Autumn on the Calendar

One look outside will tell us our world is changing. We have proceeded from the lush green world of spring through the productive days of summer into a time of drying out. Fall with its cooler temperatures, pumpkin harvest and leaf coloration is getting close.

Pumpkin Days are almost here

Days are getting noticeably shorter with the sun rising later and later each morning. Older people are asking when the time change occurs [and are suddenly interested in yard work … although they have only rarely performed a horticultural task during the course of their 85-90 years of life]. The procession of the autumn equinox, which is when the Sun crosses the Equator, occurs Thursday.

Man has for thousands of years taken note of the seasons out of interest and necessity. In the year when Cain planted his first crop it became necessary to know when spring would occur. For those with tomato plants it is important to know the timing of the first and final frosts. In the prehistoric times man first began to count days, and in time he wrote the counting of days down on a calendar.

The Gezer Calendar

The world’s oldest calendar is found at Gezer in Israel. It counts the days in this way: “Two months of harvest, Two months of sowing, Two months of late planting, One month of hoeing flax, One month of barley harvest, One month of harvest and measuring, two months of vine pruning, One month of summer.” The calendar is important so the farmer gets his timing correct.

Gezer Calendar Explained

The calendar of the Bible is based on agriculture, just as the calendar of Gezer. The Biblical calendar is a twelve month lunar calendar, adjusted with a leap month by the Mesopotamian astronomers to maintain a proper planting season. The months are named “Aviv” for spring, “Iyar” for blossom, “Sivan” for season, “Elul” for harvest, “Tishri” for beginning, “Ethanim” and “Bul” meaning brooks and rain. The Hebrew calendar looks to God as the provider.

The major events of the Hebrew people are agricultural. Passover is celebrated at the time of the first spring harvest. Shavuot or Pentecost is when the first fruits of the summer crop are given to God. The festivals of the seventh month are connected to the autumn ingathering. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur involve cultivation and care for the soul. Sukkoth (Feast of Tabernacles) thanks God at the time the final harvest. Simchat Torah represents the beginning of a new cycle.

Calendar Comparison

Our current calendar when placed alongside the Biblical calendar will show some glaring, unthought-of differences. Under our current calendar and culture our holidays are civil and not agricultural. We think of people and not God. The names of the months (and even the days) honor Roman gods who’s sole ambition in life was to serve themselves, often at the expense of others.

In any study of the Bible it is important rise above our cultural biases in order to learn about the people of the book and the desires of the Lord God, the creator of all things.

Advent Journeys

I hope you have enjoyed our new book Advent Journeys.  When I first worte the book, I started with an idea.  I wondered what it was like for Joseph and Mary to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  The road (as you know if you read the book) was well traveled, and with a lot of history.  I tried to relay some of the stories as Mary and Joseph journeyed toward Bethlehem.  I also included in the book some foods they might have eaten and details of some of the more rugged portions of the route.

After writing about Mary and Joseph, I wondered about the journey of the Magi.  I learned a lot of stories from ancient history (including how the ancient Magi learned to adjust the calendar so they would know which month was spring.  I also learned the seven notes of the musical scale are patterned off the seven days of the week.  When the Magi visited their capital and also King Herod, I found out the gossip about their queen and the court of Israel.

As I turned my thoughts to the Shepherds, I realized they only traveled from their fields to Bethlehem.  Rather than a travel diary, I decided to look into what the Shepherds did to fill their time.  I learned about how sheep were cared for and sold.  The Shepherds became real people.

As I added the diary of Zechariah, I studied the daily tasks of the Priests (which is NOT like our worship services today!) and also the layout of the Temple.  I had some fun reading the Jewish Mishnah and hearing senile old men trying to remember what the Temple was like when they served as young men.  Did you discover the secret of the wood shed?

During the final week of the month … the fifth week of Advent (there actually is no fifth week, but we there ought to be one) I take a look ahead to the New Year.  I do this through the second trip of Joseph and Mary with Jesus as they leave Bethlehem and travel to Egypt, and then back to Nazareth.  Through the Journals of the final week of Advent I wanted to help people focus on the future.  For after Christmas we have a new year beginning.  (After Jesus was born he had a life ahead of him … and the life of Jesus was planned).  I have always benefitted personally by taking the week between Christmas and New Years to look ahead.

I included a sixth chapter of the book, Chanukah.  This was to be read during the week of Chanukah.  Because Chanukah (on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev) occurs according to the lunar calendar, the corresponding date on our calendar changes every year.  I will put up a calendar for 2016 on the website some time in January.

Did you enjoy the book?  If you did, would you do me a favor and recommend the book on Amazon.com.  To do this, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and click the “write a customer review” button.  It only takes a sentence or two to let people know you enjoyed the book.  Tell them something you enjoyed or learned.  Also raecommend they purchase a copy!  And I would appreciate five stars.

Your review will help others decide to purchas a book next year.  And, it’s not too early … Who would benefit from receiving a book for Christmas (or even better, Thanksgiving) next year??

Advent: A Family idea

Many years ago, when my children were very young, I read a book about Advent.  The author said during the Advent (Christmas) season people are more interested in spiritual things than any other time of the year.  The book gave many ideas for sharing Christmas with others.  In one chapter the book presented an idea that the best gift which could be given within families at Christmas was time.

The author said that Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year with activities, parties, shopping and travel.  Often we rob our children of the quality time they need and deserve in order to accomplish the tasks which seem so urgent.  The book suggested one way to reposition our family into their proper place of importance is to plan activites for the family and place them on the calendar as appointments.

I took the author’s suggestion, and created a calendar.  The first appointment I placed on the calendar was to eat either breakfast or dinner with my children every day. (Depending on school and church schedules this could vary … and was not easy to do.  But because I looked ahead and put this priority as an appointment, it did happen most days).  During our meal together we would read two short scriptures which were part of the Christmas story (I have a suggested calendar posted at http://www.koshercopy.com/ - look for the tab on the top bar which says “2015 Advent”).  I also placed on the calendar at least one activity per day which connected with the Christmas story.

Sometimes (when I was busy) the activity would be something our children could do with very little guidance (color wrapping paper; design and color cards for grandparents).  Other times the activities were more involved.  We went on field trips, acted out parts of the story, and every week we took one evening for a family night.

Family nights involved a dinner together.  Sometimes we tied these to the story, such as, during the week we highlighted the angel’s visit to the shepherds we built a fire in our fireplace and roasted hot dogs.  (I am sure the shepherds built a fire on cool nights - and because they had a fire, they must have roasted hot dogs and s’mores).  We also sang songs, told stories, and created skits in which we acted.  (My daughters like the skit where one of them was Joseph, the other was Mary, my wife was the Innkeeper, and I was the donkey.  Yes, Mary got to ride the donkey with Joseph leading).

All of these activities created memories.  And these memories proved to be much more powerful than the gifts we gave on Christmas day.  The end result: Christmas is about Jesus.

I have placed on our website the pamphlet with activities.  These activities are linked with our new book Advent Journeys.  The Journey diaries of Zechariah, Joseph, the Shepherd, the Magi and the Maccabee can be understood by most children in third grade and above.  The scripture (Calendar) along with the journal and activities shared with family members can lead to a most memorable Christmas.  Plan ahead and give it a try … starting the Sunday after Thanksgiving.