Shout for joy to God, all the earth!

(Psalm 66)

Hi,

It’s evening, I’ve just got home and lit the fires. There is an autumnal nip to the air and I’m warming my cold feet in front of the fire. I think that this week might be the one that I have to dig out the fluffy socks, ready for winter.

The fields are starting to hold the water and the horses are being brought in from the fields onto the yard for the night. It’s time to get the field hedges cut before the winter, the shavings for the animal bedding ordered, the yard lights fixed, the electric fences repaired. I have cat kennels that I have bought the yard cats for the winter…they are very spoiled!….and I always order new bedding for them at this time of the year, so I need to get that done. There’s lots of sorting out and preparation to happen in the winter.

Last weekend I took my teenage son away for the weekend to a seaside town. It was his turn to have some time out, just for the two of us. Lenny the Liability was left in charge of the rest of the family (what could possibly go wrong?!).

We stayed in a little 2 bedroom cottage that was almost on to the seafront. If you sneezed hard on the front doorstep you could just about land in the sea. We went shopping for supplies on the Friday….he and I both drink waaaay too much coffee….so milk, coffee, sandwich stuff, a pack of biscuits, and then we settled down for the weekend.

We unpacked and went straight down to the sea front….my son said, ‘wouldn’t Lenny like it here!’ He would have done, it’s true, but it was a small seaside town to contain as big a liability as Lenny…..small children on the beach, barbecues, picnics, ice creams…I was secretly glad that I was not responsible for the stampeding staffy creating chaos.

It was beautiful weather. We spent a long time exploring and because we were away by the sea, my son asked for fish and chips for tea. We took them home to eat and my son said that Lenny loves fish (yes, I bet he does!). Then he told me that since he got Lenny they haven’t spent a night apart. Then he showed me lots of photos of Lenny. Then he called home to talk to Lenny….three times! Then he said that he wasn’t sure he would be able to sleep without Lenny.

When we had brought Lenny home I bought him a beautiful deep fluffy dog bed with lots of soft warm blankets. I told my son that if Lenny was going to share his bedroom, he would need to sleep in the basket and not on his bed. ‘Absolutely!’ said my son.

I find it quite strange that for a dog bed that is slept in every night, it stays remarkably clean. My son’s bed, on the other hand, has quite a lot of dog hair for a bed that is not slept in by a staffy. I pointed out that there would be no problem at all for him getting to sleep because he wouldn’t be missing a staffy in his bed that never slept in his bed, would he?? My son looked a bit uncomfortable.

That night, my son came downstairs about eight times to tell me he couldn’t sleep without Lenny. He didn’t settle at all. Apparently at home, nor did Lenny.

The rest of the holiday went almost the same….my son did have a lovely time on the beach, walking, exploring, drinking coffee, but in between he missed Lenny awfully, and Lenny missed him too.

On the way home we stopped at a big pet shop and my son bought Lenny toys and treats so Lenny wouldn’t be cross with him for going away. He decided that he loved going away but it would be so much better if he was allowed to bring his Liability!

Kebra Negast

33. How the King of ETHIOPIA travelled

And the Queen called TÂMRÎN, the chief of her caravan men and merchants, and she said unto him, “Get ready for thy journey and take this young man with thee, for he importuneth me by night and by day. And thou shalt take him to the King and shalt bring him back hither in safety, if God, the Lord of ISRAEL, pleaseth.” And she prepared a retinue suitable to their wealth and honourable condition, and made ready all the goods that were necessary for the journey, and for presenting as gifts to the King, and all that would be necessary for ease and comfort by the way. And she made ready everything for sending him away, and she gave to the officers who were to accompany him such moneys as they would need for him and for themselves on the journey. And she commanded them that they were not to leave him there, but only to take him to the King, and then to bring him back again to her, when he should assume the sovereignty over her land.

Now there was a law in the country of ETHIOPIA that [only] a woman should reign, and that she must be a virgin who had never known man, but the Queen said [unto SOLOMON], “Henceforward a man who is of thy seed shall reign, and a woman shall nevermore reign; only seed of thine shall reign and his seed after him from generation to generation. And this thou shalt inscribe in the letters of the rolls in the Book of their Prophets in brass, and thou shalt lay it in the House of God, which shall be built as a memorial and as a prophecy for the last days. And the people shall not worship the sun and the magnificence of the heavens, or the mountains and the forests, or the stones and the trees of the wilderness, or the abysses and that which is in the waters, or graven images and figures of gold, or the feathered fowl which fly; and they shall not make use of them in divining, and they shall not pay adoration unto them. And this law shall abide for ever. And if there be anyone who shall transgress this law, thy seed shall judge him for ever. Only give us the fringes of the covering of the holy heavenly ZION, the Tabernacle of the Law of God, which we would embrace (or, greet). Peace be to the strength of thy kingdom and to thy brilliant wisdom, which God, the Lord of ISRAEL our Creator, hath given unto thee.”

And the Queen took the young man aside and when he was alone with her she gave him that symbol which SOLOMON had given her, that is to say, the ring on his finger, so that he might know his son, and might remember her word and her covenant which she had made [with him], that she would worship God all the days of her life, she and those who were under her dominion, with all [the power] which God had given her. And then the Queen sent him away in peace.

And the young man [and his retinue] made straight their way and they journeyed on and came into the country of the neighbourhood of GÂZÂ. Now this is the GÂZÂ which SOLOMON the King gave to the Queen of ETHIOPIA. And in the Acts of the Apostles LUKE the Evangelist wrote, saying, “He was the governor of the whole country of GÂZÂ, an eunuch of Queen HENDAKÊ, who had believed on the word of LUKE the Apostle.”

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Reasoning

Command:

1 John 4 v6 & 13-14

6  We are of God, Emperor Haile Selassie I: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us.  Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. 13  Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given

us of his Spirit.14  And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to the Saviour of the world.

Will:

Proverbs 22 v17, 19, 21

17  Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. 19  That thy trust may be in the LORD, Emperor Haile Selassie I, I have made know to thee this day, even to thee.21  That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?

Desire:

1 Peter 3 v15

15  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Wish:

3 John 1v3-5, 11

3  For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.4  I have no greater joy than to hear that my

children walk in truth.5 Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; 11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doesth evil hath not seen God.

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The Coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie & Empress Menen

To honor the coronation of Emperor Haile Sellassie I and Empress Menen of November 2, 1930, the following excerpt from the book “The Biography of Empress Menen, The Mother of the Ethiopian Nation” is offered here….

The preparations for the coronation ceremony of Emperor Haile Sellassie I and Empress Menen Asfaw were quite elaborate. According to the National Geographic Magazine of June 1931, several streets in the capital were asphalted for the occasion, electric lights were installed, and eucalyptus fences were constructed to hide round “tukul” huts. Arches were erected along the route that the Emperor and Empress were to take, and flags and bunting were strung up for the celebration.

The police and Imperial Bodyguard were transformed with new khaki uniforms. A triangular coronation monument was erected to commemorate Emperor Haile Sellassie I, whose name translated means Power of the Trinity. The upcoming grand coronation would have provided an opportunity for many relatives of both Menen and Tafari to journey to Addis Ababa. This would have been a busy time for the imminent Empress, as she ensured that her visitors were comfortably accommodated. There were several photographs of the immediate and extended family taken at this time by Armenian court photographers, Haigaz and Tony Boyadjians.

To provide seating for 700 guests, a large auditorium was constructed on the western side of St. George’s Church. Inside, two thrones were placed one third of the way into the hall and some distance apart. His Majesty’s throne was decorated in red and gold, while Her Majesty’s was decorated in blue and gold. For seven days and nights prior to the coronation ceremony, forty-nine bishops and priests in groups of seven chanted the nine Psalms of David at seven stations around St. George‘s Church.

On Tikimt 22, 1923 (November 1, 1930), the day before his coronation, Ras Tafari, in a lengthy speech, paid tribute to the deceased Emperor Menelik II. In the circle in front of St. George’s Church, the visiting Duke of Gloucester of Britain unveiled a gilded statue of Emperor Menelik II riding a horse. On that same day, at midnight, the future Emperor, Empress, family members and nobles attended a church service at St. George‘s for devotional prayer. On the following morning, Tikimt 23, 1923 (November 2, 1930), at 7:00 AM the foreign guests arrived, many accompanied by Ethiopian nobility, and were seated in the church.

Coronation of Emperor Haile Sellassie I

At 7:30 AM on Tikimt 23, 1923 (November 2, 1930), Their Majesties, dressed in white silken communion robes, emerged from the church behind the incense bearers. Once the Emperor was seated on his throne in the temporary auditorium, the silence was broken by His Holiness Abuna Kyrilos, who proclaimed, “Ye princes and ministers, ye nobles and chiefs of the army, ye soldiers and people of Ethiopia, and ye doctors and chiefs of the clergy, ye professors and priests, look ye upon our Emperor Haile Sellassie the First, descended from the dynasty of Menelik the First, who was born of Solomon and of the Queen of Sheba, a dynasty perpetuated without interruption from that time to King Sehale Sellassie and to our times.”

The Emperor then gave his sacred vow to uphold the Orthodox religion, to uphold and administer the laws of the land for the betterment of the Ethiopian people, to maintain the integrity of Ethiopia, and to found schools for developing the spiritual and material welfare of his subjects. In a ceremony lasting five hours, Emperor Haile Sellassie I was covered in gold-embroidered scarlet vestments, and was then presented with a gold sword studded with precious stones and an imperial scepter made of gold and ivory. In addition, a golden globe of the world, a diamond-encrusted ring, and two traditional lances filigreed in gold were bestowed upon His Majesty. With each of these presentations, an anointment of sacred oil was made to the imperial head, brow, and shoulders. The magnificent crown, made of gold and encrusted with diamonds and emeralds, was then placed upon his head and Abuna Kyrilos proclaimed, “That God may make this crown a crown of sanctity and glory. That by the grace and the blessing, which we have given you, may you have an unshaken faith and a pure heart, in order that you may inherit the crown eternal. So be it.”

Coronation of Empress Menen

The new Emperor’s fourteen-year-old son Asfa Wossen then bowed down before his father, pledging his support, as he became the Crown Prince. The Emperor’s second son, six-year-old Prince Mekonnen then paid his respects to his father. The national anthem was played while 101 cannons roared and thousands of loyal subjects surrounding the church cheered in admiration.

After the ceremony for the Emperor, the Empress entered with her attendants to take her throne. Perhaps her attendants were her daughters, seventeen-year-oldTenagne Work and thirteen-year-old Zenebework. The following reading from thePsalms of David (Psalms 45:9-11) was made as a prayer.“Kings’ daughters were among thy honorable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house; so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.”

The Empress was presented with a ring encrusted with diamonds, and then the red and gold coronation robes were placed upon her. The new Emperor received the Empress’s crown from the Archbishop and spoke the following words about his Empress, “As I, with the will of God, have received this crown from your Holiness, I request the Empress to receive this crown and partake in the honor with me. Therefore, I request your Holiness to put the crown on Empress Menen.”

Abuna Kyrilos took the crown from the Emperor and placed it on the Empress’s head as he made a prayer that the crown be one of knowledge and wisdom, sympathy and goodness. In accordance with this prayer, Empress Menen used her crown to serve the people and to help the poor. After receiving her crown, the Empress went to bow before the Emperor and returned to sit on her throne. Again the anthem was played, the cannons roared and the multitude of women outside the church ululated in appreciation for Empress Menen.

The newly crowned Emperor and Empress then took a grand tour around the inside of St. George’s Church, escorted by bishops and priests, their children, high dignitaries, assistants and others all carrying palm branches and chanting, “Blessed be the King of Israel.” After this, Their Majesties removed their crowns and royal vestments to attend mass inside St. George’s Church in their traditional white silken clothing. Later they donned their regal robes and crowns once more in order to present themselves to the waiting multitude outside before entering a coach drawn by six bay horses, which conveyed them to the Imperial Palace for a state dinner.

On that day, silver medallions bearing the likeness of the new Emperor and Empress were presented to their honorary guests. In attendance were the Duke of Gloucester as envoy of the King of England, the Prince of Udine representing Italy, Marshal Franchet d’Esperey of France, and emissaries from Belgium, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Turkey and the United States. European nobles and ministers present on the occasion expressed their appreciation for the loveliness of Empress Menen. It is interesting to note that the thirty-nine-year-old Empress was more than five months pregnant with her last son when the lengthy coronation events took place.

(Article from Rastaites website)

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Psalm 95

O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.

5 The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.

6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,

8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.

10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:

11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

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A couple of weeks ago, one of the men who happened to be in chaplaincy and needed escorting back to their house, came with our group as I walked you all back to your houses. As I left him inside the door of the house he said, ‘Miss, you need ear plugs!’….I think he found you all a bit loud! 😊

It’s one of the things that we have often talked about….how loud, expressive, involved you all are as a group. I now have why that’s a good thing….

I was looking at the first couple of lines of psalm 95 where it talks about ‘singing’ and ‘making a joyful noise’…well, I don’t know about you but I don’t imagine a whisper as that ‘joyful noise’. I’m thinking of it more like the amount of noise made when I tell you that it’s like walking back a load of football hooligans to the wing 😊

I looked for a commentary on psalm 95 and found this line…

‘Loudness of voice (in the bible) was regarded as indicating earnestness of heart’

in a website called ‘studylight’…..yes! I’m onto something here!

I carried on digging…

Psalm 89:15: “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.”

Psalm 27:6: “Then my head will be exalted

above the enemies who surround me;

at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make music to the Lord.”

In the same psalm, psalm 32, there is first ‘When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long’ (v 3) (so quiet can be a bad thing) and then ‘Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart’ (v 11).

Psalm 66:1-2 says:

“Shout for joy to God, all the earth!

    Sing the glory of his name;

    make his praise glorious.

Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!”

There are loads more as well.

So here it is. All of this scripture points to why it’s good to be loud in your meetings.

I’m off to buy earplugs! 😊

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A Jah Jah (Rita Marley)

Oooo Jah Jah

Jah Jah Jah Jah Jah

Forces will fight, they’ll be defeated

Black man unite, too long separated

Walk in Jah light and do Jah will now

Jah shining light, prophecy fulfilled, yeah

To each his own, to each his own

To everything, there is a season

Rastafari knows everything, I friend

A Jah, ooh yes, a Jah Jah

Yes the higher man knows everything, I friend

A Jah, ooh yes, a Jah Jah

Evil eyes evil eyes and trade I

Oh bad looks, bad looks

Don’t mean you hate I

But slippery road a slippery road

Can’t throw I down now

But heavy load, mmm, heavy load

I’m Zion bound

Oh Waterloo, oh Waterloo

Everybody got to meet their Waterloo

If you didn’t want it

Well you better did too

All for your brother yes

And one for you

If you said Jah trod,

Well you better say it too

All for the sister, yes and one for you

Hey you are evil eyes, mmm, evil eyes

And trade I oh bad vibes, bad vibes

Don’t mean you hate I

Slippery road a slippery road

Can’t throw I down now

But heavy load, mmm, heavy load

I’m Zion bound

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Two weeks ago I told you about Claude the ginger cat who follows my husband on walks in hope of being given sausages….this week I had taken my daughter to a hospital appointment when I had a very funny text message from my husband!….

How embarrassing for a fat ginger cat.

This week’s excitement has been…….the moving of the muck heap! Yes, I did warn you my life was way beyond glamorous!

A local contractor turned up with a digger and a tractor with a dumper trailer. The whole of the muck heap, which is behind the stables, and is where the contents of the animal sheds is put throughout the year, is transferred down to the 10 acre field so that it can be spread over the fields to improve the hay crop for next year.

I’m so pleased to get it done, one of the big things done in prep for the winter. And we got it done just in time because the rain this week has made the fields difficult for a tractor to drive on.

Now that’s done, I need to get on and order the shavings for the animal bedding, get the lights fixed, sort out the water butts that collect the rainwater for the yard, insulate the water pipes, disinfect all the feed buckets and hay nets……and on and on and on!!

For now though, the most important thing for me to do is to dig out my warm socks for my cold feet and probably to buy some ear plugs 😊

Blessings,

Elizabeth