The Fun Page
This page is all about fun. From little known facts, to trivia, to special projects. We hope you learn lots of new things while on this special page.
The Color Purple
We are still in the church season of Lent. Many churches have purple paraments on the altar, lectern and pulpit. Many pastors and choir members wear purple stoles. Why purple?
In ancient times, purple garments were expensive and hard to find. The dye came from rare sea mollusks that had to be crushed to garner their purple fluid. (One ounce of purple dye required 250,000 mollusks!) Then the right kind of fabric had to be placed in the dye, dried and made into clothing, which was time-consuming.
Generally, only wealthy people and members of royalty could afford purple garments. For example, in the story of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man “was dressed in purple and fine linen” (Luke 16:19, NRSV).
Purple is used in church sanctuaries during Advent and Lent because Christ is revered as the King of Kings.
The Legend Of The Dogwood
There’s a legend that the dogwood was once the size of the oak and other forest trees. It was so strong and firm that it was chosen as the timber for Christ’s cross. This greatly distressed the tree. Jesus, nailed upon it, sensed the tree’s regret and told it:
“Because of your sorrow for my suffering, never again shall the dogwood grow large enough to be used as a cross. It shall be slender, bent and twisted. Its blossoms shall form a cross – two long and two short petals. And at the outer edge of each petal will be nail prints, brown with rust and stained with red. In the center of the flower shall be a crown of thorns. And all who see it will remember ….”
Bible Quiz
The Gospels tell us that after Jesus died, his body was placed in a rich man ’s tomb. This man wasn’t a disciple but apparently believed in Jesus and followed his message. He came from a small town not in existence today.
What was the man’s name, and what was his hometown?
A. Joseph of Arimathea
B. Aristarchus from Thessalonica
C. Ariel of Moab
The answer is in Matthew 27:57-60.
Christian Symbol: Nails
Nails symbolize Jesus’ passion and suffering because they were used at his Crucifixion. They are often depicted in groups of three because two nails were used to secure Jesus’ hands, and a third was used to secure his feet. Three nails are also used to identify Jesus as a member of the Holy Trinity.
When Is Easter?
Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.
Based on the above, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22) but that is pretty rare.
Here's some interesting info. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see. Only the most elderly (95 or older) of our population have seen i t this early and none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier!
1) The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913, so if you're 95 or older you were around for that.
2) The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year!
Why A Fish?
One of the most significant statements the early Christians used was “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.”
Because Greek was the universal language then (the New Testament books were written in Greek), Christians often said and wrote, “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior” in Greek.
That phrase, if printed as an acrostic (using the first letter of each word), looks like this:
I = Jesus
CH = Christ (anointed)
TH = God
U = Son
S = Savior
The acrostic forms the word ICHTHUS, which is Greek for fish. If Christians needed to know where to gather for worship, they could look for a fish and perhaps an arrow pointing in the right direction. Persecuted Christians, seeing a fish on the door of a home or business, knew it was a safe place occupied by fellow Christians.
Daddy's Empty Chair
A man ’s daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her father. When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed.
The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit.
“I guess you were expecting me,” he said.
“No, who are you?” said the father.
The minister told him his name and then remarked, “I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show up.”
“Oh yeah, the chair,” said the bedridden man.
“Would you mind closing the door?”
Puzzled, the minister shut the door.
“I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter,” said the man. “But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head. I abandoned any attempt at prayer,” the old man continued, “ until one day four years ago, my best friend said to me, ‘Johnny, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest. Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It’s not spooky because He promised, I will be with you always. Then just speak to him in the same way you’re doing with me right now.’
“So, I tried it, and I’ve liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I’m careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she’d either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.”
The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the church.
Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her Daddy had died that afternoon.
“ Did he die in peace?” he asked.
“Yes, when I left the house about two o’clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him... But there was something strange about his death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?”
The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, “I wish we could all go like that.”
Faith Story
•We trust that the God who created us won’t abandon us when our hearts stop. Will God allow us to become mere dust or fodder for worms? Surely not. We can believe in a life to come because of God’s eternal love for us.
•We trust Jesus, God’s Son, who said, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2, NRSV). Death is only a change of residence, a move to our eternal home.
•We trust that we will be raised from the dead and live, just as Jesus died and was resurrected. We simply finish the last chapter of this life and start the new book called eternal life.
All praise be to God!
What's Near To You?
Author Robert Louis Stevenson said, “The best things in life are nearest.” He referred to air in our nostrils, light for our eyes, flowers at our feet and work before us. Stevenson might also have mentioned friends who truly care, family members who love us unconditionally, the church that provides spiritual nourishment and daily opportunities to aid others.
For example, as a retired couple left a store, they heard a man say he’d forgotten his wallet. The cashier had already rung up the customer’s few items. The embarrassed man was about to walk away empty-handed. Quickly, the exiting couple told the cashier they’d pay the bill. The man, totally surprised, asked the couple who they were and why they were helping him. They offered their names and said they only did what he might have done if the situation were reversed.
A chance to help another person was near, and that couple was blessed for helping. Stevenson was right. The best things are near to us. We only need to look for them — and find the blessings in them.
God At Work
Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:18-19 NRSV
We’ve read and heard for decades that calling on strangers in their homes simply doesn’t work. Church growth experts perpetuate this erroneous teaching. But we shouldn’t believe everything we read.
On a recent Saturday afternoon in a United Methodist Church north of Birmingham, AL, twenty-four laity and three clergy held hands to pray before going out to knock on doors in their community. Immediately I sensed the slight tremors in my hands coming from the circle. We were preparing to go out with fear and trepidation.
The team I was on made a few visits and was well received. My two team members were excited -- amazed that people we had never seen expressed their gladness that a church was out “getting to meet their neighbors and making friends.”
We had about twenty minutes until time to return to the church. They picked the next house. We were greeted by a man named Dan, who looked at us, paused and said, “Methodists are out knocking on doors? Wow! Come on in.”
He was a presiding elder in his local church, a layperson who loved the Lord. “Come out on the porch and I will give you some information about the houses on this street,” he said as he pointed to nearly every one, followed by a story. Then he said, “We had better go back inside.” He closed the door and lowered his voice.
“The house next door is one I would advise you to avoid. The people there are very strange. Their steps are about to fall in and I don’t know what else goes on over there. Have a great day. Thanks for coming by.” You KNOW where our team went next? You guessed it
The steps were dilapidated and the porch was even worse. About half way up, we heard a loud voice booming from around the side of the house, “Who in the world is coming to my house?” this man said loudly. I just KNEW the voice belonged to “Festus Hagin” on the old “Gunsmoke” TV western.
For the next few minutes we shared with this colorful man. He told us he was “a serious Baptist” but had become angry with the First Baptist Church. “A couple of days ago, I admitted to God that this anger was in my heart, deep,” he said. “I asked him to move someone to help me get over this. But I never imagined he would send Methodists to my house on a Saturday afternoon. That’s just God and one of his mighty miracles.”
We had a great visit and then formed a circle as we prayed for him to be freed of his anger. I closed the prayer, but it did not end. He quickly spoke up, holding on to our hands, “Great God, I do confess today my anger and lay it down right here in my yard. You have blessed me today by sending these new friends to my house.”
The next morning in worship, the pastor asked for testimonies from anyone who wanted to share how God had worked in their lives over the weekend of evangelism training. Fifteen members stood and shared variations on the theme of how they left in fear and returned with joy. One new visitor also stood and told how God amazed him and delivered him in his own front yard.
Innumerable Divine Appointments await us in the communities around all our local churches! If we circle up inside we will never know what awaits us on the great frontier of evangelism ministry. If you are ready to venture out beyond the wall, call me.
Written by Rev. Jim Hollis
Wesleyan Christian Advocate, February 15, 2008