There is a Jewish custom of counting the days between Passover (Pesach) and Pentecost (Shavuot). It is derived from the text of Leviticus 23:15-16 and is called the counting of the omer. We are in that period now. Lag B’Omer, that we discussed last week, is day 33 of the 49 days counted in anticipation…
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By His Light
Today the Jewish people celebrate the holiday of Lag B’Omer. There are several ideas behind what this holiday is remembering. One is the passing of an ancient rabbi, Shimon bar Yochai. Another is the end of a plague killing 24,000 that ripped through the disciples of Rabbi Akiba during the first century. This was seen…
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The Cost
For hundreds and even thousands of years, God instructed His people to make a sacrifice to "cover over" their sins. These sacrifices occurred every day at 9 AM and 3 PM - and were announced by the sounding of the shofar (ram's horn trumpet). These sacrifices were only to be a reminder to them of…
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Passion week
Most of us have seen the movie "Passion" and have heard the reports from critics and fans. But I am struck by the number of individuals who claim that it is too violent. "Why all the violence? Was it really necessary?" or "It's very uncomfortable to watch." It made me think about Christ's actual crucifixion. Why all the violence,…
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