Sound the Shofar!

 

A Book for Our Times...

Go Set a Watchman!

By Thomas Greaves

My friend, Thomas Greaves, leads the Shofar Ministry at our congregation, Beth Israel Worship Center in Wayne, NJ. He's written a book and the book has been released this week. It's available at Amazon.com.

I asked Thomas to share why he wrote the book and his vision for it. This is what he told me:

"As a career military veteran, I felt God's hand gently urging me to write just before the COVID virus hit us, to encourage all of us to be open instruments for God's purposes. I wrote this book to call us to action in this increasing spiritual darkness as watchwomen and watchmen, to stand in this late "hour" as prayer warriors who never rest until our Messiah comes.

My vision for this book is for us to keep using the full armor of God in spiritual warfare, to be open instruments to God's personal calling on each of us. I want to encourage all to be that open instrument to be used by our coming King, as our assignment is not complete; not yet. As this world gets darker, we must be God's instruments of light. We must stand ready, for the trumpet will sound. The King is coming and His arrival is imminent!" 

The book is available now with hard and soft covers and an ebook is in the process of being created. By the way, that's Thomas blowing the shofar on the cover. I congratulate my author/friend and wish him much success! 

And speaking of watchmen & shofars...

I have a poem to share with you from my 2006 Holyland pilgrimage:

Photo credit: pixels.com

MARCO SOUNDS THE SHOFAR

Israel Pilgrimage—2006

 

Marco bought a shofar in Galilee—

a long and spiraled Yemenite shofar

made from the horn

of a kudo antelope

 

With a deep and steady breath

Marco blows its harrowing thunder

over the Mount of Olives

the Western Wall

the Jordan River

and just about every site

we visit in holy Zion

 

trumpeting its long distinctive wail

to jolt us from our complacency—

 

Wake up!

 

Warning all hearers:

 

Prepare! Repent!

 

Wake up! Oh, Sleepers—

Wake up! and follow the Lord, your God!

 

Anne brought her tambourine

from New Jersey—

It’s shaped like a Star of David

Colorful ribbons stream

from its six points

 

Like Miriam, Anne lifts it high

and dances with delight

praising Adonai with worshipful women

from all over the world

as their swirling skirts sweep the ground

It’s Shabbat, in Jerusalem

at the Western Wall

 

and I bought a tallit in Tiberius—

blue and white like the Israeli flag

with knotted fringes in the corners

to remind me God’s promises are true

 

a traditional prayer shawl

to wrap snuggly around my shoulders

like God’s loving arms

enfolding me

as I pray

 

Maude Carolan Pych

Get Ready for Lent...

Maude's book, "Behold the Lamb...poetically!"

is a compilation of poems about the Birth, Death & Resurrection of Jesus.

It's available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

For more information go to: www.maudecarolanpych.net