More Cowbell! (post-purim update)
So yes. The one day a year that I eat beef, regardless of it being or not being kosher
A long time ago in a country far far away...
The People of Judah
are no longer in exile.
The Medo-Persian King Cyrus
has issued a decree for these people
(now called Jews) to return to their native
land and their capital Yirushalayim (Jerusalem).
A large number of
the Jews have acctually
acclimated to Persian life
and decide to live amongst the
Diaspora. A generation later, Xerxes
(yes the dude from 300), exiles his queen
and needing a new one has all the unmarried girls
in the kingdom sent to him so he can take them for a
test drive before adding them to his harem (it's good to
be the king). He falls for a Jewish girl who's changed her
name to Esther to hide her ethnicity.
At the same time Haaman,
a descendant from a people group
almost completely wiped out by the Jews
in the conquest of Canaan, rises to power.
He convinces the king to have all Jews killed
out of a hatred for Esther's uncle.
A series of divine
"coincidences" occur allowing
the Jews to not only survive but
to turn the tables on all their enemies
allowing them to strike out at anyone who means
them harm.
So in honor of that, a day when our people faced great sadness and the threat of death, only to have that sorrow turned to joy, every year on the 14th and 15th of Adar we celebrate. Some of you might be like "our people?" Well, that's the thing. As a believer in Y-sh-ah as Messiah I'm sharply cognizant of the relationship that I have with Jews. Good and bad we have a twisted history. Like Ruth (the woman that the book of the Bible is named after, not my girl) at that acceptance of Y-sh-ah I'm effectively saying "Your people will be my people, Your G-d my G-d", there's no other way to claim the promises of the scriptures without that being my creed. Yet I digress.
So after Sabbath at the congregation we read the book of Esther as is custom, booing at Haaman, cheering for Mordechai. As soon as it was done I slipped out of the temple and started the car, waiting for Ruth. We then went to my house and changed. Wow... she was... wow. I mean, she may not be the tallest of girls... she may even be rather short, but wow I love her legs. Her dress? Magnifique. I have really high hopes for this relationship.
We picked up my boy Alex and went to this new place at Gulf Stream called MI-VI (MI 6). It has a Victorian feel to it and with Alice in Wonderland coming out this week all the ladies working there were dressed up as characters. There was even a stage show of Alice in Wonderland. I drank to get drunk (as my part of celebrating Purim, It is a celebration of life after all). I was with my girl. All was right with the world.
The next day we had to get up early to perform at the Purim Carnival at temple. We did a black light theatre thing to tell the story of Esther with the kids. The kids as always were wonderful. Then i got stuck with watching the kids as they enjoyed the bounce house. I'd had a long hard 24 hours and at that point was very interested in the soon coming of Messiah. Then after the festival I still had to go to work (boo!) Yet Saturday made up for it. I've been eating beef for the past 48 hours (hence the title) which I only do on Purim. It was a great weekend. I can't wait to see what's going to happen next year. I just hope I get to spend it with Ruth. Even if I have to fly back down to her from Andrews.
A long time ago in a country far far away...
The People of Judah
are no longer in exile.
The Medo-Persian King Cyrus
has issued a decree for these people
(now called Jews) to return to their native
land and their capital Yirushalayim (Jerusalem).
A large number of
the Jews have acctually
acclimated to Persian life
and decide to live amongst the
Diaspora. A generation later, Xerxes
(yes the dude from 300), exiles his queen
and needing a new one has all the unmarried girls
in the kingdom sent to him so he can take them for a
test drive before adding them to his harem (it's good to
be the king). He falls for a Jewish girl who's changed her
name to Esther to hide her ethnicity.
At the same time Haaman,
a descendant from a people group
almost completely wiped out by the Jews
in the conquest of Canaan, rises to power.
He convinces the king to have all Jews killed
out of a hatred for Esther's uncle.
A series of divine
"coincidences" occur allowing
the Jews to not only survive but
to turn the tables on all their enemies
allowing them to strike out at anyone who means
them harm.
So in honor of that, a day when our people faced great sadness and the threat of death, only to have that sorrow turned to joy, every year on the 14th and 15th of Adar we celebrate. Some of you might be like "our people?" Well, that's the thing. As a believer in Y-sh-ah as Messiah I'm sharply cognizant of the relationship that I have with Jews. Good and bad we have a twisted history. Like Ruth (the woman that the book of the Bible is named after, not my girl) at that acceptance of Y-sh-ah I'm effectively saying "Your people will be my people, Your G-d my G-d", there's no other way to claim the promises of the scriptures without that being my creed. Yet I digress.
So after Sabbath at the congregation we read the book of Esther as is custom, booing at Haaman, cheering for Mordechai. As soon as it was done I slipped out of the temple and started the car, waiting for Ruth. We then went to my house and changed. Wow... she was... wow. I mean, she may not be the tallest of girls... she may even be rather short, but wow I love her legs. Her dress? Magnifique. I have really high hopes for this relationship.
We picked up my boy Alex and went to this new place at Gulf Stream called MI-VI (MI 6). It has a Victorian feel to it and with Alice in Wonderland coming out this week all the ladies working there were dressed up as characters. There was even a stage show of Alice in Wonderland. I drank to get drunk (as my part of celebrating Purim, It is a celebration of life after all). I was with my girl. All was right with the world.
The next day we had to get up early to perform at the Purim Carnival at temple. We did a black light theatre thing to tell the story of Esther with the kids. The kids as always were wonderful. Then i got stuck with watching the kids as they enjoyed the bounce house. I'd had a long hard 24 hours and at that point was very interested in the soon coming of Messiah. Then after the festival I still had to go to work (boo!) Yet Saturday made up for it. I've been eating beef for the past 48 hours (hence the title) which I only do on Purim. It was a great weekend. I can't wait to see what's going to happen next year. I just hope I get to spend it with Ruth. Even if I have to fly back down to her from Andrews.