Home » Posts tagged 'tradition'
Tag Archives: tradition
The Heart’s Bidding–Amish special education students
The Heart’s Bidding
by Kelly Irvin
Although this book is an Amish romance, its strongest theme is the acceptance and education of children who are labelled as different, educationally challenged, developmentally delayed, disabled, mentally or physically handicapped, or as the Amish prefer to call them “special.” They see these children as gifts from God. In The Heart’s Bidding, Rachelle is a dedicated teacher, but as a Plain (Amish) woman she knows that although she loves teaching and has a talent in that area, her future will be to get married and have children. When the governing educational committee in her community decide that the special children should be transported daily to a town that offers more specialized services than the little community has available and at no cost to the Amish, Rachelle finds her last day of teaching coming more quickly than she could have imagined or desired.
Toby is a handsome bachelor who has been hurt in a past experience in courting and is haunted by the thought that no woman would want to be married to an auctioneer who spends many days and months on the road crisscrossing 5 states. Could an attraction between Toby and Rachelle come to anything? Both of their mothers would like to see it happen and have to be reminded to rein in their matchmaking. Both Toby and Rachelle have special siblings and common love and understanding for them.
There are other plot threads within this book about the large Amish families, the head of a family business stepping down, and an adult with dyslexia that has never been addressed. If you are interested in the Amish way of life and how both education and technology are addressed on an everyday level, this would be a good book to read. It gives the reader a different point of view from an author who is sensitive to both Amish and English cultures. The many children in the book provide both humor and excitement. In particular Jonah, Rachelle’s little brother, and Sadie, Toby’s little sister, both of whom will need lifelong support, will make you smile and tug on your heartstrings.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Religion, Romance,
Notes: 1. The author includes a listing of characters by family and a glossary of Amish/Pennsylvania Dutch words at the beginning. She ends with author’s notes and discussion questions.
2. This is #1 in the series The Amish Calling. There are two in the series available now and one more that will be published in January 2025. All have characters who deal with disabilities of various types.
Publication: August 1, 2023—Zondervan Publishing
Memorable Lines:
Plain women liked their appliances the way some English women loved their jewelry or a roomy SUV for carting around their children—all two of them.
Their education was intended to help them be successful in their Plain communities, to be hard workers and good people, with the skills they would need to sustain to work with their families, to thrive, but to do so in a godly way.
“Sadie’s soul is innocent. It always will be.” Rachelle sought out the little girl. She found her on a swing, her legs pumping, her head thrown back, laughter spilling from her lips. “She knows what is gut and right and fair. Nothing will change that.” “Do you really believe that?” “Gott made her special. I believe His plan is for us to learn as much from her as she learns from us—more really.”
Pentecost: A Day of Power for All People
Pentecost
by Emilio Alvarez
Pentecost is celebrated by Christians as the day when the Holy Spirit came to the early Christian church empowering Jesus’ followers to evangelize the world with the good news of salvation to all who believe that Jesus Christ died for their sins and was resurrected on the third day as He foretold. The writer Luke in Acts 2:1 sets the stage for the narrative with “when the day of Pentecost was fully come.” Jesus’ followers had been waiting for the prophecy to be fulfilled but were not told exactly when that would be. Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after the Jewish Passover. The author of Pentecost, Emilio Alvarez, writes that this season of waiting is a time to prepare our hearts. Fittingly, this book is part of the Fullness of Time series.
This little book begins with a discussion of the concepts of power and of pilgrimage. Next Alvarez devotes a chapter to various Jewish feasts that are the roots of the Pentecost celebration. Then a chapter is devoted to the speaking in other tongues as the Holy Spirit on that day of Pentecost enabled the Jews gathered from many nations to speak in each others’ languages. He relates this phenomenon to a reunion of peoples and a reversal of what happened at the Tower of Babel.
A large part of the book Pentecost is devoted to the rituals and liturgy related to the celebration of Pentecost ranging from the dates of remembrance to the custom of specific colors used for decorations and clothing and on to practices of kneeling or standing. Within the unity of Christian worshipers, there is a diversity of groups who celebrate in many different ways. Alvarez chooses to discuss the Christian tradition found in these five churches: Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Anglican, and Pentecostal. From this discussion you can extrapolate that there are a number of ways to celebrate Pentecost. They vary by culture, tradition, and understanding of Scriptures. The hymns, prayers, and Scriptures of these five traditions are just samples of the many available to Christians, and this theological scholar invites Christians to draw from other groups’ practices to enrich, not dilute their own. He ends this section with an interesting testimony of his own spiritual background as a Pentecostal Christian which differs greatly from the liturgies in the other church groups examined in this book. It is a personal spiritual journey which neither discredits nor confirms the formal liturgies found in the other churches mentioned. There are truths and blessings to be found in all of these traditions.
Upon a first reading of the Conclusion, I found it to be beautifully written, helping the reader to imagine the first Pentecost. Upon a second reading I realized I was in disagreement with the author. While I, also, want all people to overcome the “differences in race, culture, and religion,” I do not connect that as a necessity upon which the coming of the Holy Spirit depends. In Acts 1:4-8, Jesus told his followers that they should wait in Jerusalem until they received baptism of the Holy Spirit which would empower them as witnesses. Jesus had said that he would send the Holy Spirit. Just like salvation, this empowerment is a gift of God, not something we can earn.
Overall, I profited from reading this book. It gave me much to think about, and I had my view of the practices within many Christian churches widened.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Religion, Christianity, Theology, Nonfiction
Notes: 1. This is probably not an appropriate book for someone new to Christianity, but might be helpful to someone looking to understand formal liturgical church services.
2. I have read three other books in the Fullness of Time series, and this is my least favorite. I personally battle between it being highly edifying and overly pedantic.
3. I read this for my book club, and it was full of topics for discussion. My understanding of the book profited from hearing other viewpoints.
Publication: 2023—InterVarsity Press
Memorable Lines:
…no matter where we are in the world, and no matter what Christian tradition we belong to, at Pentecost all those who believe in the coming of the Holy Spirit sing and glorify the Most Holy Spirit, and God hears it as if it was coming from one voice.
At Pentecost we are awakened from the delusion that only our race, ethnicity, culture, political party, or language matters, is important, or is even truly Christian. This is one of the great errors of postmodernity, this division through delusion. In remembering Pentecost, however, we once again call on the Spirit to illuminate the dark areas of our lives and confront our delusion with godly wisdom and truth.
There is nothing we can successfully rationalize or theologize about Pentecost that would cause all Christian parties to nod with complete approval, yet there is nothing we can do or say against it that discredits its success in evangelizing the nations.
Murder Spills the Tea–baking competition
Murder Spills the Tea
by Vicki Delany
The way I judged Murder Spills the Tea was by my increasing frustration at the end of the book. With about 90% of the mystery read, I experienced an almost comical series of interruptions—the dogs wanted to go for a walk, my husband came in to say “hi,” the dryer buzzed urgently, and the timer for the tub of vegetables I was disinfecting dinged. I finally gave up and handled each issue culminating with the dog walk. I’m a fairly patient person, so I must have been really into the novel to get so irritated.
Lily is busy enough baking for and managing her own tea shop, but she also makes breakfast for her grandmother Rose’s B&B in exchange for lodging in a separate cottage on the grounds. All is well until her best friend Bernie and Rose convince Lily that participating in America Bakes!, a cooking “reality” show, will help promote her business. The event turns out to be rigged and full of competing ego-filled personalities. Lily does her best to “keep calm and carry on,” but that becomes difficult when she finds one of the judges dead in her tearoom. Sparks fly during the filming, some of the characters are less than truthful, and Lily is sure that the wrong person has been arrested.
Following the investigation is like watching a tennis match where the ball is lobbed all over the place. Things turn dangerous as the murderer gets more and more desperate. There are connections among the residents that are uncovered as Lily’s informal investigation progresses. Suspicions arise too about the film actors and crew, some of whom are staying at the B&B. Lily, Bernie, and Rose work well together as a team with Rose playing the age card when it suits her purposes. Murder Spills the Tea is an engaging and fun cozy mystery.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #3 in the Tea by the Sea Mystery Series, but could be read as a standalone.
2. I have a particular fondness for tearooms, so I especially enjoy cozy mysteries set in tearooms.
3. Includes recipes for Herbed Cucumber Sandwiches, Coconut Lime Cake, and a coffee cake that is served at the B&B.
4. Lily has a dog that is featured throughout the book and Rose has a cat that, despite Health Dept. regulations, finds its way into the kitchen regularly. Both add interest to the book.
Publication: July 26, 2022—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
“This is called reality TV,” he said. “In reality, it’s anything but. The show’s not concerned about the quality of your food or the arrangement of the flowers on the table. It’s about creating drama and interest. Reality’s boring.”
“Afternoon tea’s all about tradition. About hospitality and taking time to gather with friends to enjoy the finer things in life. Afternoon tea, in my opinion, anyway, is a delicacy, an indulgence, and it should be treated as such.”
Robbie jumped onto the floor and hissed at Detective Williams. “Do pardon my cat, Inspector,” Rose said as she made her way out of the room. “He likes most people.”
education pathways 