Devotional

For Auld Lang Syne

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For some of us
the New Year can’t come too soon. We must all admit that the past year has not
gone the way that any of us expected or hoped for. In keeping with my motto,
which I have previously declared is “like my blood type, B positive,” I am
trusting that ‘wrong shall fail and right prevail.’

On New Year’s,
likely the most popular tune year after year has been “Auld Lang Syne.” But I
would wager that many of us have no idea what those words mean, and some don’t
know the origin of the song itself. Let’s start with
the words. The literal translation of the Scots Gaelic words is, “old long
since.” 

Our version of
the song is from a poem accredited to famed Scottish bard, Robert Burns, in
1780.

Devotional

The Christmas Star

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Tonight Jupiter and
Saturn will align in a way they have not done for 800 years, causing the
formation of what will appear in the heavens much like we imagine the star
looked like that was followed by the Magi to find the Christ Child over 2,000
years ago. We know now that Jesus was
not born at the exact time that the Gregorian calendar starts over measuring
our years, months and days. We also know that it is highly unlikely that His birth
was in December. But the star was real. Around the time of His birth there were
some alignments in the heavens which could have been used by God to announce
the birth of our Savior.

Devotional

Afterthought

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This word conveys the notion that an idea or reflection
expressed was not a part of one’s original train of thought or plan. It has,
according to a major dictionary online, been in our vernacular since 1655-1665. The concept of an afterthought is found in the Greek word for repentance, which
is demonstrated by turning around and demonstrating the opposite point of view
and practice. In the Bible in Matthew 11:20–21,
the original Greek word here for repentance is μετάνοια
(metanoia), which translated literally is ‘thinking
after’ or ‘afterthought.’

The earliest verifiable printing of the actual word, in
the original text hyphenated from one line to the next, is in the English
translation by George Stanhope, D.D., of the French work by Pierre Charon, Of 
Wisdom, Three Books,  1697:

“…and to all he conversed
with; nay, to stake his Reputation for the Truth of  an Opinion and yet Time and AfterThought have demonstrated the direct Contrary;
This bold confiding Man, I say, will be taught from hence to distrust such
hasty Arrogance…”

As Christians and Templars God and His work and will should
never be an afterthought. God must come first in our lives.