FUN UNDER THE SUN - GORHAM'S BLUFF

(Writing and photography by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Now is the perfect time to take a break and get away from it all.  There is a beautiful little escape just waiting for you.  It is not too far away, an easy drive from Birmingham.  It is not too crowded, and it is still (except for scheduled public events) rather hidden from the public attention.  This amazing place is called Gorham’s Bluff and it is located in the small town of Pisgah, Alabama.

In 1892 W.B. Gorham was deeded eighty acres of land by the US Government.  At that time Mr. Gorham was more fondly known by the locals as “Uncle Billy.”  Uncle Billy was a Confederate veteran who built his family a remote lean-to shack in a very isolated and lonely place on the bluff.  It was so lonely that his wife and children later decided to move back down to the valley where there were a few more people.  Uncle Billy, however; continued to live in isolation.  He spent his time growing strawberries, playing his fiddle and feeding himself well with the money he received from his soldier 's pension.

About one hundred years after Uncle Billy owned the land, it was purchased by a family named McGriff.  The McGriffs loved gathering their extended family together and having picnics at one of the huge rocks on the bluff. They called this pretty little area Picnic Rock.  In 1992 the McGriff’s decided they would like to share the area with others if they could think of a way to do so without distracting from the natural beauty of the land.  They came up with an idea for a fully integrated holistic community.  A Florida neighborhood called "Seaside" was inspirational to the McGriffs as they formed their first ideas for sharing their land.    A real estate agent from Seaside, Chris Kent, introduced the McGriff’s to an architect from New Orleans named Lloyd Vogt.  Mr. Vogt sat down and shared his ideas with the McGriff’s.  In their conversations he spelled out the qualities he thought defined the best of neighborhoods.  These qualities incorporated a seamless interlacing of history, culture and architecture.   Keeping these defining thoughts in mind, the group sketched out a town plan.  This is how the dream began to form for the future of a place now known as Gorham’s Bluff.

One of the first areas to be completed was the outdoor Amphitheater The lovely open-air theater sits on the edge of the bluff.  Existing trees and rock outcroppings were incorporated into the design of the natural and artistic structure.  Today audiences can enjoy a performance while at the same time enjoying the amazing view.  The outdoor amphitheater now fills up regularly with great performing artists from all over the country.  If you are interested in performing yourself you can rent the venue - just call (256) 451-8439 and speak with the Innkeeper at The Lodge.  Just keep in mind that the amphitheater closes by 11 p.m. 

Construction started on the first home of the development during the summer of 1993.  Mr. Vogt gave each home the signature look of the town.  They all contained front porches, tower rooms, scenic views, and natural surroundings.  You may purchase one of these homes if you want; just contact Gorham's Bluff Realty.

 

In 1994 construction began on The Lodge.  This lovely building opened to the public in 1995. There have been a steady stream of happy guests lodging in the pristine serenity of this place since that first day.  It is a wonderful place for conferences, reunions and weddings.  There are public events scheduled often that you would love to enjoy for a weekend.

Three years after the building of the Lodge
 another interesting structure was added.  It was the former 1938 Pisgah High School school house where the McGriff’s had attended high school.  The building was to be torn down in order to build a new more modern one, and the McGriffs decided to move the old building to Gorham’s Bluff.  It now stands in the heart of the land with a new roof on top and new bricks on the outside and has become a community arts and activities center.  

There is a lovely mixture of the old and the new, and it all works quite well. 

Adjacent to the old school/new community arts and activities center is The Gorham’s Bluff Meeting House, which was completed in 2001 and designed by  Lloyd Vogt.   The Meeting House has cathedral ceilings and floor to ceiling windows.  The building has excellent acoustics.  It is an perfect place for meetings, performances, and workshops.  There is also a bi-weekly nondenominational church meeting held here.

As the little town began to grow people bought lots and built houses.  The true mission of the property and community began to take shape and grow.  From early on the mission of the community has been to promote arts and cultural activities in the area.  A non-profit institute was formed to promote local artist and to give the people living in this region art that they might not have otherwise experienced.  The Meeting House became the stage for theater, concerts, dance and other artistic performances. 

One of the first performances, held at the Amphitheater, was the production of a play called “Foxfire.”  This Hume Cronyn play was directed by Joe Warfield, a New York University professor, in the summer of 1994.   Next was the Gerhart Chamber Music Festival.  The Institute began bringing in top-notch classical musicians and established their signature annual event called Concert under the Stars.  This event serves a gourmet meal for 200 guests and doles out amazing performances by world class musicians.  The people of the area love this annual midsummer bluff side evening. 

Soon The Alabama Ballet became interested in Gorham’s Bluff and established a week long summer dance residency on the premises.  At the time they had the idea to bring some of their talent to the community there was no place for them to rehearse and perform.  They improvised with an open tent/stage set near the bluff.  The tent was located near a great outdoor space for setting up tables and serving gourmet meals to the audiences during their performances.  This was a very successful idea.  The tent coupled with the intimacy of the bluff side panoramic view created a one of a kind experience for both the dancers and their audiences. 

Soon the Institute incorporated a Storytelling Festival into its growing schedule of events.  The power of the story and the spoken word of the narrative were brought forth by some renowned and amazing storytellers.  This success soon led to the formation of ARTSACCESS, the Institute’s arts-education outreach.  Storytellers started visiting public schools and held assemblies and workshops with visiting dancers and musicians.  Local libraries also began to participate.  This has greatly improved the exposure to various art forms in the education of school children in the area.

In 2001 the community held a charrette (an intense, focused architectural planning session.)  They decided to consult with Mr. Steve Mouzon of Mouzon & Associates, Architects; a traditional Town Planner in Huntsville, AL.  Mr. Mouzon took on the role of Gorham’s Bluff's Town Architect, and the town hosted 75 like-minded “souls” who were all believers of the Traditional Neighborhood movement.   These people moved in for awhile and were compensated only with four meals a day and a place to sleep.  The group consisted of a full list of impressive architects, planners, developers, writers, educators, etc.  In this 48 hour charrette the various artist sketched and talked and illustrated the ideas presented by the community.  Mouzon put it all together in one package and took the presentation to the Congress of New Urbanism’s 9^th Annual Conference in New York.    That conference provided a roundtable of feedback for the community to consider. 

Four significant revisions were identified and recommended:

1)     A new concept for Main Street that would  redirect the street so that the school’s “signature” cupola is the focal point as you approach downtown from either direction with the larger homes giving way to cozier two-story homes on smaller lots to make Main Street a more viable option for young professionals and families.

2)    A plan to move the elder residences closer to the center of the town, underlining the town’s desire to be a fully inter-generational community.  The services and amenities that were generally included in independent and assisted living centers (restaurants, hair salons, libraries, clothing and retail) would be expanded to serve the entire town, with the elder residences closest to all of them.

3)    It was decided to scrap; the idea to dam up the branch on the east side of town and turn that area into a place called “Shepard Park.”  The park preserves the meandering creek, leaves the forest and creates a play area for kids.  Some Birmingham architects, Jeff Dungan and Louis Nequette, were hired to design the Shepard Park Tree House, and it was built in 2002.  This is one of the favorite places for people to gather with their children. 

4)    It was decided to design an open air performance center at the crest of downtown Gorham’s Bluff.  The plan was changed to include a quad of artists and student residences as well as a black box theatre. 

From 2003 – 2007 the Institute moved to year round programs of small events utilizing the Amphitheater and the Meeting House.  They also began to offer community arts workshops.  They continued to bring art educational opportunities for local schools, but encouraged the schools to come to the bluff instead of the bluff going to the schools. 

So now the bluff has evolved into a thriving community of artist and educators who have built on the land and are living in the community.  They are always eager to share their art and teach something new.

If this sounds interesting to you, check the schedule of events on the blog located at www.gorhamsbluff.com  and see which event you need to sign up for.

The art I would chose to indulge in here is the art of the written word.  This would be a wonderful place for any aspiring author to retreat away into the quiet and natural beauty.  One could write for hours at a time, with refreshing breaks in between each session.  You could stroll the grounds, take in some great concerts in the evenings, hike or swim, or maybe even participate in a storytelling workshop or two. 

There is an elegant southern style restaurant at The Lodge, you would not have to drive off the property to be well fed.  Evenings are quite a treat with candlelight and a four course meal.  You might want to invite someone special to share these with you. 

This spectacular retreat perches on a stately ridge hundreds of feet above the mighty Tennessee River.  It has one of the most delightful views I’ve ever seen, totally surrounded by natural beauty.   You can gaze at the luscious landscape and take in the dazzling river below the ridge from your own comfortable chair off of your lodge room’s private porch, or from the windows inside your luxurious guest quarters.  There is a lovely large Gazebo behind the Lodge. 
Anywhere you care to be or go in this area contains some type of amazing view.  It is a very scenic way to start the day while having your morning coffee.  

This scenic bluff along a mountain ridge with a river running through it has more history than Uncle Billy and the McGriffs.  It is also known as the long ago land of the Cherokee Indians, who were also drawn to the magic of the bluff.   Every time we visit this place I remember that  my great grandmother was a Cherokee,  and I always wonder if any of the Cherokee ancestors from my own family might have roamed these grounds years before I was ever born.   

You can visit Gorham's Bluff any time you wish.  Just call The Lodge ahead of time to make your reservations for a room at The Lodge or to rent one of the guest houses on the property for your family or group of friends.  

I will warn you though, if you go, you just might want to stay forever.    

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COME AS A CHILD LESSON 88 RETURNING TO BETHEL

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

The things that happened with Dinah did not make Jacob a happy father.  

The things his sons did to defend her had only brought troubles upon Jacob’s family in the land.  

It was probably a huge relief that there would be no mixing of peoples because of it; but this was only because Simeon and Levi had killed every man in the area that was not a descendant to Jacob!  They had obtained justice for one man's sins by killing many innocent men.  That isn't a very godly way to go about things! 

Jacob thought the other tribes nearby would hear of this and be very disturbed and decide to ban together against his family in the land.  He knew it was probably only a matter of time.  At a loss of what to do next, Jacob got down on his knees and sought God’s help.

God answered Jacob’s prayers by telling him to return to Bethel in the land of Canaan, where God had blessed him before.  Jacob had wrestled with God in that very place just before meeting Esau and he had previously seen the ladder to heaven there with the angels ascending and descending.  

We all have a Bethel in our lives.  A place in time  where and when God prevailed over our humanness and showed us His good and godly plans for us.  If we forget this and lose our way, God usually instructs us to go back to that sacred place.  We need to revisit the place where He instructed us in righteousness and holiness and there He shows us who he has meant for us to be all along.  It often takes several trips back to Bethel for the lessons of God to sink down into our hearts and souls enough so that we can be obedient enough to let God pour out more blessings on our days.  When we find we can LIVE in that place in righteousness, it becomes a permanent home in our hearts and the sacred enters the ordinary through the everyday events of our lives.

This was probably the most holy place on earth to Jacob. The people in the area seemed to be calling Bethel "Luz" at this point.  We have discussed the mysteries and legends around the land of Luz in previous lessons.  

Jacob still called it Bethel.  He knew the place was especially holy; and he knew he needed to clean up his family in order for them to be able to enter this land and walk on this sacred ground.  

What happened to Jacob in this part of the story happens to a lot of Christians.  You sin ,(Jacob stole Esau's birthright and deceived his father); you need to move away from all that God has given you because you have held on to that sin, (Jacob had not reconciled with Easu); you leave and go to live with pagans instead of God's people.  Then while you are there you maybe come to your senses and try to make things right where you are and you can't quite get there because everyone you have surrounded yourself with is pagan. 

 Your children are born in a pagan land and they pick up pagan practices and ways from those they have grown up with.  It is very, very hard to change this unless you come clean from your sin, (Jacob faced God and Esau) and begin to teach your household Godly ways and begin to live in righteousness. 

 The very first thing that has to happen is that your household idols must be destroyed.  I wonder how many in Jacob's household wanted to hold on to them?  It would have been so much better if they had never known of them! 

We live and learn and so did Jacob.  He was determined to work through this.  Jacob had changed, and he could be just as stubborn about his change as he had been about his deceptions.  He wanted his family clean before they entered Bethel!

He gathered them together and commanded them to give him all of their foreign gods, which they did.  They also had earrings in their ears that seemed to be inappropriate and Jacob took them too and put them with the idols and he buried it all beneath the oak tree at Shechem.

That old tree had seen some history by now! 

So Jacob told everyone in his family to purify themselves and to change their clothes.  He informed them that he was taking them to Bethel, the place where he would build an altar to God and they would worship.  He also stated that at Bethel God had previously answered his prayers when he had been in distress,  and Jacob noted to everyone that God had been with him everywhere that he had been since his experiences at Bethel.  It is almost like Jacob looked at Bethel as a place of safety and refuge that was sacred and hallowed and he was expressing this to his family so they would understand where they were going. 

When Jacob gathered everyone together, all cleaned up and idol free, they set out on the journey.  The scriptures say the terror of God fell on all the towns around them and they were not harmed in any way as they traveled through the land.  Of course, I'm sure the rumors of what Simeon and Levi had done to those Shechemites helped a little too!  That still didn't mean they did the right thing.  God has a way of turning evil and using the outcome to bring some good somewhere.  It keeps the godly from totally losing hope in many hopeless situations.  It always increases shattered faith among the people.

When they arrived at Bethel (Luz) Jacob built an altar to God exactly in the spot where God had revealed Himself to Jacob as he was fleeing from his brother.  Jacob called this place El Bethel, which means “God of Bethel.”

Shortly after they arrived in Bethel Rachel’s nurse, Deborah, died.  Deborah had lived with and faithfully served Rachel all of her life; and she had selflessly left her home land and family and everything she knew to go with Rachel when she married Jacob.  This must have been a great loss to Rachel.   Even though Deborah’s title was servant, she had been like a Mother to Rachel.  Jacob buried Deborah beneath a great oak just outside of Bethel.  They named the area Allon Bakuth, which means “Oak of Weeping.”

Has God called you to be a servant too?  If so, be a servant like Deboarh, one that loves like a mother, one that is faithful in all things, one that blesses a family in a million little ways and one that will be very missed when they are called away from life's journey.  Deborah seems to have been the servant of all servants, a female example similar to Eliezer, the exemplary male servant of Abraham.   

As Jacob and all of his family worshiped God upon first entering Bethel; God appeared to Jacob again.  Jacob was reminded of all the things that God had said to him before.  God had changed his name from Jacob to Israel, and God had said “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number.  A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.  The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.  God reminded Jacob of these things he already knew as he worshiped at Bethel, then the scriptures say “God went up from him.”  

Jacob set up a stone pillar in that place and poured out a drink offering to God.  He also poured oil on the stone and he called the place, Bethel, which means “House of God.”

COME AS A CHILD LESSON 87 DINAH'S BROTHERS SEEK REVENGE

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

It seemed that things were finally moving in the right direction for
Jacob, but maybe that was an illusion. 

Have you ever had a time in your own life when you faced some huge obstacles, overcame them and moved on in the right direction, then had some uncontrollable circumstances caused from other people around you robbed you of the joy of that moment and completely took away all of your peace?  That is an old trick the devil uses a lot to get us back into the place where he wants us to stay.  In Jacob’s case the devil used his children. 

Jacob and Leah had a daughter named Dinah.  Dinah made friends with some of the Hivite women in the land and she went out to visit with them. 

Sounds innocent enough doesn’t it? 

More than likely it WAS innocent and unintended to cause problems.  Young women are often naive, and they often find themselves trapped in other people's schemes simply because of their innocence.  It is sad that these situations happen.  The best of families try to avoid such things by making sure their daughters are chaperoned and not allowed to be unprotected by the older and wiser.  Perhaps because she was Leah's daughter instead of Rachel's, Jacob had neglected to teach his daughter appropriate protocol.  Many a father has lived to regret such a thing.  Actually Leah too must share in the blame of this situation with Jacob.  This whole set of circumstances could never have happened if Dinah had been properly chaperoned or at home with her family tending to other things instead of mingling with unfamiliar cultures on her own.  Hindsight is always 20-20.

Hamor was the ruler in the area where Jacob was living.  He sold Jacob the plot of land where Jacob pitched his tents and built temporary dwellings for his animals.  

While Dinah was visiting, probably with the daughters of Hamor, Hamor’s son Shechem saw Dinah, took her and raped her.  He claimed to be in love with her and the scriptures say “he spoke tenderly to her.”  Shechem asked his father to allow him to marry Dinah. 

Not one word is said about Dinah’s feelings in this matter.  

One has to wonder with the way the scriptures are worded if Shechem really raped Dinah, or if some of this was by her own consent.  It is possible that she was also attracted to him.  There is no way for us to know the truth of the matter.  It also boils down to the fact that whether Dinah consented to Shechem's favors or not, she was not legally able to make such decisions.  Jacob was the only one who could make those decisions for her.

The next thing we know Jacob has heard that Shechem has raped his daughter.  Jacob heard this while his sons were off in the fields tending to the live stock.  Unlike a lot of fathers who would have rushed to the side of their daughter and brought her home immediately, Jacob waited until the brothers of Dinah came home and discussed the matter with them.  

When Jacob told Dinah’s brothers what had happened they were furious that a foreigner would have taken a daughter of Jacob and slept with her.   This too leaves you to wonder, was it really about rape or was it about a foreign person defiling the daughter of Jacob?  It could have been both.  These two totally different cultures would not have understood each other’s ways.  Add to that the unwise moves of a young girl.  All of the dishonor could have been unintentional, or it could have been complete evil.  It is hard to understand all of this and come to a certain conclusion.   

 In the meantime Hamor appears at the door of Jacob’s tent to talk.  He tells Jacob that his son is in love with Dinah and wants to have her as his wife.  Hamor then asks Jacob to allow his sons to intermarry with his people, to let his sons marry his daughters and to allow all of Hamor’s sons to intermarry with Jacob’s people.  In turn Hamor agrees to let Jacob live in ALL of the land that belongs to him (Jacob had already bought part of the land), to trade in the land and acquire more property in the land. 

While Jacob was doing business with Hamor, and we do not know that Jacob ever agreed to anything; Jacob’s sons had a little discussion among themselves.  They all agreed that Shechem had dealt deceitfully with them, and they intended to return the favor.

 

As the brothers were looking on, probably horrified that Jacob was even listening and entertaining the offer from Hamor, Shechem shows up to talk with Jacob asking for favor in Jacob’s sight.  He tells Jacob there is nothing he would not give to have Dinah as his wife.  He offers to pay any price Jacob names to obtain his bride. 

Jacob’s sons wanted revenge not money.  They decided to deceive Shechem

just as he had deceived them by being dishonorable in taking Dinah without permission.  They told him that Dinah would never be allowed to marry an uncircumcised man.  They said such a thing would be a disgrace to an Israelite!  There was one condition, however, that might bring them into agreement.  If the men of the land became like them and were circumcised they would agree to become one people with them and live among them.  They (Dinah's brothers) agreed with Hamor and Shechem and told them if you do this, then we will give you our daughters and we will also take your daughters for ourselves.  We can all settle this and become one people in the land.  But if Shechem and his men did not agree to this, there was no deal.

The proposal seemed good to Hamor and Shechem.  So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of the city and spoke to all the men of their city.  They persuaded every one of them to be circumcised “in order to increase the population of their people” and to “keep the peace in the land.”  They also mentioned that when this deal took place the property of Jacob, including all of his livestock, would become theirs.  How odd that we did not hear that in the negotiations between the sons of Hamor and the sons of Jacob!  Evil men will lie to get other men to agree with them politically. The men of the city saw this as a good business proposition, so they agreed to be circumcised.

I have to pause here and consider how many times in history one man’s sins have changed a nation like this.  One day they are living peacefully in the ways of their culture and someone does something wrong, presents it as right, deceives them into believing this one SIN is good for the nation and will bring positive change, and the people agree and walk straight into their own self-destruction.  I can't help but think of a time when some of the people of God will be tempted to take the mark of the beast.  It happens!  The blind follow the blind and good people are constantly forgetting to think for themselves or consult God, but like innocent little sheep they fall into the trap of believing every intention of their honored leaders are good and in their best interest.  The little sheep never consider whether the shepherd is good or bad, they just follow.  If your master is The Good Shepherd, you will know His voice.  Please do not follow any other voices!

   

Three days later, all the men of the land of Hamor were in pain as they were recovering from their recent circumcision.

 Two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, (who are believed to only have been teenagers at the time) took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, including Hamor and Shechem.  They killed every male inhabitant.  They took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left. 

The rest of Jacob’s sons came upon the city full of dead bodies.  They then proceeded to loot the city and seized the flocks and herds and everything else.  They carried off all the wealth and the women and children of the men from Hamor’s city as they plundered their houses.

They had not wanted a daughter of Israel to be married to another culture, but they did not mind taking the daughters of the other culture and submitting then to basically the same crimes that Dinah had to endure.  I don't think this would have been God's idea of justice.  Now Jacob's family had mixed with the people of the land, something that God had forbidden.  

When Jacob heard what Simeon and Levi had done he told them they had brought trouble to him by making him obnoxious to the Canaanites and the Perizzites who were living in the land and looking on at what had happened.   It seems odd that Jacob didn't mention to them that it was not God's will to blend the cultures or that they were forbidden from taking the women in the land as their own.

Jacob explained that their numbers were small and that these two people groups might join forces against them and out-number them and destroy them.  Had Jacob gone back to living in fear?   Do we all do this from time to time?  God grants us miracle after miracle and shows us He is on our side time after time, and we are still hearing the wrong old voices and forget that God has got our backs.  Fear should not be a Christian trait.

Levi and Simeon had only one reply, “He should not have treated our sister like a prostitute!”

Another trait that should not exist with Christians is revenge.  God is the judge.  We should let Him handle the revenge.  God always makes just decisions, men make many errors in judgement.  

Jacob's sons had repaid evil for evil.  Two wrongs do not ever make a right.  Justice had been over-served and the innocent victims of Hamor’s household were now suffering the consequences of their selfish rulers at the hands of Jacob’s zealous sons. 

It seemed Jacob was once again between a rock and hard place. Jacob knew God had promised to be with him and to bless him.  So Jacob turned to God in prayer, asking what on earth he should do next.

COME AS A CHILD LESSON 86 AN OLD FIGHT IS ENDED AND AN OLD PLACE IS MADE NEW AGAIN

(Writing by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

William Jennings Bryan once said “Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice.  It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.”  This was the case for two brothers about to face one another after years of unresolved anger. 

What would be the outcome of Jacob meeting Esau? 

No one knew.

 Neither brother knew how the other would react. 

Jacob was prepared for the worst case scenario.  He had divided his children among Leah and Rachel and their two female servants.  He put the female servants and their children in the front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear.  In other words; he put the one’s he loved the most in the most protected place. 

After everyone was in place Jacob looked up and saw Esau and his four hundred men thundering toward his caravan.  Jacob gathered all his courage and moved to the front of his family, dismounted his ride,  and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

To his utter amazement Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him.  He threw his arms around his neck and kissed him.  Together, right there in the middle of the land, the two brothers embraced and wept.  Years and years of tears were released, tears long held back and burden after burden was lifted from the struggling shoulders of two brothers that needed to forgive one another.  Finally they looked up from each other.

“Who are these with you?”  Esau asked.

“They are the children God has graciously given your servant” said Jacob. 

Then the female servants approached with their children and bowed down.  Next came  Leah and her children.  Last to bow were Rachel and Joseph. 

“What is the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?”  asked Esau.  “To find favor in your eyes my lord,” said Jacob.

Note that Jacob calls Esau “my lord” three times in this passage of scripture.  It was a fulfillment of Isaac’s blessing to Esau that we studied before.  The words are found in Genesis 27:40: “You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother.  But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck.”

“I already have plenty my brother,” said Esau.  “Keep what you have for yourself.”

“No, please!” said Jacob.  “If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me.  For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.  Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.”

Because Jacob kept insisting, Esau kept the gifts.   

Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.”    But Jacob told Esau that the children were young and they would be slow walkers.  He said he needed to care for the ewes and cows nursing their young.  The animals would not be able to journey another day without problems to their health.  Jacob told Esau to go on ahead and they would come slowly behind him when they had time to take care of all of their needs and the needs of the animals.  He agreed to meet Esau in Seir.  Esau offered to leave some of his men, but Jacob said that would not be necessary. 

Esau went to Seir, Jacob however went on to Sukkoth, where he pitched a tent for himself and his family and made them a temporary home.  He also made temporary shelters for his livestock.  That is why the place is called Sukkoth.  Sukkoth means “temporary shelters” and that is the name given for the festival and the Holy Days of God that comes for eight days each Fall season.  The temporary dwellings or booths used each year at Sukkot, are similar “temporary shelters.”  It is interesting to note that some of these shelters at Sukkoth were made for housing livestock; as so many people believe Jesus was actually born during the feast of  Sukkot, and he was housed in a manger in a place that provided shelter for livestock at his birth. 

Then Jacob crossed the Jordan and rode to Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city.  The blessing he had requested from God at Bethel; asking that he be allowed to return to his homeland in peace, had been accomplished.

Shechem is the narrow valley between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal, approximately 65km north of Jerusalem.  This strategic location was between the north and south and east and west main roads.  It was here that existed the well we now called “Jacob’s Well.”  That was not the only water supply though, there was conduit that ran out of a cave that also provided water to the residents in this area. 

For a hundred pieces of silver, Jacob bought the plot of ground where he pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, the Father of Shechem.  This was the second plot of land bought and paid for from money of Abraham’s descendants in the land of Canaan.  This spot was actually the same place where Abraham built the first altar to God when he first crossed into the promised land himself.  It was the same place, close to the same terebinth tree,  from  years earlier.  There Jacob set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel, which means El is the God of Israel, or Mighty is the God of Israel.

Seventeen centuries later a man named Jesus, a descendant of Jacob, would walk to this same city and go to this same well in the noontime heat.  There he would have an interesting conversation with a Samaritan woman who would lead many to believe that she had found The Messiah of Israel, the very Son of God.   

SEASONS - LIVING IN AWE

(Writing and photography by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

It is my own personal belief that God has given us the blessing of sacred times to help us to remember to make life-giving connections.  We do this through various forms of meaningful ritual and thoughtful personal transformation in our daily lives.  I think it is by sitting in prayer and meditation before our God that we become empowered to shine with His relevance into whatever corner of the world we find ourselves living.  God meets us where we are, but we have to be willing to take the journey.  The 10 Days of Awe are a lot like driving down the road of life and deliberately deciding to slow down, actually look at the scenery and not rush on by.  It is a pause from the typically busy hectic world.  It is a time out as we travel down the road of truth on our journey through the year.

I think of this every year as a Christian believer who observes the Days of Awe that begin on Rosh Hashanah and linger on through Yom Kippur. 

I don’t consider The Days of Awe to be only Jewish holy days.  My bible says God ordained these days forever, and I am a child of God.  I may be adopted into the family, but I am loved the same as those who were born into the family.  For me it is simply 10 days to reflect and pray about whatever transformations I need to make in the coming year to help the life I live better reflect more of the life of my heavenly Father and His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.   
  

Every year during this sacred time I begin to recall that I’ve made many terrible daily mistakes.  I’ve misspoken about friends and colleagues. At times I’ve been callous and dismissive.  Often I’ve had moments where I’ve projected my love into places where it does not belong, and then turned around and withheld it from places where it does belong.  In so  many life situations, I’ve let my insecurities paralyze me, or lead me into wrong actions.  I’ve devalued others, as well as myself, and often neglected my family, and neglected the world outside of my immediate family as well.  Perhaps it may seem strange that I admit to the crimes of most of the human race.  In short, I am painfully aware of my humanness and my lack of automatic holiness.  Realizing these things I come before God to repent.  I go to the people I know I've wronged and tell them I'm sorry.  I try to correct my actions by "doing" and not just using the words.

 

Some people feel that admittng these things to God and to their fellow human beings is shocking and repulsive.  They are afraid of facing their own imperfections.  Why do we always expect perfection from ourselves?  Am I being too hard on myself for stopping to think of these things and seeking the forgiveness of God during these 10 sacred days of this season?  After all, Jesus has me covered, right?  I know and believe with all my heart that He has forgiven my sins past, present and future, and has removed them as far as the east from the west.  So why would I stop to ponder such things and seek My Father’s Face for mercy and forgiveness during this time; is it really necessary? 

I feel it is very necessary, because it helps me to turn from wrong.  It takes me beyond just “believing” to living in a place of “being.”   God desires that we want to change.  It is not that I do not accept the grace so freely given by a loving Savior, I definitely do.  It is, however, that if I do not stop to engage these questions every year, I will simply continue to run through the days of my life filling myself up with idle distractions — shopping, vacations, career, social events — and will simply avoid the real work that needs to be done to bring about good authentic change.  Most significant of all is the fact that I would be trampling on that precious gift of grace that has been so freely given, taking the most precious thing that ever happened for granted, and making slight of what My Savior has done in giving His precious life for me. Setting aside this time honors God, My Savior Jesus Christ, and it sets me free from my own paths of careless self destruction.    

So, I welcome those awesome rituals of Rosh Hashanah that force me to stop, assess, redress, and recreate my life before God.  I welcome that opportunity each year to reengage, and to emerge from the paralysis of my own spiritual escapism. My encounter with Rosh Hashanah, The Days of Awe and Yom Kippur each year awaken within my soul the realization that it is time to wake up and stop running away and confess my faults to God, so that I may begin the sacred year with resting peacefully on The Rock of Jesus Christ.  

These High Holy Days teach me and help me to recognize that as human beings we are fundamentally different from objects, machines, plants and animals in that we are not rigid and unchangeable.  We have the ability to change if we chose, to turn, to keep trying until we are able to hit the mark that takes us to a higher place, that place that changes our hearts from duty to love, from rote worship to true desire. 

After each season has passed I feel the fresh peaceful place of knowing "Hayom harat olam" — today is the birth of something completely new. 

 I have the common sense to realize that God has given me a gift I never deserved. 

What could be more wonderful than this? 

What could be more refreshing? 

What could be a better way to enter a new sacred year?

What more could I ask from One who has already given His life for me? 

To steal a phrase from another season:  Dayenu! 

Each year the journey gets more and more interesting.  God has taught me to enjoy the challenges of life. As I bend to His will in my days, He helps me find the purposes He has created specifically for me.  Because I set aside this time every year, I know when the end of my journey comes, I can be at peace and enter safely into His joy.