Five memories or events from 2016

5 memories or events from 2016.

The highlight of the year for me was spending 2 nights at Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Hubby and I had a hotel room on the 16^th floor overlooking the falls, and I took a LOT of photos. Rainbows moving over the falls all afternoon, sunrise, sunset, a thunderstorm and the colored lights on the falls at night. And there's a small window you can open, to hear the falls during the night as we fell asleep. (and the trucks and buses in the morning...I closed that window pretty early!)

That trip was also our first time crossing an international border, so we had to get passports! We stopped at Port Huron, Michigan, dipped toes into Lake Huron, as we hadn't been to that Great Lake before. The border crossings were very smooth, just time consuming because of traffic backups. We knew that was likely. Funny, in the line to cross back into US, (into Detroit) the faster access line was moving more slowly than the line we were in!

This summer I also chaired our local Book Bag Bash, an event with a non-profit organization and several churches in which we give out backpacks filled with school supplies to needy families. There's also a free lunch, games, bounce houses--it's a few hours of fun for families. We began this at my church in 2012, giving out 162 backpacks the first year. We now host it at a city park, as we have outgrown the church grounds! This year, with 12 churches and about 75 volunteers, we gave 764 filled book bags. I have chaired this event from the beginning and have now 'retired' from it. We have an excellent team who will conduct it very well. And I may drop by to take photos ;)

My photography hobby has mushroomed. For a few years, I've managed the church Facebook page, and photo posts do very well there. The church secretary likes photos for the newsletter too.
 My personal photos of nature scenes are also well received. Many of us find a sense of God or higher power in Nature. To take a walk and get some good photos is so relaxing.

The negativity and divisiveness of the national news and election has been deeply distressing for me as well as many of us. For a few years I have worked with other pastors & churches, especially the African-American churches in town, to have community services. These have been well attended and received. We will be planning our Lenten series very soon and I look forward to helping in some way to bridge the divides in our city. We all have a lot more in common than we realize and we must learn to seek and celebrate the commonalities.

How good and pleasant it is

when God’s people live together in unity! –Psalm 133:1 NIV

Good Friday Community service at United Church of Beloit. \

Review of the new CEB Women's Bible

One day there was a blurb online about a new Bible for women. This was on www.revgalblogpals.org. RevGalBlogPals (RGBP) is comprised of a diverse group of women in ministry. I've followed the blog off and on for years, and belong to the Facebook group. When I saw the story about a new women's Bible, I admit my first reaction was "ho hum". However, when I read the website promo, I was enthused! Every editor and commentator is a woman. They are from a variety of backgrounds and denominations, and many are ordained clergy. This Bible is the CEB Women's Bible, published by Abingdon Press.

Among the features of this study Bible are: introductions to every book of the Bible, maps, profiles of women, & sidebars within the chapters to add clarity and food for thought. There's an index to every woman in the Bible, named or unnamed. There are questions for reflection and discussion, which I find useful for small group study or for stimulating thought when preparing to write a devotion or sermon. (or blog post!)

There are also suggested bible reading plans. There is a 30 day “overview plan”; 90 days through the New Testament; and one year through the Bible plan.

One of my favorite stories is in John chapter 4, the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. In small groups over the years, we've discussed this story, and struggled with the traditional interpretations, which seemed so derogatory of the woman. In our study, we've remarked on her openness with Jesus about her lifestyle and how quickly she asks about the proper way to worship. The sidebar “portrait” in the CEB Women's Bible compares her with Nicodemus, who comes to Jesus in the darkness of nighttime. This woman encounters Jesus in broad daylight, showing she has nothing to hide. The sidebar portrait also points out the depth of their theological conversation. We are asked to consider what might be our “water jar” that we can leave behind so as to better testify what Jesus has done in our lives.

The Common English Bible translation (or paraphrase) is a newer version. It uses “ordinary” language to be accessible to most readers. For my personal Bible reading, I use the NRSV and the newer English Standard Version. But I do encourage the use of different translations and paraphrases in our small group studies to enhance comprehension and discussion. The accessibility of this version will be an asset in these groups.

I enthusiastically endorse this Bible for personal reading, study, and use in discussion groups. I look forward to many years of using my copy for all these purposes! This Bible would also make a nice gift.

http://www.commonenglishbible.com/womensbible

I received a free copy of the CEB Women's Bible in exchange for a fair review.