Jesse tree 2021

[Seeler]

Today is the first Sunday in advent. And I regret to let you know that I will not be posting daily about my Jesse tree.
I find that due to my medical problems. I am unable to make him unplug commitment.

I will attempt to continue with my own Jesse tree standing in the hallway.
I will also try at least once a week to post the upcoming Scripture reading, and sometimes the suggested its symbol.
I hope that some of my followers might feel inclined to post their reflections. Perhaps occasional and they might find another passage that speaks to them and a suitable sample to go with it, please feel free to post this(perhaps eliminating the passage that does not speak to you).

That said, scriptures used in previous years. Start with the creation stories in Genesis chapters 1 and two and 1 and 2. Symbols will include light shining in the darkness, clouds and water, green plants, birds and fishes, animals and humans. All rock represents the hard times people experience when they left the garden; and a figure of a baby or small child represents their third child Seth 's birth reminded them that God is always with them.

For next Friday and Saturday. My notes indicate the readings of Genesis chapters 6, seven and eight – the story of Noah.

 

[Mendalla]

I'm so glad you can manage to do at least this much, @Seeler. I've stickyed the thread as always but don't feel obligated to do more than you can manage. It's really just a reminder to others that the thread is here and they can contribute their thoughts.

 

[ChemGal]

@Seeler I have greatly appreciated these over the years. Whatever capacity you feel up to is welcome. I hope you are able to enjoy your Jesse tree this year, it has brought me some calmness many times in the past, just following your threads.

 

[Seeler]

Thank you for your kind words of appreciation.

 

[jimkenney12]

Two separate thoughts. The first Creation story begins with chaos. The light is the first step in bringing a kind or order or creation of something new. The last 21 months provided experiences and actions that shone a bright light on the growing chaos that was happening around the world and what we can do about it, what kind of new thing can be born and how that might happen.
We learned how much most of us need connection with other humans and the rest of Creation. Our language changed from "we can't do that as we have never done it before' to "what do we need to do to keep functioning as a church". The light revealed that it was our choice not to do something new, not that we could not do it. We found new life and capacities when we left our comfort zones. The challenge of keeping on line services while restarting in person services invites leaders to ask why do we want to do this by ourselves? We need light gained from asking people what do they want and need from the church? Light revealed that our congregations are more than the people present in church worship.

Second thought: the call of the prophet in the wilderness was a call to turn from what we were doing and thinking to a better way. Adam and Eve turned from blissfully living day to day without thinking about the world to discovering more about themselves and the world with the consequence of leaving paradise to experience difficult living that grew their creativity and understanding of the world. Many churches have turned from ignorance about the world to engagement with the world.

 

[Seeler]

Jesse tree 2021 – second week.



Today is the second Sunday of Advent: the Sunday of Advent.



The Scripture readings for this week include:



Genesis 12:1-9 – Abraham and Sarah – symbol: shoes for the journey.



Genesis 17:1-8, 15 – 16 and, Genesis 18:1, 2-the promise of an heir – three Angels
Genesis 18 – 19, and you and you 16 and: 24 with 24{ 49 the CN of the lack of hospitality – symbol, the Rainbow


Genesis 28:10 – 22 – Jacob's ladder.


Genesis 35: verses 23 and following – 12 tribes of Israel – symbol, a string of 12 stars

Genesis 37. Following – the story of Joseph – symbol coat of many colours.

Exodus#first few chapters – the women who saved the infant Moses – baby, Moses in the basket.


Choose your own favourite stories from the first few books of the Bible.

 

[Seeler]

Jesse tree – 2021 – third Sunday.



During the first two weeks of Advent, we have covered the book of Genesis with the stories of the beginning, the myths and legends of nomadic people and story of the patriarchs and matriarchs who they considered to be their ancestors. We thought about Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Esau and Jacob, and Jacob’s descendants – the leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel. The final stories in Genesis are about Jacob’s son Joseph and tell how these nomadic people from around the Jordan River moved to Egypt.

Our final readings for the second week were from the book of Exodus where in the first few chapters, we find the stories of five women working independently saved the life of baby boy who was given the name of Moses.



Since, in the third week of the Advent, we will read parts of Exodus and Deuteronomy. These tell how Moses led the people away from slavery in Egypt back to the promised land. Symbols for this journey include bread and water and the tablets of the Law. Continuing on, we will read from Ruth, and Samuel, psalms, kings, Jonah, and Isaiah.

The stories will include:

God’s provision for the people – water and manna.

Tablets of the law

An early prophet - Samuel (and his mother Hannah)– a sewing basket

King David Psalms – the stringed instrument

Elijah – raven

Jonah big fish

 

[jimkenney12]

Maybe add a compass? A staff?

 

[Seeler]

Maybe add a compass? A staff?

Good idea- biblical movies almost always show Moses with the staff. It helps us to identify him. I guess.
And a compass may have prevented the people of Israel following the Moses from spending 40 years of wandering through the desert before they reach their destination.

 

[Seeler]

The fourth Sunday of Advent ; Dec. 19, 2021
We continue on with the prophets;
Isaiah 40 – the way through the desert – the people return from exile – symbol a desert plant.
Micah 4 – they shall beat their swords to plows – symbol, the sword
Isaiah 60 – the light of the world – symbol, a lamp
Luke one – fear not – symbol, an angel bringing good news.
Luke 2 - Jesus birth – the Nativity scene at the base of the tree.

 

[jimkenney12]

Peace symbol

 

[Luce NDs]

IT's word ... God? It may settle in ...

Thus we take a stab at it and terrorizing oligarchs say be quiet! That's what reaches me ... thus closed cells ...

 

[Seeler]

Happy new year –

The season of Advent has long passed; the season of Christmas will soon be replaced with the epiphany.
It is time to pack away the decorations and get back to ordinary life.
Actually, I took down the symbols from the Jesse tree a few days ago. The tree itself, an artificial white birch, will remain at that the end of a dark hallway. Throughout the dark of winter.

Now the question is – what to do with the box of symbols?

I don't expect Seelerman, we use them. Neither do I think that the sealer children and grandchildren would be interested, even though they enjoyed helping Grammy select each one and tell its story as they were hung on the tree.
So do I: give them away, perhaps, to a church to be added to the clutter of things nobody else wants, or perhaps,
put them in a yard sale.
And to but me would apperciate the symbols of creation – the cotton cloud in the sky representing rain, the birds in the fish representing life, the string of stars, the green plant?
do J have a bid on the modalled clay figurenes of Adam, Eve and baby Seth or on the fridge magnet Noah's Ark?
What about my Rainbow ear rings?
For the Raven that fed Elijah? Actually, it may be the most valuable for it was handmade by a local artist friend of mine.

 

[Seeler]

Actually, the symbols from the Jesse tree. Our most valuable to those who gathered them or made them and prayerfully hang hung them on the tree.

My box will be placed on a shelf in the basement for Seelerman. And eventually dealt with by Seelergirl. And she and Pete will develop their own traditions, as will the grandchildren and great-grandchildren to come.

 

[Luce NDs]

Actually it is a great quandary what the future will do with any of our personal legacy ... given that we have given up respect for many things ... especially things that are perceived as pain to*us!

Imagine the command to embrace all things as in quantum science where great entanglement is indicated as a fuzzy distant vision ... people tend to be so autonomously indeterminate ... and a mass of humanity is just shoved aside as waste ...

On has to ask about the nature of the message; "waste not want not" ... or even; "walk softly and leave no signs" ... the invisible one?

Sometimes it is best to be on the fringe and have the advantage of looking in from out there in that alien domain ... quiet state of mine ... just scribbling ... scratch creation? From thereon it gets cloudy ... possibly from the indigent folk ... eternal wanderers trying to understand humanity from a lower point ... where we are forced by the physical climbers ...

What's really in this matter ... something underlying ... ground effect? Fue 'd for future thought that may even be shoved deeper in the descent to avarice ... causes my reason to float! Buoyed rational ...