Repost, With Additions, of "Amazing Grace in the Cree Language"

Someone recently recently viewed my post of the hymn “Amazing Grace” being sung in the Cree language.  I realized that I had provided no information about the Cree themselves.

The Nehiyaw tribe is commonly known in English as the Cree tribe.  They are one of the Native North American tribes. Their traditional language is part of the Algonquian group (see below at the # sign) of languages.  Here is a photograph of a young Cree man taken in 1903.

You may notice that the English transliteration of the language is inconsistent.  The same word is represnted as "kihci" and as "kitchi." This is quite common in the transliteration process.  The Chinese language, for example, was represented by at least twelve different transliteration systems before the adoption of the modern Pinyin system. 

#: The Algonquian group includes Arapaho, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Menominee, Ojibwe (Chippewa),  Shawnee, Potawatomi, Massachusett,  Miqmaq (Mi’kmaq), Mahican, Narragansett, and others.

You Will Be Unable to Keep a Straight Face

Everyone has at times been fidgity or sleepy or distracted at church.  Mr. Bean just takes it to extremes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh__g-ZZ6WA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01-ndBVwf3U

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Some of those listed may surprise you.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff: (b. 1912, England - d. 2005) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1976 - 1979. Baptist, converted to Atheist.

Margaret Hilda Roberts Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher: (b. 1925, England - d. 2013) 

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1979 - 1990. Methodist, converted to Anglican.

Sir John Major: (b 1943, England) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1990 - 1997, Anglican

Anthony Charles Lynton Blair: (b 1953, England) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1997 - 2007, Anglican, converted to Roman Catholic

James  Gordon Brown: (b. 1951, England) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 2007 - 2010, Church of Scotland

What They Think of Us: The Blasphemy Board Game

Board games are known to have existed since at least 3500 BC/BCE.  The first known was Senet in ancient Egypt.

Board games most often involve flat board surfaces marked with paths, trails, or countries and have a predetermined set of game play rules.  Game pieces are moved along the paths on the board toward a set goal.  Many board games involve the idea of battle and are played based on strategy or chance (often the roll of a set of dice) or a combination of the two.

Modern board games include Checkers, Chess, Parchisi, Risk, Candy Land, Go, Stratego, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Battleship, Monopoly, Rummikub, Jenga, Mouse Trap, Gnip Gnop, Scrabble, Sorry!, Twister, and many others.  There seems to be a board game for almost every taste. Here is one for people who think that Christianity is a joke.

The Blasphemy Board Game

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/33125/blasphemy

Each of the game pieces is a different colored Jesus.  The first Jesus to get himself killed wins the game.  Images of the game pieces:

http://boardgamegeek.com/image/275830/blasphemy

http://boardgamegeek.com/image/1193364/blasphemy

http://boardgamegeek.com/image/696983/blasphemy

Biblical Greek Word Studies: μετοικεσίας

I started trying to read my Greek New Testament again recently, and very soon realized that the old adage "use it or lose it" really is true.  What I have especially forgotten is the vocabulary.

As I work my way through the new Testament, starting with the book 

ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΝ,

"according to Matthew"), I plan on posting vocabulary studies.  I hope you find the posts to be useful.

The first word is metoikesias μετοικεσίας which appears in Matthew 1:17.  The word is from metoikizo which means "changing one's abode," "resettle," or "deport."

Πᾶσαι οὖν αἱ γενεαὶ ἀπὸ Ἀβραὰμ ἕως Δαυὶδ γενεαὶ δεκατέσσαρες, καὶ ἀπὸ Δαυὶδ ἕως τῆς μετοικεσίας Βαβυλῶνος γενεαὶ δεκατέσσαρες, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς μετοικεσίας Βαβυλῶνος ἕως τοῦ χριστοῦ γενεαὶ δεκατέσσαρες. (SBL Greek New Testament)

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and

from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations;

and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. (KJV)

Trivia: The Burial of Pope John Paul II

The burial ceremony of Pope John Paul II was the first time that the British Crown Prince, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, and the Archbishop of Canterbury were all concurrent;y in attendance at the funeral of a Pope.

What They Think of Us: Adolf Hitler

“Christianity is an invention of sick brains; one could imagine nothing more senseless.” Adolf Hitler

23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;  (1 Corinthians 1:23-27)