United Church just finished its nine month journey through the New Testament reading a chapter a day. Now for the quiz! See how well you can do against this 40 question quiz. Correct answers are below in red.

1) How many books are there in the New Testament?
a. 27
b. 33
c. 4
d. more and more every year

2) The author of most of the books in the New Testament is…
a. Jesus
b. Peter
c. Paul
d. Billy Graham

3) The books that record the life and teachings of Jesus are known as…
a. the Annals
b. the Dead Sea Scrolls
c. the Chronicles
d. the Gospels

4) The book of Acts…
a. records stories of Jesus’ youth
b. contains short plays about Jesus
c. records the stories of the apostles after Jesus’ resurrection
d. records the story of Jesus trial and crucifixion from the point of view of Pontius Pilate

5) Mark…
a. is the shortest of the gospels
b. is commonly accepted as the earliest written gospel
c. has two endings
d. all of the above

6) Paul’s conversion from persecutor of the church to apostle is recorded in…
a. Luke
b. 1 Paul
c. Revelation
d. Acts

7) Apocalypse in the Greek literally means..
a. catastrophe or destruction
b. revelation or unveiling
c. divine wrath
d. dance music with marimbas

8) The earliest written book in the New Testament was likely…
a. Matthew
b. Isaiah
c. Acts
d. 1 Thessalonians

9) Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the synoptic gospels because…
a. they were discovered near Synopsis, Greece
b. they were the earliest gospels
c. they are similar
d. they all contain a synopsis of the Old Testament at the beginning

10) The number of books written by Jesus in the New Testament is…
a. 0
b. 1
c. 4
d. 27

11) The Epistles...
a. is the anglicized version of the word “apostles”
b. are letters
c. are the books in the New Testament that are not the Gospels
d. is the Greek word for the Gospels

12) The books of the New Testament are all generally believed to be written…
a. by Paul or followers of Paul
b. in Greece
c. between 45 and 140 AD
d. in Aramaic before they were translated into Latin

13) The New Testament as it is (books and order) has existed since approximately…
a. 110 AD
b. 367 AD
c. 733 AD
d. 1821 AD

14) Matthew is unique because…
a. it is the only Gospel to record Jesus’ genealogy
b. of the story of the Wise Men bringing gifts to Jesus
c. it doesn’t list the names of the disciples
d. all of the above

15) Mark is notable because…
a. its repeated use of the phrase “kai euthos” (“and immediately”)
b. it was the only gospel not to be written by one of the 12 Disciples
c. it has Jesus being born in Nazareth instead of Bethlehem
d. all of the above

16) Luke has more of these than any other gospel…
a. chapters
b. parables
c. disciples
d. all of the above

17) John is unique because…
a. it contains multiple visits to Jerusalem by Jesus
b. there are no parables
c. Jesus washes the disciples’ feet
d. all of the above

18) Acts is believed to be written…
a. by Paul
b. before any of the Gospels
c. by the writer of Luke
d. by a woman

19) In Romans, Paul…
a. compares the Gentiles to a branch grafted onto an olive tree
b. argues that God has not rejected the Jewish people
c. asks for support for a trip to Spain
d. all of the above

20) Arguably the best known passage from 1 Corinthians is…
a. a chapter about the nature of love often read at weddings
b. the story of Jesus’ birth
c. the story of Paul cheating at a dice game
d. none of the above

21) In 2 Corinthians Paul compares his own imperfections in proclaiming the Gospel as…
a. yeast in the bread
b. a thorn in his side
c. a treasure buried in a field
d. a clay jar containing a treasure

22) Galatians was written…
a. to ask for money
b. by Peter to Paul who was in Gaul
c. against those who taught that Gentiles had to be circumcised to become Christians
d. none of the above

23) Ephesians…
a. uses a metaphor of putting on armor to describe Christian readiness
b. instructs slaves to obey their masters
c. instructs wives to obey their husbands
d. all of the above

24) Philippians…
a. was written to Philip of Rome
b. contains a recipe for bean soup
c. contains what is thought to be an early hymn that begins “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus”
d. none of the above

25) 1 Thessalonians is…
a. the first of Paul’s letters
b. concerned with those Christians who have died
c. instructs believers to “pray without ceasing”
d. all of the above

26) 2 Thessalonians was written…
a. before 1 Thessalonians
b. apparently because the Thessalonians didn’t understand the first letter
c. in response to 1 Peter
d. none of the above

27) In 1 Timothy, Paul…
a. tells Timothy not to let people put him down just because he’s a youth
b. instructs bishops and church leaders to have no more than one wife
c. forbids women to have authority over a man
d. all of the above

28) In 2 Timothy, Paul tells Timothy not to be ashamed of…
a. not being able to grow a beard
b. his body
c. making a money by preaching
d. suffering for the sake of the Gospel

29) In Titus, Paul…
a. reveals the name of Jesus’ wife
b. asks Titus to prepare a room for him
c. is concerned that some preachers are calling Cretans liars and gluttons
d. none of the above

30) Philemon is written…
a. to the church at Philemon
b. by Philemon, a tax collector
c. about the first Olympics
d. to the master of a runaway slave

31) Hebrews describes Jesus as…
a. the pioneer and perfecter of our faith
b. a high priest
c. as co-creator of the world
d. all of the above

32) James contains the phrase…
a. “faith without works is dead”
b. “the Lord helps those who help themselves”
c. “you’ve got to know when to hold them and know when to fold them”
d. “love is never having to say you’re sorry”

33) 1 Peter describes Christ as…
a. a cornerstone
b. a stone which the builders rejected
c. a stumbling block
d. all of the above

34) 2 Peter contains a description of this event in Jesus’ life…
a. Birth
b. Baptism
c. Transfiguration
d. Ascension

35) 1 John says that…
a. God is light
b. God is love
c. no one has ever seen God
d. all of the above

36) 2 John is addressed to…
a. the elect lady and her children
b. Paul in Rome
c. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
d. those who follow Christ

37) Most scholars think 3 John was written…
a. by the same John who wrote the Gospel of John
b. by the same John who wrote Revelation
c. by Paul
d. before 1 & 2 John

38) Jude refers to this archangel fighting with the devil…
a. Gabriel
b. Uriel
c. Raphael
d. Michael

39) Revelation is written to churches in seven cities in Asia Minor including...
a. Moscow
b. Paris
c. Jerusalem
d. Philadelphia

40) Revelation was written by John of Patmos. Patmos is…
a. a city in Asia Minor
b. John’s father
c. a prison island
d. none of the above

Continue reading "New Testament Trivia Quiz" »

Filed under Bible Study
Posted by ironic1 at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The United Church Women hosted their Annual Spring Luncheon this past Friday, May 2, and had a tribute to the wit of Carol and Carol. We celebrated the life and humor of our beloved Carol Bark with the works of Carol Burnett as interpreted by the United Church Players. Here are some photos.

Click on the pictures to see an enlarged version. Many thanks to all who participated and to David Glass for the photos.

Filed under Event
Posted by ironic1 at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've been watching the destruction of the old high school from my back window. The deep "boom boom boom" shakes my house like distant thunder or a kid's bass car speakers at 3 in the morning. I walk by the twisted skeletal remains on my way to work and imagine myself in some war torn city.

People have different reactions to the school coming down and it's interesting to see their reactions. Some are angry. Some are gleeful. Some are pensive. Some get choked up. Some have a far away look in their eyes. I spoke to one person who taught in the school years ago and he said he watched them tear apart his room from the sidewalk. When he said this he was positively giddy.

I'm reminded of the passage from Mark 13:1-2 when the disciples, like all tourists in big cities, are gawking at the large buildings in temple complex in Jerusalem. "Look, Teacher! What large stones!" Jesus reminds them that buildings do not last.

It's hard to hear that. Buildings have, in general, lifetimes that exceed the human span. They seem solid, unmovable, permanent, trustworthy. But buildings are transitory. They cannot last. Jesus also said, "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21) We need to be careful where we place our hearts and how we invest our spirit.

On the other hand, it's good to take care of buildings so that they can accomplish their missions. We need good schools not for the sake of the buildings, but for what happens in them. We need good churches, again, not for the sake of the buildings, but for what happens in and through them. The building, inasmuch as it has a mission, is important. We are fortunate that we have had generations of good caretakers of the building where United Church is housed.

It is a sorrow, however, when the building becomes the mission. Unfortunately, I've seen this happen over and over with churches. The building itself becomes the focus of the community - its restoration or maintenance. It's sad to see that happen. So much energy and time and money going into keeping a building alive which has lost the mission for which it was built. I pray that never happens to our congregation.

I'm reminded of a children's hymn that you've probably heard...

The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple,
the church is not a resting place, the church is a people.
I am the church. You are the church. We are the church together.
All who follow Jesus, all around the world! Yes, we're the church together.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Filed under Essay
Posted by Lawrence Lee at 9:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This quiz was originally played with our youth group. See how you do. When you are through click here to see the answers. The answers will be in red.

1) On which day is it traditional to make pancakes?
a. Maundy Thursday
b. Good Friday
c. Shrove Tuesday
d. April Fools Day

2) What are the 40 days before Easter known as?
a. Advent
b. Lent
c. Epiphany
d. Eastertide

3) Jesus was crucified on…
a. Palm Sunday
b. Easter Sunday
c. Good Friday
d. Maundy Thursday

4) Easter is celebrated on…
a. the fourth Sunday of March
b. the Sunday closest to the beginning of Spring
c. 100 days after Christmas
d. the first Sunday after the full moon on or after the Spring equinox

5) Jesus was betrayed for…
a. 30 pieces of silver
b. 30 pieces of gold
c. a colt and a donkey
d. an all expense paid trip to Rome

6) Gethsemane means…
a. place of the skull
b. press of oils
c. beautiful garden
d. get some more of these

7) What color was the cloak Jesus wore on the way to the cross?
a. green
b. black
c. red
d. purple

8) Who helped Jesus carry his cross?
a. Joseph of Arimathea
b. Simon of Cyrene
c. Simon the Zealot
d. Saul of Tarsus

9) What does Palm Sunday celebrate?
a. Jesus entering Jerusalem
b. Jesus entering Bethlehem
c. A traditional Jewish festival when people laid fresh palms in their homes on their floors
d. A traditional Roman festival when dates were eaten

10) Who rolled away the stone from the mouth of the grave in which Jesus had been placed?
a. an angel
b. a soldier
c. the gardener
d. Joseph of Arimathea

11) Easter gets its name from…
a. the direction of the rising sun
b. the Anglo-Saxon goddess of eggs and bunnies
c. the Latin word “astor” which means “rising”
d. the Greek word for “Passover”

12) What is burned to make the ashes for Ash Wednesday?
a. cedar wood
b. slips of paper on which prayers have been written
c. witches
d. palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday

13) Jesus was laid in the tomb of…
a. Joseph of Arimathea
b. Simon of Cyrene
c. Judas Iscariot
d. Nicodemus

14) What is celebrated forty days after Easter Sunday?
a. The Ascension
b. Pentecost
c. All Souls' Day
d. The Assumption

15) The day before Ash Wednesday is known as…
a. Fat Tuesday
b. Shrove Tuesday
c. Mardi Gras
d. All of the above

16) Mardi Gras literally means…
a. Fat Tuesday
b. Great Day
c. Throw me some beads
d. Day of the Geese

17) Lent is Latin for…
a. "Sorrow”
b. “Fasting”
c. “Spring”
d. none of the above

18) Pretzels…
a. were invented as a Lenten food
b. symbolize arms folded in prayer
c. were first made by German monks
d. all of the above

19) On Ash Wednesday ashes are placed…
a. on the forehead in the shape of a cross
b. in a box to be taken home and scattered on the garden
c. on the priest or pastor’s hands and feet to mark where Christ was crucified
d. on lily bulbs that will bloom on Easter

20) The color of Lent is…
a. green
b. purple
c. red
d. gray

21) At Christ's crucifixion what did the soldiers place on his head?
a. a wreath of laurels
b. a crown of thorns
c. a crown of jewels
d. a crown of thistles

22) The soldiers who crucified Jesus rolled dice for his…
a. Clothes
b. Jewels
c. Donkey
d. Cross

23) Judas betrayed Jesus by…
a. pointing at him
b. describing him to the authorities
c. kissing him
d. shaking his hand

24) Christ was led away to which high priest first?
a. Annas
b. Vitellius
c. Caiaphas
d. Josephus

25) Above Jesus on the cross was a sign which read…
a. Behold the man!
b. Thus always to tyrants
c. King of the Jews
d. Savior of the World

26) The sign above Jesus on the cross was written in…
a. Latin
b. Greek
c. Hebrew
d. all of the above

27) Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on…
a. a colt
b. a donkey
c. a white stallion
d. maybe a colt, maybe a donkey, maybe both

28) When Jesus died, for how long was there darkness over the land?
a. 3 days
b. 3 minutes
c. 3 hours
d. 3 weeks

29) While on the cross Jesus gave care of his mother to…
a. Peter
b. the "beloved disciple"
c. Mary Magdalene
d. Pontius Pilate

30) According to all four gospels the first person to see the resurrected Christ was…
a. Mary, the mother of Jesus
b. Mary Magdalene
c. Peter
d. accounts vary

31) Pilate offered the crowd to release Jesus or…
a. Jesse James
b. Barabbas
c. Paul
d. Barnabas

32) Jesus' side was pierced with a…
a. Sword
b. Knife
c. Spear
d. Axe

33) When Jesus said he was thirsty he was offered…
a. water from a waterskin
b. wine from a cup (the holy grail)
c. vinegar in a sponge
d. none of the above

34) When Jesus died…
a. darkness descended even though it was day
b. there was an earthquake
c. the shroud in the temple was torn in half
d. all of the above

35) Which disciple wanted to see the imprint of the nails before he would believe?
a. Andrew
b. Thomas
c. James
d. Bartholomew

36) After Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus he…
a. repented of his sin and rejoined the disciples
b. escaped to Egypt
c. hanged himself
d. became a Roman citizen

37) When Jesus was being arrested Peter…
a. wept
b. took out a sword and cut somebody’s ear off
c. ran away
d. none of the above

38) Golgotha means…
a. place of the skull
b. press of oils
c. beautiful garden
d. hill of the Goths

39) Jesus predicted this person would deny him before the rooster crowed three times...
a. Judas Iscariot
b. Pontius Pilate
c. Peter
d. Mary Magdalene

40) What is celebrated 50 days after Easter?
a. Trinity Sunday
b. Ascension Day
c. Memorial Day
d. Pentecost

Continue reading "Easter Quiz" »

Filed under Youth
Posted by Lawrence Lee at 10:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's a very simple proposition... Give 10% of your Stimulus Check to United Church.

Starting in May people will begin to receive their Stimulus Checks from the Federal Government. These checks are being sent out to help stimulate the economy in a time of economic downturn. Well, your church is part of that economy and churches in general have been hurting. All I am asking is that when you receive that $600-$1200 in the next couple months is that you remember your church with a tithe.

The idea of tithing is an old Biblical idea that goes back to the story of Abraham. When he received an unexpected bounty he gave one tenth of it to the priest Melchizedek as a thanksgiving offering. (Genesis 14:18-20)

Many people set tithing (giving 10% of their earnings) as a standard for faithful giving. It is not mandated by scripture, but generosity in giving is always encouraged and hailed as a virtue.

The most recent statistics show that Presbyterians give, on average, 1.5% of their income to the church while United Methodists give 2.1%. Assemblies of God members are, on average, among the most generous givers with 5.25%.

The fact of the matter is that the church operates through your generosity and good will. Please remember United when your check arrives.

Filed under Essay
Posted by Lawrence Lee at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[Click to Enlarge]

"It is our tradition to recognize and all elders, deacons and clergy in the Presbytery of Northern Waters who have died in the past year at one of our Presbytery Meetings."

I've been to meetings so boring that I thought I was going to die, but not literally!

We get this letter every year for the annual Necrology Report and every year it makes me laugh. I've mentioned a few times that they may want to change the wording, but I'm kinda glad they don't.

Now, I'm sharing it with the world.

Filed under Presbyterian Church
Posted by Lawrence Lee at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You've read Roger Anderson's Travel Log here, now you can read an interview with him in this week's Lake County News Chronicle.

Filed under Community
Posted by Lawrence Lee at 6:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)