, brothers and sisters (Mark 6;3/ Matthew 13;55-56) had to continue living there as He travelled. It must be noted that there are varying interpretations of the words brothers and sisters of Jesus. Some believe the brothers and sisters to be siblings of Jesus; others believe that the words brothers and sisters are used in a wider context; for example, as cousins. The fact remains, that there were close relatives of Jesus who were deeply affected by the fact that He was the Messiah

.Shabbat 2 (in Hebrew שַׁבָּת ) prayers at the synagogue must have been a trial for Mary and the family, as they had to run the gauntlet of side glances and whispers as Jesus' fame deepened. The synagogue Rabbi could not have been delighted with the family when Nazareth heard that the Teachers of the Law who came down from Jerusalem proclaimed that Jesus was possessed by the prince of demons (Mark 3;21-22). Altogether, a most uncomfortable time was being held by all after Jesus' coming out as the Messiah.

The rejection by Jesus' own clan, and their dragging Him out to the edge of Nazareth Ridge to throw Him to His death, was deeply traumatic for His Mother and extended family. The worry of Jesus' family was very real, too; when they heard how He was besieged by crowds, and not even able to eat, they went to take custody of Him, saying, "He has lost His senses" (Mk 3;21). This must have led to cooling of relationships; nothing is more annoying than to be thought insane when carrying out the work of the Father according to the Father's Plan.

When Jesus' mother and brothers arrived to take him into custody, they sent someone to call Jesus (Mk 3;31). There was a conspiracy to seize Jesus because he was considered mad, and Mary's concern for the welfare of Her Son led Her to take part in this.  The life of pathos was that of the life of Christ. The very one who bore Him and loved Him, now doubted Him. Every day His Life brought a fresh sorrow. Isaiah prophesied that He would be a Man deeply acquainted with grief Before the crowd Jesus asked who were his true mother and brothers. Looking around at those seated in a circle around Him, he declared they were his true next of kin; his mother and brothers. All who do God's will are His true family (Mark 3;31-35). This, then, was a Nazarene House divided. Simeon's prophecy was already starting to come to pass, "He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose Him" (Luke 2;34). And indeed, already the sword was starting to threaten that at the crucifixion would pierce Mary's soul with anguish (Luke 2;35).

Jesus, in effect, was experiencing a rift in family relationships - something familiar to many. The Greek verb used in the Gospel of Mark for "seize" is the same one he uses for those who take Jesus off to Jail in Mark 14;43-50. Jesus, having thus experienced alienation from His family, now adopted Capernaum as His base camp; rather than His hometown of Nazareth. The stage was set for the next step in Jesus' Public Ministry; after He had proclaimed Himself as the fulfilment of the Isaian Scriptures, Jesus set about calling disciples to follow Him. 

1 Pilate had the inscription above Jesus' Head in three languages; Hebrew, Latin and Greek (John 19;20). 
There are various theories as to the exact translation of 'Jesus of Nazareth' in Hebrew. One such translation is as follows;
The full inscription read, 'Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews; In Hebrew 'Yeshua Ha'Netzeret V'mlech Ha'Yehudim'. [ישו מנצרת מלך היהודים]. Yeshua is Jesus (Greek), Ha'Netzeret is "of Nazareth", V'mlech is "the King" and Yehudim is from Yehuda or of Judah, the tribe from which Yeshua descended. By taking the first letters of each of these four words we get Y-H-V-H, or YHVH, the tetragrammaton of Y_hw_h or Y_hv_H (Yahweh). Please keep in mind that Hebrew is read from right to left.
2 Sabbath 

 Rev Catherine Nicolette Whittle
Copyright 2014
Feel free to use Module for any worthy purpose
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Charity; Water - Bringing Water to those in desperation in the Sahel

Stop the African hunger games
CHARITY: WATER CONTINUES THEIR DEDICATED WORK of bringing clean, healthful water to those most in need. Charity; Water invests the money raised into organizations with years of experience to build sustainable, community-owned water projects around the world. Water programs are funded in 22 countries around the globe - Africa, Asia, Central and South America. Water scarcity, poverty, political stability, strong partner organizations play a part in the areas chosen. The main focus is on providing rural communities with their first access to clean water. 

 Surviving in the Desert; Ongoing struggle in the Sahel for life, for water. Charity; Water is supporting the Sahel Region this year to try to make a big dent in the water crisis. In 2012 Lumiere was receiving regular reports about threatening starvation in the Sahel due to the great challenges which face the people, often in desperation, who live there.

 Why not donate and help bring water to someone in need? Water today, continued life and health today, continued life tomorrow, a family saved for the future, an ongoing family for centuries to come. 

 One donation today can change the life of many tomorrow. 

This Year's September Campaign https://charitywater.exposure.co/surviving-in-the-desert
Help bring clean water to 100,000 people in the Sahel region http://www.charitywater.org/ 
Completed Projects https://charitywater.exposure.co/surviving-in-the-desert
Children at risk of starvation in the Sahel http://lumierecharity.blogspot.ie/2012/06/children-at-risk-of-starvation-in-sahel.html 
http://www.charitywater.org/ 
Mulitani's Story https://charitywater.exposure.co/mulitani
Meet the Man who keeps Water flowing in Malawi https://charitywater.exposure.co/the-well-doctor

 Photograph courtesy of Baaba Maal and Avaaz team petition
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Monday, September 1, 2014

Good Shepherd Church Seminary; Jesus the Man; Baptism Part 2 - Module 16




GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH SEMINARY
MODULE 16

BAPTISM OF JESUS PART 2

 Objectives; By the end of this Module you should;
- Know about Jesus' experience in the desert
- Have an understanding of the role that prayer, time for reflection in silence and fasting had in Jesus' Life
- Be able to explain the role of the Witnesses to Jesus as Son of God, the Promised Messiah

 Contents;
Jesus prepares for His Public Ministry after Baptism;
1. To the Desert
2. Pondering the Witness of John
3. Affirmation; the Witness of God
4. The Judean Desert
5. The next step

 After the Baptism Jesus was guided by God's Spirit to spend time in quietness in the desert; in confrontation with satan, who had usurped leadership of the earthly world (Matthew 4;1).

 1. TO THE DESERT
Jesus left the cool water of the Jordan River to forge deep into the dusty dry desert, to test His personal human mettle and to seek confrontation with satan, the head of the fallen angels. All the Scriptures, and God's Planning had led to this moment; to put a plan in place to wrest back humanity from satan's total control, and to negotiate a peace between God and humanity, healing the breach which had marred the relationship from the time of the Fall. Jesus fasted for forty days and nights, lost weight, felt weak and had resultant low mood. He felt really hungry, and in this weakened state it occurred to Him to turn stones into bread. 
Jesus had come to know He had supernatural powers, and as a young man He now had to decide how to use these spectacular abilities; for His own benefit, or solely for the benefit of others.
Jesus chose to resist the temptation to use His powers in a casual way.
He decided that the true bread for Him was that of obedience to every Word from God (Matthew 4;1-4/ Deut 8;3). Jesus was drawing on the Torah and His own inner knowledge of the Father, when He made this decision. Jesus described to Matthew quite clearly that He had been tempted by satan in a personal, confrontational way. 
Satan - who had not known that Jesus had escaped the holocaust of the infant victims in Bethlehem at Herod's massacre - suspected that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, his nemesis, survived to threaten his kingdom on earth.
He wanted proof, so challenged Jesus to prove His status as Son of God by turning some stones on the desert floor into bread.

 Thereafter, satan placed Jesus on Jerusalem Temple's highest point.
How did this happen? We do not know. No eyewitness reports from others are extant to this happening. In some way, however, satan had Jesus precariously on a high pinnacle, challenging Him yet again to prove whether He was the Son of God by throwing Himself down in the trust that God would save Him.
Satan was quite aware of what had happened at the Baptism, when God the Father publicly witnessed to Jesus' Sonhood, and His Spirit sealed this declaration in the form of a Dove.
This indeed spelled deep danger to the throne satan had usurped over humanity, and the kingdom he had put in place to ultimately reign over all in terror, in hell.

 Satan knew that one of two options faced Jesus; first, that if He truly were the Son of God, the merging of His Divine essence with His human body in the Incarnation within the human Mary would have left Him vulnerable to earthly death. Thus, if He threw Himself down in a brave response to the challenge, He might have dashed Himself to pieces and died; thus removing the threat to satan's kingdom.

 The other option was that Jesus would be miraculously rescued by God,thus proving to satan irrefutably that He indeed was the Son of God. It would also have removed from Jesus the right to call Himself the 'Son of Man', as He would have claimed special privilege to earthly saving from suffering and death in a way that is not open to the average human. 
Jesus refused to accept the challenge, stating that God should not be put to the test. In essence Jesus Himself is God; so He was not to be put to the test by a being He had created. Ultimate respect for the Creator was in order (Matthew 4;7; Deuteronomy 6;16).

 The final challenge to Jesus by satan was satan's showing to Him of all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. Satan, the liar incarnate, promised to give all the kingdoms to Jesus if Jesus bowed down and worshipped him. Jesus rejected satan and reprimanded him roundly, commanding him to worship the Lord our God, and serve Him only (Deut 6;13). Satan, seething, left Jesus' company.
He was baulked of his true intent, to bring Jesus as human under his control.
He foresaw trouble ahead for his kingdom, and started to plan to bring down whatever efforts Jesus was obviously about to launch against him.

 When satan had left, the footsore, weary, gaunt and hungry Jesus was attended by devoted angels who had watched the cosmic battle of wills with trepidation. The war on earth for the souls of humanity over all ages had begun in real earnest.

 2. PONDERING THE WITNESS OF JOHN
Jesus had humbly submitted Himself to John's baptism. John had paved the way for Jesus through his preaching.
John had clearly warned all he met to "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matt 3;2).
John, a towering figure in spiritual history, had his coming foretold by the prophet Isaiah as "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord,make straight paths for Him!'" (Matt 3;3, Isa 40;3).
The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus relates that John drew great crowds; they massed about him, and he had great influence over them (Antiquities 18,5,2   116-119).
John witnessed that Jesus is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world (John 1;29).

 During His time in the desert, Jesus pondered this witness of John, and its apparent fulfilment of the ancient Isaian prophecy. It became clear through the desert battle with evil, John's witness and Isaiah's prophecy, that the signs pointed to one conclusion; Jesus' understanding of Himself as the promised Messiah, the Son of God, was correct.

 3. AFFIRMATION; THE WITNESS OF GOD
The Gospel writers speak of a Heavenly Voice speaking to Jesus at His Baptism, calling Him 'Beloved Son' (Matthew 3;17/ Mk 1;11/ Lk 3;22).
God's Voice affirmed He was well please with Jesus.
In Judaism, the testimony of a heavenly voice is a sign of special holiness. God's Witness sealed the crystallisation of Jesus' Vocation as Messiah transitioning into the Public Ministry phase.
Jesus would have pondered His Father's Words deep in His Heart.
His struggles as human to live out the Divine had been successful; He, the fully Divine, had become completely and incomparably human.
God the Father was pleased with His Word. And so, the work of the Messiah had - in the desert battle with satan - inexorably begun.

 4. THE JUDEAN DESERT 
The Judean Desert is to the east of the hill country of Judea as it descends to the Dead Sea. It is a scorching hot region of cliffs, rocks and caves.
The Desert is almost barren of vegetation; hot by day, and cool at night. Jesus had been sent into the Desert by the Spirit of God in a majestic tradition which went back to the roots of Israel's faith.
It was in the Sinai Desert that God called Moses from a burning bush (Exodus 3).

 As God's People wandered in the Sinai Desert, God bound them to Himself in the Covenant of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). The desert, in spiritual history, is seen as a place of intimacy with God.

 The reason why there is this wilderness area near the Jordan is due to the effect of the 'rain shadow'.
As weather travels over Judea, it encounters the Judean Hills lying east of Jerusalem. As warm, moist air rises from the Mediterranean towards the hilltops, it condenses and drops its moisture just before crossing the hilltops. The air, now drier, continues its journey eastward towards the river. This area, starved of the more generous rainfall, becomes the desert Jesus fasted and prayed in.

 5. THE NEXT STEP
Jesus had followed the Guidance of God to take time to spend alone with Him, and face satan in cosmic battle.
Jesus explored the wonderful confirmation God had given in public at His Baptism; acknowledging Jesus before all as His Own Son, and declaring He was well pleased with Him.
Jesus had spent His Youth in non-violence, love for others and hard labour with honesty.
God blessed these efforts which had forged a Character able to meet the dark depredations of satan with ability, courage and steel strength. Jesus had foiled satan's attempts to lure Him to cheapen His Vocation as Messiah to choose an inferior way of living this Vocation.
Satan had presented strategies to Jesus, to provide material wellbeing to people by food and miraculous endeavour. Jesus wanted a far broader renewal; not just bread for hungry mouths, but a splendid future in heaven with every need fully met, eternally.

 The second strategy was to prompt Jesus to stage a spectacular public miracle, as proof that He is the Son of God. Jesus declined this opportunity; He wished to quietly become the Best Friend of each person eternally, not a nine-day wonder Who could possibly alarm people.

The third strategy was for Jesus to become a ruler. This would have completed Israel's hopes about the Messiah, to rule other nations as conqueror with a rod of iron. This would have deflected Jesus from the path of ruling over the universe in eternity, to a lesser role of a potentate on earth. This temptation was a deliberate insult to the depth and truth of the Inimitable Majesty of Jesus Christ as Lord. Satan resents his subordinate role as created. What was meant to be his greatest joy and achievement - created and loved eternally by God - became his greatest torture and resentment. He did not want to love God, respect God, serve God. He wants to be God, and to demean the One Who created him. A sorry state of affairs indeed.

Jesus made it clear that He would not take orders from satan. He was well aware as human of  the subtlety and cruelty of satan's character. 
Satan hones in on a person's vulnerable point, and then presents a strategy designed to plunge that person into difficulty and ruination. And the strategy is often designed to appear as a greater good. 
In Jesus' case, satan took Jesus' desire to save humanity, and presented three forms of modus operandi before Him.
To influence humanity by offering material things. To influence humanity by grandiose fame. And lastly, to influence humanity by conquering and ruling in luxury. 
The three strategies satan himself enjoys and employs in the endeavour for the moral downfall of many.
And Jesus, fittingly, gloriously and selflessly declined, setting the stage for the next step; He moved into Public Ministry.
And satan, baulked, watched from the shadows. This was one battle he had no intention of letting God win.

 Rev Catherine Nicolette Whittle
Copyright 2014
Feel free to use Module for any worthy purpose



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Good Shepherd Church Seminary; Doctor of Healing Ministry, Lesson One



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