Commissioned to blog spiritual stories

If you have been following up on my blog posts for a while, you would realise that I have begun to incorporate fictional storytelling. In earlier posts (see http://mses-soul.blogspot.ca/2013/04/a-change-of-direction-on-my-spiritual.html and http://mses-soul.blogspot.ca/2012/09/the-parable-of-zoo.html), I have justified the approach. In this post, I would like to provide an update unto the direction to be taken with this blog as it relates to storytelling.

Just to report, that on May 18, 2013, I had a dream in which kind of reminded me of the Silver Surfer in the movie of Fantastic Four. In this dream, there was a man-like being literally running for world domination. He was running through the earth, and everywhere he ran, the path behind him experienced earthquakes, with bridges and buildings falling down and the work of human engineers being destroyed.

When I awoke, I pondered the meaning of the dream, and it was as if the L-RD subtly spoke to me that I have been commissioned to blog (or write) what I call "apocalyptic" stories that would warn readers about the coming destruction and destructive forces to be unleashed on earth. It further dropped into my spirit that in the times of censorship, the Christian prophet, John (attributed as the author of the book of Revelation), wrote his book in apocalyptic imagery.

This revelation has been the first one that I have received this year since my birthday, and also at the beginning of the season of Pentecost, which is the anniversary when the Holy Spirit was poured out to the apostles. Further this commission is in agreement with earlier revelation that my missionary purpose is to be a literature evangelist publishing tidings or news information in spiritual perspective. As such, I have no doubts about this new commission. There are however some questions remaining as to whether I need to establish a new blog to signify the change in direction or purpose and maintain this one to deal with sermons and conversations about spirituality and theological topics. I have however, started this other blog titled Apocalyptic Blogger to blog about those stories for which I have received the new commission for. Feel free to check out this other blog, for which I will go out of my comfort zone to work on images and graphics to help illustrate the stories.

Demise and Rebirth of the Caribbean Challenge and the need for Caribbean Christian magazines

Yesterday while waiting for my doctor's appointment, I foraged for a magazine in the basket provided for something to read during the wait. I saw the Caribbean Challenge a magazine that I remembered the title, for during high school as a member of the Inter-Schools Christian Fellowship (ISCF), I used to sell that magazine, promote it and even purchased and read it. I was about to bypass that magazine, for something "more educational" when I realised that that was 1) the unchristian thing to do and, 2) that the other magazines were not educational but more gossip, entertainment and lifestyle magazines such as Ebony etc.

I pulled up the Caribbean Challenge and began browsing. From the Editor's note, I realised the news that the the Caribbean Challenge went out of business. Further, I discovered that this magazine was now being published by the Caribbean Graduate School of Theology (CGST).

This morning I searched for the Caribbean Challenge online and found this:

Jamaica’s Christian magazine, Caribbean Challenge is going out of business, reported the Jamaica Gleaner. The magazine, published by Christian Literature Crusade in Jamaica for more than 50 years, once had a circulation of 30,000 in the region. Eaton Facey, who served as its editor, told the Gleaner that it was “a painful decision” to shutter the magazine (Tainsay).

I also checked the Gleaner's site for the original story which I found. If you have the time, check Dawes.

As I browsed through the new Caribbean Challenge under new management available online through the following link: http://cgstonline.org/images/chall.pdf I made several observations and notes that I want to share.

The new magazine is greatly needed, but unfortunately seems like a promotional magazine or brochure for CGST. Nevertheless, I observed that even in this regard the magazine has sought to make theology accessible to the common man and applied to daily life.

My concerns though as a trained Librarian were:

1. the absence of a publication date on the cover or elsewhere in the magazine. 
2. the absence of publication information or even an editorial statement on how frequently it would be published and
3. opportunities for letters to the editors and for readers to write back

The points of concern are really technical in nature and based on best practice and knowledge in my field of study. My ability to see these issues really highlights my awareness of where G-d has led me. In my secular and vocational studies, G-d has given me the opportunity to know what makes a good publication for libraries and booksellers. In fact, my vocational and secular education pursuits are in line with my spiritually revealed purpose of literature evangelism (please pray into that purpose for me).

I do see a need for a Caribbean Christian magazine and specifically for the Caribbean Challenge:

• to answer questions for people who are searching and those who seeking answers to theological questions. Such a magazine should provide answers that help people  to end their search and find Christ, to better understand the Bible or be challenged to deepen their spirituality, spiritual knowledge, quality of life/living and walk with G-d.
• to make theology accessible to the common man and applied to daily life
• to provide an opportunity to think about G-d and his will for humanity collectively and personally in a format that is graphic, modern and relevant to the information needs of the current generation

Works Cited:

Dawes, Mark (Religion Editor). "The demise of the 'Challenge'" Jamaica Gleaner Saturday | December 6, 2008 http://mobile.jamaicagleaner.com/20081206/news/news5.php


Tiansay, Eric. " CRI News Beat: Starfield; Soraya Moraes; Caribbean Challenge; Acoustic Gospel Vol. 2" Christian Retailing News Beat MONDAY, 09 FEBRUARY 2009 http://www.christianretailing.com/index.php/news/industry-news/news-beat/18359-cri-news-beat-starfield-soraya-moraes-caribbean-challenge-acoustic-gospel-vol-2

Children Bible Story Books Part 2

I have always felt called into a publishing ministry. My spiritual vocation is to be a literature evangelist.

I am so glad that G-d has intersected this spiritual calling with my temporal calling. I am a Librarian and Information Specialist by training, and through this profession, I have learnt so much about publishing and the reading interests of people.

When I became a parent in 2008, a new world was open to me. Now I had to be responsible for my child's spiritual and cognitive development. Reading materials were crucial, but these materials would have to be accurate. I found all the available material both Christian and non-Christian inadequate. For non-Christian mateirals, references are made to fairies or witches. For Christian materials, pagan festivals or unscriptural practices or beliefs were present.

However, what has impressed me more than anything else is my experiences in a variety of Fellowships. None cater for my daughter's age range. The closest Fellowship that meet the needs of infants and toddlers is the Andrews Memorial Seventh-Day Adventist Church. So as much as I am more doctrinally diverse and liberal than the denomination, it is the one that has the best structured children programme for infants and toddlers. The details of its programme I will not go into.

However, the important issue here is their quarterly and the GraceLink Curriculum. The Beginner's quarterly for me is riddled with cultural issues of irrelevance to my child. Things that she does not see in her daily life experiences, as well as images that are not culturally relevant. Further, there are some issues of human viewpoints coming out. For instance, in the Beginner's 3rd Quarter for 2009, the celebration of birthdays is raised. Clearly the Bible has only one two indication of the celebration of birthdays - Herod and Jesus. With the Jewish calendar, I am not even sure that it was flexible to celebrate birthdays (See my blog post: Reasoning on JESUS's birthday).



This experience is now inspiring me to contemplate the writing of Christian reading material for toddlers and infants that will communicate the stories of the Bible in a form that is culturally relevant, that when chidlren interact with animals on a daily basis, they can remember G-d's word.

Pray for this ministry and initiative.

Works Cited:
Beginner Bible Study Guide: Third Quarter Vol. 33 No. 3 ,2009.

Children Bible Story Books Part 1

Being a parent has made me even more appreciative of the reading needs of toddlers. However, I am most concerned about Christian toddlers (I am not sure about the Jewish situation). Many of the Bible story books that exist for toddlers contain the errors of modern day Christianity.

To make matters worse, the children Bible story books contain images that do not culturally represent my West Indian culture. In the West Indies, acceptance of Christianity has been made difficult by the historical legacy of slavery, colonisation and exploitation. This has lead to the development of Rastafarianism which repaints the Messiah as a black man. Also it has lead to the development Revival or Poco Church, where African retention and spiritualism is retained and intermixed with Christian elements. (In a future post, I will discuss the Rastafarianism and Revival Cults with the relevant citations. Today, I just want to focus on the Children Bible Story concept.)

I hate to see Bible story books that paint cultural images - like a white Jesus or the incorporation of Easter and Christmas concepts. We know that Jesus was a Semite and would look like a modern day Palestinian. Further, Easter and Christmas are originally pagan concepts not even spoken about in the Bible. They were not festivals given to Jews and were not commanded by Scripture. They came after, based on theological interpretation and acculturation.

Based on these issues, I feel spiritually desirous of creating my own Bible story books that will avoid these errors. Instead, I want children to see images of animals that are a part of the stories in the Bible. This is culturally neutral as all children from all cultures can relate to animals.

It is hoped that children through reading these stories can learn about the animals and the sounds they make, as well as learn Biblical facts for future analysis and interpretation.

Thus when a child is of age, they may ask questions for further information about the story behind the animal, and the adult can explain or lead them to the Bible passage.

Also, I believe that G-d used the same strategy. He first cause Adam to name the animals, before he introduced Eve to him. That way Adam had to relate to animals first, before he could relate to Eve.

That way Adam by seeing the animals in pairs learnt about his own social needs and need for companionship, and that animals could not fill the void. He learnt so much from watching the animals, that when Eve came, he was so excited and said "bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh" -Translation - Alas, someone that I can relate to.