Purim- Fasting

Fasting

In Esther 4, Mordecai finds out that Haman has put out a decree to have the Jews annihilated. Mordecai then urges Esther to go into the king's presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people. Esther knows that anyone that goes before the king without being summoned, runs the risk of being put to death. So, Esther sends a message to Mordecai saying, "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." (Esther 4:16).

The day before Purim, the Jews observe a fast day in memory of Esther who asked the Jews to fast for three days before she risked approaching the king. A fast day usually begins at dawn and ends at nightfall. It also consists of no eating, drinking, washing, or engaging in sexual activity (pregnant and nursing women do not have to fast on this day.)

So, we ask that you join us on March 3^rd (the day before Purim) to take a day to fast and remember G-D and his continual faithfulness to His people.

Lookin forward to paryin with all of you...

Oh Yeah...I also forgot last week to talk about why we drink wine on Purim...very quickly...we drink wine on Purim because it was during a wine feast that Haman's plan was revealed.

Food, Wine & Megilah

As we continue our journey into the heart of why we are celebrating Purim, we are going to take a look at two traditions that are usually a part of the Purim celebration; the reading of the Megilah along with Feasting and Rejoicing.

The reading of the Megilah

It is Jewish custom for G-D’s people to gather during Purim and read the Megilah. The book of Esther is commonly known as the Megilah, which means scroll. Although there are five books of Jewish scripture that are properly referred to as Megilahs, this is the one people usually mean when they speak of the Megilah. Traditionally, G-D’s people will read the Megilah the night before and on the morning of Purim. It is customary to boo, hiss, stamp, and rattle gragers (noisemakers – in Hebrew they are called Ra’ashanim meaning “to make a lot of noise) whenever the name of Haman is mentioned. The purpose of this custom is to “blot out the name of Haman”

Feasting and Rejoicing (Esther 9:17, Esther 9:21-22)

It is also Jewish custom for G-D’s people to eat, drink, and be merry. According to the Talmud, a person is required to drink until he cannot tell the difference between “cursed be Haman” and “blessed be Mordecai” (Although this is true, a person should not become so drunk that he might violate other commandments or get seriously ill). There is no special food (except for Hamantashen- will explain later) or special rules behind the feasting or rejoicing… Just to have fun being together and to celebrate G-D’s faithfulness and protection.

Lets continue this custom as we gather together to feast and rejoice as we celebrate G-D’s protection and faithfulness in our own lives. We are using the heart of Purim to remind us that G-D has continually remained faithful to His people throughout time.

Purim- giving to the poor

Purim is a time for us to
rejoice, worship, and celebrate G-D’s protection and

faithfulness for his people.

In the book of Ester, Haman (the king’s right hand man), sent out a decree that on a certain day, all the Jews should be destroyed (Ester 3:8-15). Through prayer, fasting, and faith, Ester, along with Mordecai and other faithful Jews, pleaded for G-D to intercede on behalf of his people so that the Jews (G-D’s people) would be saved. God demonstrated his faithfulness to His people as he used Ester and Mordecai to offer the protection that was needed as they triumphed over there enemies.

-- At the end of the book of Ester, Mordecai commands the Jews “to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor. (Ester 9:22b)”. Since the time of Ester, the Jews (G-D’s people) have traditionally given gifts to the poor in order to honor this command and as an example of how G-D continues to remain faithful and take care of their needs. So, we continue to honor this command by taking time to give to the poor and remembering that G-D continues to remain faithful and take care of our needs.

Action: So, for the next couple of weeks lets take time as a community (G-D’s people) to think about how we can continue this tradition as we celebrate Purim. Lets aim for taking a collection on the day we celebrate Purim (march 4^th) and then think of ways that we can use that money to give it radically to people who need it.

Examples:

• take the money we would save on food, during the day we fast and give it to the poor

• take the money and do a soup kitchen thing and donate it to them for the food

• send it to Africa to help an orphanage

• find a begger on the street and give it to them

• take someone who is poor shopping

Pray about what G-D wants us to do with that money and then lets give it away!!!!!!!!!!!!

Man Child Birth - a.k.a kidney stones

I woke up at about 3:30am on thurs. morning in the worst pain that I had ever experienced in my life. I was in so much pain I was puking and at times really thinking that I would die. Sarah was in shock, worried, and not really sure what to do and I was in to much pain to think about anything at all. (i only wanted the pain to stop)

At that moment when neither of us knew what to do we were able to experience the love of God as we lived out what it means to be the church. sarah woke up some of our friends (people who are a part of our community) and asked them to come and pray for me. They came and gathered around me to pray for me. They continued to pray as they came together to figure out what to do next and as I walked around the house, layed in the fetal postion and occasionly got up to puke (because I was in so much pain). they all drove with sarah and I up to the hospital @ 4:30 in the morning. Stood next to sarah and prayed with her in the waiting room, stayed with me as I cryed out in pain, waited with me as we awaited the test results, talked to me when I was high on morphene and then rode home with us at 7:30 in the morning.

It meant the world to me to know that there were people who loved and cared for me this much.

Why is this a God sighting? Becasuse at this moment I was able to experience the love of God through the church (God's people).

Thank you God and thank you friends

scott sulek

My dentist rocks

after our funtime root canaling, she sat and talked with me for an hour and prayed with me. it turns out God has moved prophetically on her as in me in the same ways! and that she, like me, has been called to dance and is going to help me in this new intercession!! that alone is worth a gajillion bucks! and some lunatics (whom i love and am forever grateful for their lunacy) have blessed us with a financial offering towards the climbing teeth situation. hoo-ra.

Jillian

Cancer in remission

A couple of months ago there was a family whose car broke down right in front of our house. I walked outside to offer assistance. They said they didn't need any but I offered for them to ring our bell if they did. They later rang the bell to use the bathroom and we got to talking and found out that their six year old granddaughter, who was in the back of the car, had cancer. so, we gathered a couple of peeps around her to pray for her and her family.

We have been praying for them as a community for the past couple of months and have just received word that Adia's Cancer is in Remission!!!!

check out "prayer requests" on our message board for the entire journey

God changes Lives

A couple of God sightings ago there was a God sighting about a woman who was a part of our community who we called Hope.
This week she stopped by and looked differently then I had ever seen her look before. She stopped by with excitement about how God had been working in her life. She talked about how God has been blessing her financially, how God has been using her to impact peoples lives and that through the power of God she has been able to fight depression and the desire to take her life.
she has been able to impact people's lives as she has been able to give things to people who are in need, has been able to encourage people through life but also by sharing stories of how God has been impacting her life, by sharing Jesus with people and by praying for others as well. In fact she stopped by not just to share what God had been doing in her life but also so because she wanted us to join her in prayer for her friend who might have a brain tumor and so that he might be open for what God desires to do in his life. (this is from a woman that was not up for prayer at all a couple of months ago)

This is freakin awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

keep praying for her and her friend with a brain tumor

I'm an answer to prayer

It is soooo cool when you see God use you as an answer to prayer. And even cooler when you see God's people living life as the church. I called one of my buddies today just to see how he was doing. We talked about a couple of things and then he shared some of the things that he had been struggling with. I just took time to listen and encourage Him. I then asked if I could be praying for him regarding anything specfic. he just told me to be praying that God would give him wisdom regarding his decisions. He then thanked me because I had been used as an answer to prayer. he was praying that he could find someone that would understand what he was dealing with or the things that he had been thinking about regarding life, ministry, school, and some other descisions. He said that it was even an extra blessing to have that call today - it happened just when he needed it the most.

thank you God that you use us in crazy ways. that you use us to impact each others lives and that none of your people have to live this adventure on our own!