This past Sabbath afternoon was a wonderful celebration of renewed life as two of my very good friends, Lily and Nyari, made public declarations of their love for Jesus through baptism. Hearing the testimonies of God’s workings in their lives deeply touched everyone who was there; even those who have witnessed a fair few agree that it was one of the most moving baptisms – to God be the glory.
You are to have no other gods before me. You are not to make for yourselves a carved image or any kind of representation of anything in heaven above, on the earth beneath or on the water below the shoreline. You are not to bow down to them or serve them; for I, ADONAI, your God, am a jealous God…
Exodus 20: 3-5a Complete Jewish Bible
It appears there is some recessive gene in my family, which expresses itself as you get older and makes you very interested in Hebrew word definitions.
It is disconcerting to be turning into older relatives in ways I did not expect but I am glad for it because it lights up the Bible in a whole new way.
The word translated ‘serve’ in the Ten Commandments above is the Hebrew abad which means “to work or serve”.
It is first used in Genesis 2 when humans are told to abad the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 2:5,15)
Attention all parents: Please take comfort in the fact the the Victorian Government is investing in the state’s teachers. The days of mandatory Professional Development for government school teachers are steadily increasing each year. I have recently been enrolled in a professional development program that spans eight unspeakably gruelling days.
As a beginning teacher I would relish the prospect of the latest research-based approach to teaching, learning or school operation. I would also look with disdain upon the more experienced, some would say jaded, teachers. They’d seen it all before and knew that this new whizz bang theory wouldn’t change their practice one iota (there’s my mandatory Greek for the week).
