#i think deuteronomy also heavily feels the difference

[the-cat-at-the-theatre-door]

Thinking about Deuteronomy again, being that first point of contact for most cats in being welcomed into their family, newborns and new additions alike, but I'm thinking specifically about cats who were perhaps born into their group, left, and *then* came back, and how those are usually situations where Deuteronomy can sort of...tell if they'll be back when they do leave. He can't say anything about it, but he knows. Cats who know him very well can almost catch the expression that indicates one way or the other when he's informed of their leaving if he believes they'll be back. And - outside of the occasional anomaly - he's usually right about it.

He remembers, distantly, holding a little grey queenkit in his arms during one of his visits years and years ago, fresh faced and lovely, thinking: "This one will do big things" - not great things, not even potentially successful things, but big things nonetheless. He remembers a whisper of her little voice filled with confidence fading suddenly into silence; remembers thinking he hoped she would eventually find whatever it was she couldn't here, that she would find her way back when it was time, carefully avoiding the even stare of her mother as he passed her back.

And when he holds that little grey queen in his arms decades later, just when he thought he'd been wrong, only a little bigger, the sharp curves of her bones jutting from her fur, face so much older now, he sees that little one again, and smiles. Murmurs: "Welcome home", before he passes her onto the stars, hoping she finds her way back again to make up for lost time.

[jellicle-home-for-jellicle-ships]

Day 18 of Jellicle Ships Month:

Asparagus, Babygriz, Young Deut, and Chorus Tugger!

Today's theme is: the chorus/opening number version of four major characters!

It's entirely up to you how you intepret them.

Are these just the younger versions of the familiar characters? Are they different characters altogether? Are they relatives? or reincarnations? Or are we just removed into an abstract world of Essence of Cat?

And, most importantly for Jellicle Ships month: what cats are they closest to?

Let's have a look at them all...

(Photos and summaries below the cut.)

Asparagus / young Gus / "Peter":

Asparagus (or ‘Chorus/Young Gus’) is the chorus version of Gus the Theatre Cat, wearing just his base unitard with a ragged fringe around his neck and shoulders—and, in some productions, trousers. (Gus’ solo outfit includes a big cloak like an old blanket, and more elaborate makeup.)

(Note: a lot of what follows can apply to the chorus versions of Deuteronomy, Grizabella, and even Tugger, so it won't be repeated for them.)

Depending on the production, Gus and Asparagus might be played as if they’re the same cat (just as Jennyanydots is still herself whether in her solo or chorus costume), or Asparagus may be played as a younger cat, closer to Skimbleshanks’ generation—especially if the actor is a good dancer!

In the Broadway revival, Gus' chorus persona was named Peter, making him an explicitly different cat.

Given his age, Asparagus can be conveniently used as a father or grandfather for a lot of characters (and as Gus’ son or younger brother, if you consider them as distinct characters). Obviously the character he interacts with most significantly is Jellylorum—even apart from his solo number, the characters are often close to each other onstage—and he often shares respectful or affectionate interactions with Deuteronomy and Skimbleshanks (e.g., during Skimble’s number in the 1998 film, or with Deuteronomy in the transition to ‘Pekes and Pollicles’ in the Broadway revival). Any of these relationships can be read as familial/platonic or romantic, depending on your headcanons.

One interesting possibility is that his fringe might be a ragged old version of something like Tugger’s mane, suggesting some family relationship there!

He rarely interacts much with the younger cats in most productions—but there’s a moment of byplay in most replica productions’ version of Tugger’s song which could be read as him also having a crush on Tugger! (Tugger mimes catching a mouse on the line “If you set me on a mouse then I only want a rat,” then tosses it to Asparagus, although in some interpretations he seems more interested in Tugger than the morsel.)

Babygriz / young Grizabella.

Grizabella's chorus double is deliberately designed to be unobtrusive, blending in with the other cats in a soft mix of mostly-symmetrical greys and browns.

The consequence is that she resembles almost every cat, in one way or another - so headcanons of relationships are free!

The crucial question - whether she is some version of Grizabella, older or younger or reincarnated or parent of or child of - is of course entirely up to interpretation. Here's what one (and only one) Grizabella actor said about 'Babygriz':

It's such a delight to perform the opening number with the whole cast! That moment is very important to me. Of course [that character] has a name! Her name is Baby Griz, but I call her Grizzy Baby. She has the same colours as Grizabella on her face. She's as pure as Victoria and doesn't know life's sorrows yet. She's a kitten. I think she rounds everything off. She embodies the beginning of life, in a family, before the choices and difficulties arise.

I'm often asked why Grizabella doesn't come back young and beautiful at the end. I think we actually see her at the start, as Grizzy Baby, like a new life, a blank page to be filled in. It's what Grizabella was when she was little. It's in that form that she'll come back from the Heavyside Layer - as a kitten.

She allows me to have a past with the group, a feeling of having danced with them before I couldn't do it anymore. And she's so joyful and light before she carries the weight of Grizabella's sorrow.

- Prisca Demarez, Grizabella, Paris 2015

That's one headcanon - feel free to incorporate it, or make your own!

Young/Chorus Deuteronomy

Like Asparagus and chorus Tugger, Deuteronomy's chorus persona can be regarded as a younger or alternative (or reincarnated?) version of himself, or as a different character entirely. In the Broadway revival, for example, he is named Victor, and seems to have no relationship to the character of Deuteronomy!

In general colour he usually shows a resemblance to Munkustrap, Victor, Grizabella, Jemima, Asparagus, and possibly Greycat/NBQ.

As a very tall actor is usually cast for Deuteronomy, this character is presumably a large cat—and as the actor doesn’t have to be as physically fit as the others, he may be more heavily set than most other characters onstage. Despite not being as venerable as Old Deuteronomy, he does still seem to have some social importance: he is almost always at the centre in the back row of the pyramid and the formation for ‘Naming of Cats’, which makes him seem to preside over the event. He brings spiritual (and vocal) weight to the opening by delivering the line “Do you know how to go to the Heavyside Layer?”

Chorus Tugger

'Chorus Tugger' is traditionally the Tugger actor wearing his usual base unitard without the mane, and with a smaller wig. He'll usually also have fewer accessories - gloves, belt, collar, some details of makeup, garter, etc, will be missing. Since he has to don a mane later, his unitard is more slender and less fluffy than those of other cats (so he could be related to less fluffy cats, like Cassandra).

The photos above show:

- a chorus Tugger from Berlin 2005 (same unitard as the final Tugger, complete makeup, different wig, no mane),

- a chorus Tugger from Hamburg (same unitard, slightly simpler makeup, different wig, no mane), and

- chorus Tugger for the Broadway-based revival (completely different unitard and wig, makeup a simple base for the full Tugger design).

In the Broadway revival he is explicitly a different cat, named Bill Bailey (no relation to the Tumblebrutus alter ego!). His unitard resembles a darker / bronze version of Mungojerrie more than anybody else, but his makeup and wig are symmetrical like those of (the original UK) Victor.

TL;DR: these designs are deliberately ambiguous and generic, intended to blend in with all the cats around them - so they could be related to anybody! Free family headcanons! Go wild!

[storyweaverofgondor]

I just got back from seeing the Cats Tour and i have to share my favorite points.

Strap in cause there is a lot.

First off, BOMBALURINA TOUCHED ME! *Squeals and faints*

I actually had interactions with four of the cats.

The first was with Demeter. When she was coming up the aisle i gave her a little bow and she paused and gave me this look before shaking herself and continuing. Not the most positive interaction but vary in character for the skittish queen so still awesome!

The second was with Bomba as mentioned above. During the play the cats would greet each other by holding out their hands. So i did that and gave a little bow when she was coming down the aisle at one point. And i felt her silky glove brush my hand. The fact that i didn’t Etcetera squeal and die right then and there is a miracle.

The last was with Coricopat and Tantomile. During Mistoffelees’ song when they danced down the aisle I bowed to them. Coricopat paused and looked at me. Tantomile (who had already danced past a few second before) rejoined him and they eyed me for a moment. Then they bowed back. I felt so honored in that moment and i still do.

(Cassandra also walked past me twice. She was so beautiful!)

Now to my favorite moments of the actual play. their wasn’t much in regards to Tuggoffelees romantic moments, They seemed to be playing it off as more buddies then boyfriends.

At one point i could feel the music vibrating in my chest. That has never happened to me before. It was amazing.

Skimbleshanks wore his vest for the whole play. It was adorable.

During Jennyanydots’ song Mistoffelees was helping her around the stage a lot. At one point he helped her sit  down at one end of the stage and she looked to the other end and opened her mouth. and stopped moving. Misto poked her. Rose up and looked in the direction she was staring in to try and find what she was staring at. Then he waved his hand in front of her face. No reaction and Jenny is just not moving. it was so cute and funny. He eventually just left then came back a little further into the song, approaching her from the other side, and she finally snapped out of it and smiled at him as if nothing had happened.

Jenny was so sparkly!

Jenny scolding Misto atop the tire during Tugger’s song. it felt very concerned and caring instead of annoyed and it just made me . . . aww.

This Mistoffelees was quite possibly the cutest ever!

There was this scene during one of the times Grizabella shows up. Gus doesn’t see her arrive and doesn’t quite seem to understand whatever everyone in reacting to. Then Old Deuteronomy directs him to go to Grizabella and greet her. Gus just goes “OK! Hello there young lady.” then Jenny hurries forward before they can touch and leads him away. he just keeps smiling, not quite understanding what just happened. it broke my heart.

Bomba holding out her hand to touch Grizabella then quickly pulling back and hissing at her when Griz reaches out. naughty queen. very bad.

Demeter reached out to Grizabella twice and fled each time.

During Bustopher jones there is this sequence when he tucks this napkin into his collar that serves a duel purpose as a table and all the cats come out dancing with platters of food. Skimble also had a napkin over his arm like a very proper waiter for a bit. it was cute.

Alonzo and Cassandra were always sitting next to each other. It was so sweet

There was a moment during the Jellicle ball when Tugger is standing off to the side and Bomba siddles up to him. and he just NOTICES HER. Just a “Yes. I want you.” sort of moment. they started dancing together after this.

Tugger and Misto had a little moment atop the car at some point. it was cute.

Victoria and Plato had extra romantic moments spread throughout the ball. They just kept noticing each other and being all surprised and and in awe of each other. Like love at first sight several times over. So sweet!

That cute little dance thing Munkustrap and Demeter do with their hands? they did it! Victoria and Plato and Coricopat and Tantomile did it too!

The twitchy little thing Sillabub did every time after somebody touched her paw. she came off as such a shy baby!

Tugger standing high up on the ladder and tapping his foot in time with the other songs.

Tugger being the ‘Where’s Waldo’ of cats. Constantly showing up in a different spot and posing.

Tugger doing that stretched out arm thing and Tumble patting at his hands. Being given an annoyed look after the third time he did it just made Tumble bat at the other hand.

Rumpleteazer was so tiny and chunky! such a cute baby girl!

The actor playing Old Dee had such a powerful voice.

Old Deuteronomy bops Coricopat on the head then he and Tantomile run over to Sillabub and bop her on the head to make her start singing her part of Moment of Happiness. it was like song weird form of mind control? :/ not sure what to think about that

During Gus’s song Old Dee comes up to him and sings “You could do it again.” and i will admit i just about cried for joy. Old Dee and Gus just had so many cute moments.

The term ‘Heathen Chinese’ in Pekes and the Pollicles was changed to ‘Winsome Chinese’.

When the train crashed during skimble’s song there was one cat just kinda sticking out the top of the smokestack who just flopped over and went limp. Then he wore it off stage, head sticking out the top and scurrying feet sticking out the bottom. it was hilarious!

Tumblebrutus, Sillabub and Pipe Cat (I think he’s a swing?) are the only kittens of the tribe aside from Jerrie and Teazer and are constantly together.

Three times I noticed Skimble and Jenny sitting in the background together just nuzzling each other.

i actually had a moment during that scene when ‘Macavity’ and fake Deuteronomy are both on stage where i was questioning myself. i knew what was going to happen but still! i actually thought it was Old Dee!

there was a sequence where Macavity is trying to climb atop the car and he kept getting smacked back down. it was both scary and somehow hilarious?

Tumble tries to fight Macavity and is immediately struck down, cowering and fleeing in terror. Somebody protect the baby!

none of the cats were knocked during the fight scene but afterward Munk just starts limping heavily and Demeter runs across the stage to his side. That got me right in the feels

I actually jumped when Macavity fried all the lights. i have seen this scene like five hundred times but somehow seeing it in person was just so . . . jarring.

Have i mentioned that this version of Mistoffelees might just be the cutest thing ever?!

Mistoffelees and Tugger giving each other a hug at the end of Misto’s song.

at the start of Grizabella’s song Tumble and the Pipe Cat are the first to respond to her and start moving closer and closer. Then suddenly pull back and return to their places with their backs turned. i wanted them to be the ones to touch her so bad.

Demeter turned around when Grizabella sang “I can smile at the old days. I was beautiful then.” and i just . . . GAH!

Victoria darting forward when Grizabella falls down during her song and stopping herself before getting too close and slinking back to Old Deuteronomy’s side

Grizabella smacking herself in the face with her long hair during her big number. but she made it work and she could really belt it out i could feel “TOUCH ME!” in my heart.

Tugger was lounging against the oven watching her the whole time. Aside from Old Dee he was the only one who didn’t turned his back or look away from her.

Grizabella being lifted into the air ‘Ala Peter Pan’ by wires was gorgeous.

Mungojerrie spent the entirety of ‘Addressing the Cats’ being so sassy to the audience. I Loved It!

[0102290]

Warning: this is probably not for the religious. Second warning: this is heavily about Christianity

I really feel like writing a whole paper on Chsistianity and why it makes no sense to follow it if your not actually gonna obey the bible. It seems demeaning to the person themselves if they're calling themself Christian and worshipping the god of the bible when that god.... is against your beliefs and who you are in some cases. I know it's none of my business! But it bothers me to see gay people supporting the bible, when shit like this (Romans 1:26-27) exists:

26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Like cmon. I also want to bring up the example of women who believe in their right to choose if marriage is for them, or who believe that it is their right to choose whether they want children or not, but I don't remember any verses which specifically discuss that right now.

Back to the first example. It's obviously no secret that the bible is all around homophobic, and even transphobic (and against gender expression.) I mean (Deuteronomy 22:5) :

5 A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this.

...

And when people go, "God would want me to do what I want" (usually in regards to their love life and other things. Eg. Their relationships and sometimes in regards to sexual promiscuity) and like... well. Maybe a god would, but certainly not the God of the bible.

Most established old timey religions aren't much for our free will to begin with anyway. That may be a hot take, but that's just what I've seen so far.

~~~~~~~

I'm honestly only invested and knowledgeable about Christianity because I get bible studies (even though in not a Christian). Not saying that everyone identifying as a Christain will take classes, or even bother to read the book, but I just feel irked that people support the religion when it's quite established that it's all around against LGBT ppl, and against some basic rights we want (still thinking about our love life here. Some ppl be gay, and that's ok, but the bible doesnt think so.)

I honestly dk who the target audience for this post (or that paper which I might write sometime) is, but I just want to get if off my chest. Not condemning anyone for believing, I mean I am but also just do you, because religion is obviously a personal conviction. People have different reasons for believing, and I get that, but I'm just irked about the fundamentals that come with that religion which they take part in.

[revlyncox]

Where Charity and Love Abide

This sermon was given to the UU Church of Silver Spring via online worship on May 10, 2020.

Where is the Divine in all of this? If you’ve ever had sessions with a spiritual director, that may sound familiar. If you are a theist, they may ask you to reflect on where God’s presence seems nearby. If you are agnostic, they might get more creative, like where are you finding awe and wonder, where is a sense of reverence popping up in your life, when do you get a tingle that something sacred is happening?

One of the songs in our prelude this morning, Ubi Caritas, suggests that where charity and love abide, the Divine is there. I find that deeply comforting - I don’t know if I believe in God, but I do believe in kindness, and remembering the ways that people and other beings express love helps me to have faith that there is something holy moving through the world.

In times such as these, I am looking for every sign that I can. It is easy to get overwhelmed with world events and personal sources of sadness. Really, I wonder, where is the Divine in all of this? If there is a higher power, I don’t think it makes arrangements intentionally for our suffering, but maybe there is a power that can comfort and inspire us and move us to respond when humans hurt each other. Maybe it comes from humans ourselves acting our best and highest; or maybe it comes from the Source of Love, beyond our knowing. We need that kind of help right now. Where is it?

It may be that part of my problem is looking for the sacred in one, concrete place, as if it were a pair of scissors that keeps moving around the house. My mind is trained to seek things that I can see and touch and hold, and perhaps the holy is not a thing with a single location. Particularly in times such as these, when everything is changing quickly and our basic assumptions about how the world works are being upended, concrete predictability will not yield a force that brings comfort, inspiration, challenge to live our values, or a sense of connection with the universe. in times like these, perhaps what we seek can’t be found in one place. It’s not a commodity to be grasped. Not even signing up for the right workshops or collecting scented candles will allow us to possess it and tame it. What we seek is a spirit that moves.

Some of our Pagan friends celebrated Beltane not that long ago. One of the traditions of this holiday is to light fires. Some say that one aspect of the tradition is to put out all of the fires in the community, to light a new fire to be the Beltane fire, and re-light all of the hearths of the community from this new flame. In this way, the warmth and light of every household is connected to one source, to one flicker of renewal. Cattle are driven between festival fires in hopes for their continued health. Partners jump over the fires to renew relationships. Grains from the previous year are cast into the flames, symbolically purifying the stores of that which is stale. The fires of Beltane remind us that renewal happens in relationship. Our community is linked by shared renewal. Partnerships thrive in cooperative renewal. Our ability to thrive agriculturally is relational with the earth. And none of it is static. Instead, the spirit that moves dances like the flames, taking no final form. The Beltane fires are something to pass through or leap over or rekindle, but cannot be predicted or held in place.

Another story about fire is coming up for Christians at Pentecost, celebrated this year by Western Christians on May 31. As the story goes, Jesus’ friends had been coming to terms with his death and the possibility of his resurrection for over a month, meeting in small groups and figuring out what it meant to continue their movement without their leader. In some of the stories, the resurrected Jesus had appeared to them, and at the end of this time of regrouping, left them to return to heaven. It was again a season of pilgrimage in Jerusalem, and there were people from all around the known world crowding into the city.

As the story goes in the Book of Acts, the disciples were all gathered in one group when “tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” The fires of Pentecost are the fires of renewed mission. They could not continue witnessing and healing the way they had done; they had changed and the world had changed. Fire symbolized that they had to carry out their mission in a new way. They needed new language, new skills for communication, new technologies for finding connection. The shape and the outcome of their movement was not set at that point; they were traveling through a time of transformation. The flames of Pentecost gave them energy for change, but not certainty.

Though Unitarian Universalism grows from Christian roots, not all of us are close followers of Christian tradition. I don’t know if the story happened exactly this way, but I believe it’s true that a movement that witnesses for justice for the poor and accountability for the powerful, a movement that knows that state-sanctioned violence is a real possibility, a movement that seeks right relationship between people and with the holy -- that movement needs to be ready for change. Sometimes the times in which we live are fires to pass through, and our way of pursuing our mission must adapt. Outcomes are not assured. The shape of things to come is unclear. The spirit that moves can’t be held in our hands. Yet there are powers that inspire and challenge and draw people together.

In the story from the Book of Acts, people are in Jerusalem for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. This is a holiday that is celebrated very differently now than during the second Temple period of first century Palestine. Nevertheless, it’s a day worth noticing, and it is also coming this month, on May 29. Shavuot is partly a harvest holiday, bookending the grain season that begins with Sukkot. By tradition, the Torah was given to the people on Shavuot, and the holiday has become an occasion to celebrate the Torah by staying up all night studying.

In the Book of Deuteronomy, we read that the first version of the Torah that God gave to Moses to share with the people did not last. Moses came down from Sinai, the mountain ablaze, and saw that the people had already strayed, and he smashed the first two tablets. God helped Moses create another set, Torah 2.0, and those were the tablets placed in the ark.

According to Jewish mystics, the first set of tablets were written with black fire on white fire. Perhaps the black fire represents judgment and the white fire represents mercy; or the black fire represents interpretation and the white fire -- what we might think of as blank space in graphic design -- represents possibility. Perhaps the fires represent what is written and what is hidden. Rabbi Michael Strassfeld suggests that the white fire is the world around us, that the sacred must always be understood in the context of life as we are living it -- holy words must be interpreted in relationship with the world as it is in the current time and place.

So, again, the spirit that moves cannot be pinned down. The Divine flickers and dances and resists concrete form, revealing and purifying and drawing people together in ways that adapt to the times in which we find ourselves.

My last sacred story is not so much about fire as it is about commitment. We are in the middle of the holy month of Ramadan. During this month, Muslims recall when the Prophet Muhammad, Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him, received the revelation of the Holy Quran. During this month, Muslims not only fast from food and drink during the day, but they are particularly careful to avoid lies, slander, gossip, false oaths, and greed or covetousness. According to one story, the Prophet Muhammad was in contemplation when he was visited by the Angel Gabriel, who commanded him to read. Muhammad replied that he was unable to read. Gabriel embraced him, and then commanded him to recite, which he did:

Read! in the name of your Lord who created Man from a clinging substance. Read: Your Lord is most Generous,– He who taught by the pen– Taught man that which he knew not.

So ends the reading. Not only am I moved by the commitment to charity and love that I observe in my loved ones who fast during Ramadan, I am reminded by this story that we move through times of uncertainty with abilities that we either didn’t know we had or that we pick up because we didn’t know we would need them before. Being committed to our values means we adapt. If it is our hope to be in the places where charity and love act, we change along with the spirit that moves. Charity and love are not static. They are always in motion, always part of a system of relationships.

This brings us back to wondering where the Divine might be in the midst of this pandemic. How is the spirit moving us through the fires of this time of transformation? We do not know how society will be different on the other side of this. We can try to shape that change. As we do that, let’s stay anchored to our values. How do we move with the spirit in which charity and love abide?

As I mentioned earlier, I feel that our commitment to honoring the interdependent web of existence and the inherent worth and dignity of every person means that it is incumbent upon us to recognize that the stresses of the pandemic fall most heavily on those who hold one or more marginalized identities. The decision to go to the store or wear a mask or exercise outdoors is more risky for some because of factors like racism, xenophobia, and ableism. My prayers are with the family of Ahmaud Arbery, who was murdered in February, and whose family had to endure being re-traumatized this week as his death gained publicity. May the trial of the two men were arrested for his murder proceed swiftly and with integrity. The inequitable effects of the pandemic don’t stop there. Wealthy people are invited to shelter at home, while meat packing workers are ordered into places of danger, being told by a Wisconsin state supreme court justice that their illnesses and deaths don’t count because they are not “regular folks.” Families of color -- especially Black families -- and families who are poor are sustaining heavier losses. In the United States, we mourn for over 76,000 people who have died of Covid-19, and we ache for leadership that will honor those who are left. We are faced with an urgent need to transform our society toward justice, equity, and compassion, now more than ever.

I know this congregation is full of compassionate people. You have been reaching out to one another through the contact tree and spontaneous calls and cards in the mail. You have responded with generosity to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund. You are capable of great kindness. The charity and love you express is part of something larger. Love goes out to individuals, and also to whole systems, where it takes on the name of justice. Your personal calling may be rooted in acts of individual compassion. We don’t all have to be full time activists. We do, if we are honest, need to remember the systems of oppression that make suffering worse. Let us remain committed to our deepest values.

This is a threshold time, an open doorway, a sacred fire for us to pass through or around or over. I do not wish for us a return to everything as it was before. The future is still unfolding. My hope is that we adapt, that we find our place in the dance with the spirit that moves, that we follow the rhythms of justice and compassion. So be it. Blessed be. Amen.

[cpdevos]

4/16/21: “I AM WHO I AM”

Happy Friday afternoon! We’ve made it to the weekend :) I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the beautiful weather.

Please pray before you begin reading.

Exodus 3:13-15

“13 Moses said to God, ‘Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?’

14 God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’

15 God also said to Moses, ‘Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the god of your fathers — the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob — has sent me to you.’

‘This is my name forever,

The name you shall call me

From generation to generation.’”

This passage is taken from the famous Biblical story of Moses and the Burning Bush, where God calls Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and bring them to the land that God had promised Abraham and his descendants, thus fulfilling God’s covenant with him. Moses, feeling inadequate and hesitant to be a leader for the Israelites, makes excuses for following God’s calling — one of these excuses is not knowing how to respond to the question, “what god sent you?” (verse 13)

Keep in mind that Moses “was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action” (Acts 7:22). He would’ve served Pharaoh, whose role was heavily tied with ancient Egyptian mythology that included numerous deities that govern different aspects of life (for example, the god of death, the goddess of maternity, the god of war, etc). In fact, the entire Egyptian society was run on their religious beliefs, and seeing as the Hebrews most likely did not have a close relationship with their God (yet), they wouldn’t have any reason to know much about Him. So Moses’ question isn’t completely out of the blue.

And that’s what makes God’s response so powerful: God simply states, “I AM WHO I AM”. In Hebrew, the phrase translates to ehyeh asher ehyeh: “ehyeh” is the first person verb “to be” and can be used in the context of all three tenses: “I was”, “I am”, and “I will be”.

And...that’s it. End of discussion. Nothing more, nothing less. But that’s all that needs to be said, because instead of there being multiple gods, like the Egyptians believed, God is saying that He is EVERYTHING that the Egyptian gods stand for, and more. When this phrase is used to describe oneself (or rather, Oneself), it connotes a statement of:

Self-existence (aseity). God did not come from anything — He has no beginning, nor an end. If anything, He is the Beginning and the End. Everything in this world has come into existence because of our God. (Psalm 90:2, John 5:26, 1 Timothy 6:15-16, Revelation 22:13)

Self-sufficiency. God is not dependent on anything for His existence. He does not need to have a relationship with us (He already has perfect fellowship within Himself through the Trinity) — but He wants a relationship with us. On the contrary, all of creation is dependent on God with every breath that we breathe. (Psalm 102:25-27, Acts 17:24-25, 2 Corinthians 3:5-6

God’s self-existence and self-sufficiency go hand in hand)

Immutability. God is not determined by any outside forces. God is unchanging — He has and will continue to always be the same. If God is faithful, we can trust He will always be faithful. (Numbers 23:19, Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8, James 1:17)

Omnipresence. God is ever-present with His people. He was aware of the Israelites’ suffering as slaves, and He desired to deliver them and have a relationship with them. Similarly, He is aware of what is going on in our world today (even if it doesn’t feel like it), and Jesus intends to return to resurrect us to be with Him, and to restore His kingdom here on earth. (Deuteronomy 31:8,  Psalm 16:11, Thessalonians 4:16-17, Revelation 1:8)

Uniqueness/Incomparability (if that's a word?). There is no one/nothing that can even match God, let alone surpass Him. He is above all and He is sovereign over all. This does not focus on a particular aspect of God, but rather includes all aspects of God — therefore, God is unmatched and unparalleled in every single way. (Job 38-41, Psalm 113:4-6, Isaiah 45:5, Jeremiah 10:6, 1 Corinthians 8:6)

Just to be clear, it wouldn't have been right for Moses to say “I AM WHO I AM is the One who sent me”, (since the term uses the first person verb) so God instructs Moses, “YAHWEH [yahweh asher yahweh, or “He is who He is”], the god of your fathers...has sent me to you” (verse 15). And that’s where we get the term, ‘Yahweh’, from.

There are so many implications we can take away from these couple verses, and as much as I'd love to, I don’t have time to dive into every single detail. But my main thought is: praise God! Isn't He so amazing, so glorious, and so worthy to be worshipped? Isn't it absolutely crazy that a God this powerful and sovereign wants to know and love each of us personally and intimately? I know I certainly don't always live like I believe this, and quite honestly I think many Christians in America (not you specifically, but in general) have forgotten who God is, or they become desensitized to it over time, because otherwise we would be living very different lives for Jesus. But the more I understand God's character revealed to us through His precious Word, the more I bow down in humility and in awe of our God Almighty. So right now, will you join me in worshipping the Great I AM?

Yahweh by Elevation Worship or a piano recording of me playing the song (sorry for the bad audio quality haha)  

Pray to close,

Joyce

Since I only really touched on a little bit of this very heavy, dense topic, here are some extra resources:

https://www.gotquestions.org/I-AM-WHO-I-AM-Exodus-3-14.html

https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/i-am-who-i-am

https://www.ligonier.org/blog/self-existent-god/

https://faculty.wts.edu/posts/gods-aseity/

https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_364.cfm

https://tonyevans.org/god-is-unique/

[deepinsightslibrary-blog]

A Good General Expects Attacks at His Weak Points

Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;  

How he met thee by the way, and SMOTE THE HINDMOST OF THEE, even ALL THAT WERE FEEBLE behind thee, WHEN THOU WAST FAINT and weary; and he feared not God.  

Therefore it shall be, when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it

Deuteronomy 25:17-19

Everybody has weak points.  Everybody has blind sides.  Your weak points are of interest to your enemy.  Your weak point is where you are more vulnerable.  Defend them well because they will be attacked there.  Every good general attacks what is weak and leaves what is strong.  Therefore, brace yourself for attacks at your weak points.

Amalek was one such enemy who attacked the Israelites from their weaker backside when they were escaping from Egypt.  Amalek was simply attacking what was easier.   

Your enemy will always look for your weak spot and attack you there.    

Germany’s Weak Spot

During the Second World War, Germany had an iron grip on the whole of Europe.  In order to get to Germany and overthrow Hitler, the allies (British, American, Canadian, French forces) had to cross the sea from Britain and land in France.  After landing in France, they would drive through Europe and enter Germany to defeat Adolf Hitler.   

Now, the allies had to choose an appropriate weak spot on the coast of France where they could land their troops, tanks, trucks and cars.  Where would they choose to do this massive invasion?  Where would be most appropriate to land all these forces?

Something had happened earlier, which had taught the allies an important lesson.  In 1942, the British and Canadians had raided a port city on the French coast.  This raid was a disaster because the Germans had very heavy defences at the port.  Through this, the allies learnt that the Germans had heavy fortifications in every port city.  Invading a port city was going to be very difficult.  The allies therefore decided to choose an area which was not a port and that would be thinly defended.  They searched along the cost for a weak spot and they found Normandy.   

Normandy was not a port city and it was not as heavily defended as real port cities.  The British decided to tow an artificial harbour to Normandy and use it temporarily till the battle was over.  Eventually, the day of invasion (D-day) came and the British and their allies were successful in establishing themselves in this relatively thinly defended coastal town called Normandy.  Always remember that your enemy is looking for a weak spot.  Your weak spots are of great interest to the enemy.  He will invade you at your weak spot.     

Weak Points Are Your Vulnerable Sides

Every minister has weak areas, which can be attacked.  Every church also has weak areas that need strengthening.  In these areas, you are more vulnerable to attack.  The most common weak area in a minister’s defences is his family.  Your spouse and your children are often weak points through which attacks take place.  Many of the terrible crises that ministers have endured have come through their families.  In a family, everyone has a different level of spirituality.  Some family members are more spiritual than others.  Your great spirituality and convictions cannot cover all members of the family.  People have to believe God for themselves especially when they are adults.   

If your wife is less spiritual than you are, she becomes a weak point through which an attack can come.  If your wife is beautiful, but quarrelsome, it becomes a weak point through which contention and confusion can enter.  If your wife is stubborn and unyielding, it becomes a door through which witchcraft can enter your life.    

Why a Spouse Can Be a Weak Point?

A spouse can be a weak point in the ministry and open up the door to many potential evils.  Why do I say this?  Is marriage not supposed to provide you with a help meet for you?  Is the helper you get not going to assist you to do better?  The answer is Yes and No!  Through marriage you can be helped greatly.  But the same thing that is a blessing to you can be a weakness.   

I believe all the books you have read, teach you why marriage is helpful for your ministry.  The following points may explain why your spouse can be a weak spot and an entry point for Satan.   

1. Marriage and having children must be a weak point because Jesus avoided it altogether.  When heading towards the cross, Jesus could not be accused of irresponsibility towards His wife.  He could not be accused of leaving his wife in the midst of her years to fend for herself.  He had no woman to dissuade Him from dying on the cross.    

If even Peter tried to stop Him from dying on the cross, can you imagine what a wife would have done?  She would have gone wild and opposed Him.  She would have gone to the police and told them that her husband had become suicidal.  

She would have held up the children to Jesus, shaken them in his face and cried, “How do you expect us to survive?  What will happen to us?  Think of your family as well!”  She would have wailed and wailed until Jesus changed His mind about His suicidal mission.  

But He had no wife or child in his life.  He had no hindrance and no weak point.  Jesus said, “Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me”ath nothing in m

2. Your spouse can be a weak point because the Scripture says they that marry will have tribulation.  “But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned.  Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh…”  (1 Corinthians 7:28).  The word trouble is the Greek work thlipsis.  It means to be pressured, burdened, anguished and to have trouble and tribulation.  This means that married people are going to have anguish, pressure, burdens, troubles and tribulations.   

3. It is difficult to maintain unity between any two living human beings.  When you are on your own, you do not have to maintain unity with anyone.  You just flow along at your level.  Being married, therefore opens the door to disunity.  Many spouses disagree on most issues! 

4. Your spouse can open the door to conflicts and quarrelling.  When you are not married you do not have any conflicts over any issue.  You just have your opinion and you move along with it.  After marriage, the door to conflict and quarrelling is opened to you.   

5. Your spouse can open the door to the problem of unforgiveness.  Because you have expectations from your spouse, his or her failures to perform can lead you to bitterness.  Many ministers are full of bitterness because they have unfulfilled expectations.

6. Your spouse can be a stumbling block of ingratitude.  One party in the marriage is usually higher performing and the other party is usually lower performing.  The high performer is usually subject to feelings of ingratitude.  He wonders why the low performing partner does not show gratitude by performing well.   

7. Your spouse can open you up to the danger of sexual temptation.  Your spouse can open you up to sexual confusion and sexual frustration.  Infrequent or discouraging sexual performances by a spouse can provoke the other spouse to seek happier times outside the marriage.  You can be turned into an adulterer without realising what is happening to you. 

8. Your spouse can force you into divorce.  You may never have expected yourself to become a divorcee in this life.  I know people who have been forced to divorce because their wives insisted on it.  How could you become a divorcee if you had never been married?   

9. Being married opens you to the dangers of sorrow, shock and death.  Your spouse may die and leave you behind in sorrow, shock and death.  If you are not married you will never receive a shocking message that your spouse is dead.  Can you imagine how that message will change your life and lead you into depression and anguish?   

10. Marriage opens you up to the possibility of being linked to someone with a personality defect or even a mental defect.  Once your life is linked to this weakened person, a door is opened to many difficulties and possible attacks.   

Why Children Can Be a Weak Point?

1. Having children is also a weak point because your children make you more vulnerable to attack.  We all know about the blessings of having children.  To have many children is to have your quiver full of arrows and defenders.  But children also open many doors to the enemy.  Your children may not be as spiritual as you are.  Their lives can be open doors to your enemy.  The devil knows that if he attacks your children, he will get your attention.  The more children you have, the more weak points you have!   

2. Having children opens the door to potential disgrace.  Your child can be a disgrace to you spiritually, academically, socially and in almost every other way.

3. Having children opens the door to potential financial difficulties.  Children are the greatest expense that parents sometimes experience.  There are many parents who steal money so they can look after their children.  The more children you have, the more weak points you have.  I know people who decided not to have children so they could focus on the ministry.   

4. Having children opens the door to marital conflict.  Many times children are the reason why parents have conflict.  There are arguments about children and what should be done for them.