house rules

This Sunday will be our "Open House" Sunday. It's the start of a fall series of Sundays, on our "Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors" theme. It's a good time to come to church, and a good time to bring friends...

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This past weekend, I was up in Julian again, working on my husband's family's house, which we're rebuilding post-Cedar Fire. It was hot. When Matt handed me an ice-cold glass of Gatorade, a proverb I learned in west Africa welled up in me. (I got used to saying it there, when people would offer cold water. It was hot a lot...) The translation of the Proverb is "Cold water knows the place of the heart."

Proverbs are fun, and a bit funny; knowing how to speak this proverb in Zarma won me quick affection from Nigeriens who were impressed. I love trying to learn at least one useful Proverb when I travel--it makes me look much smarter and aware than I am.

When you can speak in the proverbs of a culture, you know more than the surface of its language--you know something of it's values.

And, in both Niger and Julian, cold water (or Gatorade...) can be a true gift.

This Sunday, we'll share a piece of scripture from the book of Proverbs, chapter 22. Short, easy sayings, embedded with all kinds of insight into the values of their speakers.

Proverbs seems so familar that they lose their literal meaning. (After all, who knows what a "bird in the hand" is worth, and how in the world would you compare it with "two in the bush"? I have no idea what I'd do if I had a bird in my hand...)

I wonder what proverbs (biblical or otherwise) you know? Do you have a favorite? (Postings encouraged!!!!) What do you think these Proverbs say about us?