Excuses excuses

The "No Excuses Litany" 

Noah was drunk...

Abraham was too old...

Jacob was a liar...

Leah was ugly...

Joseph was abused...

Moses was a stutterer...

Gideon was afraid...

Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer...

Rahab was a prostitute...

Jeremiah and Timothy were too young...

David had an affair and was a murderer...

Elijah was suicidal...

Isaiah preached naked...

Jonah ran from God...

John the Baptist ate bugs and was fashion-challenged...

Peter denied Christ...

The Apostles fell asleep while praying...

Martha worried about everything...

The Samaritan woman couldn't get an annulment...

Zacheus was too small...

Paul was too religious...

Timothy had an ulcer...

And Lazarus was dead!!!

"That's not my job!"

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have.

~Author Unknown~

The first list was from a friend's old blog, and the second has appeared in numerous jobs I've had. Thought I'd share. Hope you enjoy!!

~Princess Ouch~

Rough draft

I have to write a biography of a 'pillar of the Southern Baptist Convention'. So I decided to write on Ann Judson, as she was an 'approved figure." Here is my rough draft of her biography. You really should do some research on her. She was a remarkable woman, not one of those obnoxious 1800's perfect ladies but rather inspiring. To my way of thinking anyway. (yeah the 1800's talk rubbed off with all that research. I needed five sources for a five page paper! YEESH!!)
So hope you enjoy:


Ann Hasseltine Judson was an incredibly remarkable woman. She was the first American woman to serve as a foreign Missionary, and the first of three wives to the well-loved missionary, Adoniram Judson. Her courage, wisdom, and unbreakable faith made her well loved and admired by all who knew her; king and peasant, neighbor or foreigner, Christian or pagan.
Ann was born in Bradford, Massachusetts, on December 22, 1789. The youngest of four daughters, the sprightly girl with bouncy curls was nick-named ‘Nancy’ grew up relishing her role as ‘the life of the party’ in her small school and quickly became a ring-leader in the youngsters’ quest for adventuresome happiness. However, as she grew older, she found herself becoming more and more discontent with her life, although she could find no reason for her unhappiness and hid it from her family and friends. She possessed an impressive intellect and quick wit, did well in school, was well-loved socially, and was living in a picturesque colonial New England home with her beloved family. However, by the time she was sixteen, a serious soul-searching was taking place in the youngest Hasseltine’s heart and mind. After much thought, journaling, and reading books the principle of her school gave her, she finally realized the meaning of a relationship with Christ and committed herself to Him. Through her devotion to her faith, Ann’s father came to Christ, and the family became members at the local Congregational church.
After Ann graduated from the small academy, she opened a few small schools in the area and began to cultivate teaching skills that would become invaluable to her later in life on the Mission field. She was entirely devoted to God and to teaching others about His ways, and so slowly the Lord opened Ms. Hasseltine’s heart to the rather sudden opportunity He would bring to her at age twenty, in the form of a young man named Adoniram.
Unlike most couples of the time, Adoniram and Ann did not have a formal time of courtship, nor did they adhere to the modest propriety of the time. One day four young men zealous for the mission field came to the little New England church and passionately spoke of the urgent need for missionaries in the Orient. They quickly captivated the attention of the church, and after the service they were invited to the Hasseltine home for dinner. The young speaker Adoniram, who had spoken so vehemently in the Church, was nearly speechless all night. Ann, who had been intrigued by the young man, was slightly confused by this behavior. She later discovered that he was struck dumb by her beauty, and was composing a love poem to her in his head all evening. After he had left, she was very surprised to receive a letter from him, asking that she forsake home, family, comfort and safety to join him on the mission field as his wife.
At first she sent him a cold reply flatly refusing him. Her friends and family were all relieved, for the situation was as preposterous as it was sudden. However, her older sister Abigail and young friend Harriet were not so convinced, and with their encouragement and much prayer Ann was able to find peace in accepting the young missionary’s proposal. On the fifth of February, Ann became Mrs. Judson, and on the eighteenth of February the young couple sailed with their friends the Newells. Mrs. Newell was none other than Ann’s friend Harriet, who had also received a proposal from the young man Samuel.
Their journey to find their ministry was not easy, as the East India Company chased them out of Calcutta. William Cary invited them to visit him in Serampore, and between discussions on the doctrine of the Baptist faith, told Adoniram and Ann about his son Felix, who lived in Rangoon, Burma. The Newells and the Judsons parted for different mission fields, and while they sailed Adoniram confessed he was troubled by issues in Scripture that the Baptist doctrine seemed to answer more accurately, rather than the Congregationalist doctrine by which the two had been raised. Ann was horrified, as the variances in doctrine did not seem to be as large an issue as did the fact that, should they ‘convert,’ Ann felt they would be deserting their family and church members who were supporting them in sacrifice, and turning traitor to their Missionary cause. “Even if you become a Baptist, I will not!” She declared vehemently. Her husband patiently guided her through his thought process and the scripture he was reading, and by the time they reached land the two were baptized into the Baptist church.
Their arrival at Felix Cary’s home was disappointing, as the young man seemed to have abandoned his missionary zeal in exchange for a governmental life. He was not as encouraging or helpful as the young couple had hoped, although he did enough to establish them firmly in Burma for their future ministry. The two began their tedious studies in language, which was made all the more difficult as their teachers did not speak English; Felix Carey usually away for business. Ann wrote that Burmese language was as tangled as ‘a bad knitter’s skein of wool’. However they made progress in their language study, and before long the two were writing tracts and beginning friendships with the local people. The ministry was slow and agonizing to begin, as the people were stubborn in their superstitions and the local officials were none too keen on the idea of peasants learning foreign ideas and leaving the old ways. The local population of Buddhist monks were especially intimidating, and often their language teacher had to ‘disappear’ from time to time to escape persecution for simply teaching them the language. However they perservered, and after a New England printer and his wife moved in, they began distributing tracts, translating and printing a Bible, and starting a family. However, their little baby Roger died before he was a year old, and after that Ann’s battle with various jungle diseases began. It became so bad at one point that a doctor declared if she did not return home for two years, she would die within a few months. Ann declared she would rather die than be separated from her husband, and her husband declared he would rather be separated from her for two years than have her die! In the end Adoniram won, and Mrs Judson became the first missionary wife on furlough.
Her time in America was far from simple rest and idleness. While there, she spoke at Churches, urged the American Baptist Union to a more organized state to better support Missions in Burma, wrote articles, a Biography and missionary work in Burma, and inspired many to pursue God’s call on their lives as missionaries. When she returned in full health two years later, she brought a young couple ready for mission work with her.
However, by that time war was breaking out between England and Burma. The Judsons were invited to the Capitol, Ava, by the king. When they arrived, however, they found themselves out of favor and in danger. The other missionaries in Rangoon were captured by the British and sent to safety, but Adoniram and his friend Dr. Price were soon thrown into a death prison with several other foreigners. Thus began Ann’s monumental task for what she is most known for – the intricate, ingenious dance she played with various Burmese court officials, governors, political powers, and most importantly, their wives. For it was through her clever charm and a healthy dose of divine intervention that she captured the heart of Burmese women married to influential men, and was thus able to save the life of not only her husband but the other men in prison. While she was thus engaged, she gave birth to a little girl named Maria. However, the heavy strain, horrible living conditions, and constant intrigue finally broke her health, and by the time Adoniram was released from prison, Ann was on death’s door. Their friend and fellow missionary, Dr. Price, was able to bring her back to health for a short time. But finally, on October 24th, 1826, she died at the age of thirty-seven. Adoniram was away with a British officer on an exploration errand she had urged him to participate in before throwing himself back into the Missionary life. She was living near to a British camp, and so was looked after by British physicians and a nurse during her last illness, but the battle was too much and in the evening went home to her beloved Jesus.
Mrs. Judson’s loyalty to her husband, vibrant faith, and heroic actions have made her an inspiration to generations of missionaries journeying to the field. Although her time was short, it was productive and fundamental to her husband’s establishment of his notorious ministry.

Bibliography:

Hartley, Cicil B. The Three Mrs. Judsons, the Celebrated Female Missionaries. Revised edition. New York United States Book Company, 1863.
Morrow, Honore Willsie. Splendor of God. Crosset and Dunlap Publishers, New York., 1929.
Tucker, Ruth A. From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya. Second Edition. Zondervan, 1983, 2004
Hubbard, Ethel Daniels. Ann of Ava. Friendship press, New York, 1941
Bailey, Faith Coxe. Adoniram Judson, America’s First Foreign Missionary. The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, 1955.

J-terms, on a more serious note: Prophets

the end of yesterday's incredibly LONG lesson and the beginning of today's mercifully shorter lesson was on the Prophets of the Old Testament. Some interesting points my professor had about the Old Testament prophets (the ones who were of God, not the false prophets, obviously):

~The word "Prophet" in hebrew is "Navi,' and has two disputed origens. It comes either from the word meaning "to bubble up" like an underwater spring, OR 'To cry aloud, to call out." Hebrew words come from tangible roots. Example, knowledge comes from the word, "to cut, to slice, sharp object' and soul comes from the word also used for 'throat.'

~Unique features of the prophets of Israel:

* Unlike all the other nations in antiquity, Israelite prophets were not humanly appointed and they never became prophets through inheritance. They were only divinly appointed by God.

*Only in Israel was prophesy NOT associated with magic or sorcery.

* Only in Israel did the message of the prophets have a moral componant. in Israel, prophets were required by the Lord to live up to the high moral standards that they proclaimed.

* In Israel, there was an institution known as "The Sons of the Prophets." this is first encountered during the time of Samuel. It was a residential campus where young men were trained and supervised by established prophets. Most detail about this group is found in the accounts of Elijah and Elisha, who in their turn were each the head of this institution. (see 2 Kings 6)

~Characteristic concepts of prophetic religion in Israel:

*The Prophetic office was a sacred trust. That calling required the prophet to live AND work AND speak in ways that the Lord commanded. A prophet was perpetually "on call" by the Lord. No one was subsidising the prophets, and this was a time when the number one cause of death was starvation. Those who didn't work usually did not eat unless cared for by someone else. However, the prophets had to be willing and able to drop everything when they recieved an assignment from God.

*Fundamental feature of prophetic emphasis in Israel was that all of life comes under the authority of God, and thus under the authority of God's CALLED prophets. The kings and people of Israel understood and recognized that when the prophet spoke, GOD spoke. The prophet was a conduct of god's word. Even the KING was subordinate. This was very unusual during a time when most cultures considered their kings, rulers, emperors, pharohs, etc. as the local deity.

*Prophetic religion in Israel explained the meaning of historical events. Most kingdoms during that time period recorded chronological events, but not HISTORY as defined by cause-and-effect. The writing of history is a gift from ancient Egypt and Israel. The prophets' goal by recording HISTORY (cause and effect) was not merely to keep a record of the past but to TEACH the people WHY things occured. Such as when Israel ignored their responsibilities to the Lord, calamaty insued. When they fulfilled their responsibility, they prospered immensly.

*The prophets INSIsted that God's demands are always moral. not only did the prophets TELL of God's demands, but they LIVED UP TO THEM. But also: they revealed that God Himself is moral, and it is the morality of God, it is that character and conduct which makes up His Holiness. This is captured in Leviticus: I the lord am Holy, therefore you too must be Holy)
Every deity outside of Israel was immoral. The deity existed for it's own satisfaction and pleasure. It was capricious, selfish, arbitrary, and did not recognize the restrictions it itself demanded or inflicted on it's worshipers.
But in Israel, the recognition of the necessity of morality was immenent, and they were called to follow God's example.
Not only was Israel unique, but the God of Israel is unique. No other deity is similar.

*The Israelites defined rightness and morality by asking the question, "What does God say?" however, in other cultures and religions of the day, the pagans demanded immorality: human sacrifice, fornication, etc.

*The prophets insisted that the nation be courageous enough to criticize itself and hold itself accountable.

*The prophets were concerned with leading the people into greater knowledge of God and a more intimate relationship with Him.

*All sin is rebellion against God. The concept of crime is a concept of Mosaic law. Crimes against property are not considered as grevious as crimes against persons today. "I can do what i want as long as i don't hurt anybody else" is the attitude. However, ALL SIN is against God, it is an affront to Him. It is NOT the effect on others that is a biblical concept, but the affront and rebellion to GOD.

*The prophets dealt in principles more often then they dealt in 'situational". (Legal codes found in Leviticus and Numbers are good examples of 'situational')In the Law God gave to Israel, there are governments of typical situations. That is not what the prophets did. They were concerned with teaching God's people certain ways to do things, or pirnciples that could be applied to any situation. They were principles given by God to guide our lives and inform our standards.

The prophets were similar in their focus to Jesus' message: Love God, Love others.

*Prophets were practical. They were problem/solution oriented. Unfortunately, that's not something people liked to hear then, and they haven't changed much today either.
Prophets weren't social archetects, they were problem solvers.

*The prophets guided the people from asking "What may I do? What is permissable? what is allowed?" to "What SHOULd i do? what does the LORD require of me?" (Micah 6:6-8)


~Personal character of the prophets:

*They were to be courageous and unafraid to deliver God's message reguardless of the consequences. A prophet understood that people may be mean, cruel etc. but when you are deciding 'who to cross', it's always better to choose making people mad rather than choosing to make God mad.

*They were to be totally honest with one concern only: to tell God's people the Truth (Jeremiah 12-17)

*The prophets were scrupulously moral and demanded that God's people be scrupulously moral, and that they live by high ethical standards.

*They prophets were compassionate, and were always concerned for the poor, the needy, the oppressed, the widow, and the orphan. This may be the biggest element of a prophet as it best illustrates the character of God.

(part of the reason Jesus was so feared by the Jewish authorities was He was so beloved by the Jewish PEASANTS)

*the prophets were from a variety of social classes in Israel. They were from the peasant, royalty, illiterate, highly educated, humble, proud, etc.

*SOME prophets SOMETIMES enjoyed a positive response to their messages, but most did not. Often their message was either ignored or met with extreeme hostility. At times they were jailed or killed. From an appocraphal source, which is verified by the New Testament, we know that after four decades of service, Isaiah was sawn in two by a wood-saw.

*During their monarchy, court prophets gave religious and political advice to their kings. They kept a record of their King's preformance based on his faithfulness to God. The book of Kings is these prophets' evaluation. only occaisionally did a court prophet yeild to tell a King what he wanted to hear vs. what he needed to hear. When that happened, the consequences were always tragic. (1 kings 13)

-after the Jewish civil war, no king in the north was Righteous, and they chose their own prophets. -


Anyway, I am not sure that each bullit point is universally accepted by scholars everywhere, and on some of the universal statements about all prophets in Israel (such as the court prophets) I need to cross-reference with my readings of the Old Testament. But for the most part, they are accurate, and they make ya think. :-)

Two more days of this intensive, Friday I get to move back into my dorm room, Saturday I have a job training session, and Monday classes start for Spring Semester, 2009.

Whew!

~Princess Ouch~