Two Schools of Thought
During the earthly ministry of Jesus there were two very influential rabbis, Hillel and Shammai. Both having a large number of followers, two schools of thought were formed that shaped Jewish law and tradition for centuries. Hillel was known for his humility, patience, and compassion, leaning more toward inclusiveness and leniency. Shammai was known for being strict, disciplined, and exacting in his interpretation of Jewish law. Although the two schools disagreed on many legal and ritual matters (over 300 disputes are recorded), Jewish tradition general followed the rules of Hillel’s school because of its compassion and practicality. The teachings
Hard Words
When my girls were young, we were headed to what I believed would be a time of financial challenges. Seeing this as a teachable moment, I sat them down, preparing them for the changes that may occur. I could tell by Stephanie’s expression she was too young to process what I was saying, but Sara listened intently. Evidently there was a word I’d used repeatedly because when I finished, Sara looked at me and asked, “What does 'sacrifice' mean?” Upon providing the definition she said, “I don’t like that word.” You know who else doesn’t like that word? Everyone.
Know the Story
Sara has a passion for reading. She’ll read more books in a month than I will in five years. When she and Stephanie were young, I’d read them bedtime stories. I enjoyed it, but after reading the same story for the 27th time I’d occasionally want to speed things up a bit by skipping a page or three. Not on Sara’s watch. “Dad, that’s NOT how the story goes!” Every…single…time. She was also less than thrilled when I’d try skipping words, or changing them altogether. Personally, I thought the story of “Rindercella and the Three Gairy Fodmothers”
Matthew 7:21 House – (Relationship)
St Augustine said, “In the essentials unity, in the non-essentials liberty, but in all things charity.” If you count the number of major, nationally recognized church denominations the number is estimated between 200 and 300. If you include independent and non-denominational groups the number may well exceed 1,000. That’s a lot of “liberty.” When it comes to the non-essentials of the Christian faith, we have a hard time getting along. I’ve seen churches split over everything from divine healing, to wearing high heels to church. Imagine the uproar in the congregation when the artist painted Adam and