The Christian Calendar

the calendar; image from here

Happy Easter!  Today seems suitable to present the Christian calendar. Everyone knows about Christmas and Easter, but there's far more to it.  "The Christian calendar is an annual schedule that commemorates certain days and seasons related to the history of salvation." (from the Gospel Coalition)

The above image shows the main events in the year.  More explanation follows; I'm indebted to the aforementioned Gospel Coalition link for any quotes (and the general structure of) below.

• Advent
• The start of the Christian liturgical year
• Begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas
• We anticipate the arrival of our Savior, Jesus Christ, on Earth
• Christmas
• Begins on 25 December and lasts 12 days (until 5 January)
• We celebrate Christ's birth
• Epiphany
• Means manifestation
• Begins when, according to tradition, the magi visit the Christ
• We celebrate the revelation of Jesus as God incarnate to the entire world (Jewish and Gentile)
• Lent
• Begins on Ash Wednesday, lasts 40 days (not counting Sundays) until Holy Saturday
• "The period represents the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry."
• We examine ourselves and repent
• Holy week is the last week of lent and leads us to Easter.  Holy week includes 
• Palm Sunday (Jesus' entry into Jerusalem), 
• Maundy Thursday (the Last Supper), 
• Good Friday (His crucifixion), and
• Holy Saturday
• Easter
• Commemorates Jesus' resurrection from the dead
• Lasts 40 days (the length of Jesus' time on Earth following His resurrection), ending with Ascension Thursday, when He returned to Heaven
• Pentecost
• Commemorates the Holy Spirit coming
• Is 10 days after Ascension Thursday, or 50 days after Easter
• Ordinary Time
• Though there's no special celebration during these months, we're commanded to always rejoice (Philippians 4:4) and follow Jesus, seeking to love Him and our neighbors, which is the sum of the law (Matthew 22:35-40)

Why do we celebrate annually?  Because we're called to remember, and we need reminders- constantly- of who God is, what He has done, who we are, what we need, and how Jesus loves us.

A German Reading List (2nd edition)

The German Flag; image from here

Just over a year ago, I posted the first take of my German Reading List here- but promised it would change; this post is my second version.

My goal is to:
- Understand German history, to include key events that shaped Germany's identity as a nation
- Be familiar with key works of German literature and fiction, from classics to modern bestsellers

If I've already read a title, I link to my review of it below.  A few are in German and so labeled. I'm about halfway through, and really enjoying it so far.

Author	Title	Category
Norman Davies	Europe: A History	History- Europe
Neil MacGregor	Germany: Memories of a Nation	History- Germany
Joachim Whaley	German and the Holy Roman Empire Vol. 1	History- Medieval
Stephen Nichols	The Reformation	History- Reformation
Roland Bainton	The Reformation of the Sixteenth Century	History- Reformation
Oliver Pötzsch	The Castle of Kings	Fiction- Historical
David Macaulay	Cathedral	History- Architecture
C.V. Wedgwood	The Thirty Years War	History- Medieval
Oliver Pötzsch	The Hangman's Daughter	Fiction- Historical
Hans von Grimmelshausen	Simplicius Simplicissimus	Literature
Johann Goethe	The Sorrows of Young Werther	Literature
Johann Goethe	Faust	Literature
E.T.A. Hoffmann	The Devil's Elixirs	Literature
E.T.A. Hoffmann	The Nutcracker and the Mouse King	Literature
E.T.A. Hoffmann	The Sandman	Literature
Christopher Clark	Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia	History- Prussia
Carl von Clausewitz	On War	War
Ernst Lothar	The Vienna Melody	Novel- Austria
Franz Kafka	The Castle	Literature
Franz Kafka	The Metamorphosis	Literature
Thomas Mann	Buddenbrooks	Fiction
Barbara Tuchman	The Guns of August	History- WWI
DK Publishing	World War I- The Complete Visual History	History- WWI
Ernst Jünger	Storm of Steel	Memoir- WWI
Erich Maria Remarque	All Quiet on the Western Front	Literature- WWI
Heinrich Mann	The Loyal Subject	Fiction
Judith Kerr	When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit	Autobiography/WWII
Lion Feuchtwanger	The Oppermanns	Novel- WWII
Klaus Mann	Mephisto	Novel- WWII
Gert Hofmann	The Film Explainer	Fiction- WWII
William Shirer	The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich	History- WWII
Anna Seghers	The Seventh Cross	Fiction- Historical
DK Publishing	World War II- The Complete Visual History	History- WWII
Elie Wiesel	Night	Memoir- WWII
Dietrich Boenhoffer	The Cost of Discipleship	Religion
Gunter Grass	The Tin Drum	Novel- WWII
Bernhard Schlink	The Reader	Novel- WWII
Wolfgang Koeppen	Death in Rome	Novel- WWII
Robert Harris	Fatherland	Alternate Hist.- WWII
W.G. Sebald	Austerlitz	Novel- Historical
Hermann Hesse	Siddhartha	Literature
Peter Schneider	The Wall Jumper	Fiction- Cold War
Christian Kracht	Imperium	Novel- Satire
Markus Heitz	The Dwarves	Fantasy
Bernard Hennen	The Elven	Fantasy
Walter Moers	The City of Dreaming Books	Fantasy
Michael Ende	The Never Ending Story	Fantasy
Various	Die Schönsten Kinderklassiker	Children's/German
Otfried Preussler	Der Rauber Hotzenplatz	Children's/German
Otfried Preussler	The Little Ghost	Children's
Kai Meyer	Pirate Curse	Children's- Fantasy
Jakob & Wilhelm Grimm	Grimm's Fairy Tales	Mythology
P. Craig Russell	The Ring of the Nibelung	Mythology
Eugen Hollerbach	Rhine Legends	Folklore
Elke Leger	Hessische Sagen fur Kinder	Folklore/German
Arnold Leitner	German Made Simple	Language
Stephen O'Shea	The Alps	Travelogue
Fritsche et al	Technik in den Alpen	Engineering/German

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (Judith Kerr)

A book for young readers (age 9-11), When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is about Anna, a school girl in Berlin with a brother Max, their mom and famous father (he's a writer).  But in 1933, the Nazis come to power, and they're forced to flee- they're Jewish, and their father is a staunch critic of the Nazi party.  They live briefly in Switzerland, then Paris, and the novel ends as they arrive in London (1936).

I like the child's perspective. Unlike some (many?) war-related stories in this vein, you never get the idea that Anna is suffering.  It's annoying to move so often, they have to leave many cherished items (like her pink rabbit) behind, and money can be tight, but her perspective comes out at the end of the novel:

"As long as they were together she could never have a difficult childhood."

She just wanted to be with her family- when they were together, she'd never feel like a refugee.

I also enjoyed this other exchange, which resonated with me:

"Do you think we'll ever really belong anywhere?"
"I suppose not," said Papa. "Not the way people belong who have lived in one place all their lives. But we'll belong a little in lots of places, and I think that may be just as good."

That's how I feel. There's a part of me in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Germany, and England.  And that's okay.  There's no one place I feel at home- there are many.

Rating: A

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Cynical and hurting journalist Lloyd Vogel is given a most unusual assignment: Mr. Rogers, the well-known children's TV show host.  But Lloyd will be blown away by the kindness, patience, empathy, and love Mr. Rogers extends to him (and everyone).  Over a series of meetings, eventually they'll become good friends, and Lloyd will learn a good deal about feelings and acceptance.

I was surprised by this movie; I thought it was a biopic on Mr. Rogers, but instead it's more about the friendship between him and the journalist.  That said, I think it does a good job showing the character of the TV show host through his personal interactions.  You see a good deal of Vogel's broken family life, and how Mr. Rogers helps him through it- not through tips or tricks, but by being a friend, expressing concern, and showing compassion.  It's powerful, moving, and recommended.

Rating: A

The Explicit Gospel (Matt Chandler)

The Gospel is the heart of the Bible.  Everything in Scripture is either preparation for the Gospel, presentation of the Gospel, or participation in the Gospel.- Dave Harvey

Tragically, it's easy to spend your life in the Church- and call yourself a Christian- and never hear or understand the Gospel (the good news).  Too often, Christianity is twisted (even by Christians) into what one author* calls "Christian Moralistic Therapeutic Deism;" namely, that we should be good people and avoid (or stop) doing bad things, and in so doing we'll earn favor with/leverage over God.  But this is far from the truth. In The Explicit Gospel, Matt Chandler presents the core gospel message from two vantage points:
1) 'from the ground'- looking at God, man, Jesus, and our response to what Jesus has done
2) 'from the air'- looking at God's cosmic plan in creation, fall, reconciliation (or redemption), and consummation (or restoration)
He argues that both perspectives are necessary "help us comprehend the breadth, height, and depth of God's love.  Neither perspective dilutes the other but rather shapes our vision of God's saving purposes to the epic scope of biblical revelation. We are after a gospel that is resolutely centered on the atoning work of Christ and scaled to the glory of God. Let the explicit gospel drive us to worship with all "the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19) and in awe of both God's immense, universe-subsuming glory and his deep, personal love for sinners."

The content was solid.  The structure was pleasing.  The delivery was . . . okay.  It was more 'casual' in tone than I'd prefer, and I couldn't determine the intended audience. It's certainly basic (which isn't a bad thing- we all need the basics).  But is this for non-Christians or Christians?  I felt it didn't give enough backstory for the former, and may have been too 'casual' in tone for the latter (casual meaning not elegant or polished enough).  Don't get me wrong- there's a lot of good things in here- but the presentation just felt a touch off.  That said, it is good to hear the basics over and over- we need it.

Rating: A-

*confusingly named Christian Smith

The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of Grimm Brothers (Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm)

The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of Grimm Brothers: The Complete First Edition collects 200 stories and 10 "Children's Legends" collected by the Brothers Grimm in Germany.  Over the decades (1812-1857), the Grimm Brothers would release seven editions of their fairy tale collection, each time adding or revising stories until they had 210 in total (the first release had 86).  Here, you'll find classics you know as well as one-paragraph riddles or cautionary tales.

The classics you know are here:
The Frog King
Rapunzel
Hansel and Gretel
Cinderella
Little Red-Cap (Little Red Riding Hood)
The Bremen Town Musicians
Hans in Luck
The Elves
Little Briar-Rose (Sleeping Beauty)
Snow White
Rumpelstiltskin

And plenty you don't know. Recurring themes include:
- wicked stepmothers doing cruel things to their children
- princesses making suitors do impossible tasks for their hand in marriage
- people tricking each other (and the devil)
- powerful magicians using their magic for good or ill
- lots of stories in forests

Review
This disappointed me. I got this version (ISBN 9781503275836) because I thought it was the original version of the fairy tales (those original 86 in the first edition), in the original versions that weren't considered suitable for children (subsequent releases would soften the stories).  Alas, it was falsely advertised: all the stories, in later iterations, are here instead. And it was a print on demand book, too.

I read about 50 of the stories; aside from the familiar, there's little of value here.  Occasionally you'll find a witty or interesting story, but those are overpowered by the prevalence of bizarre and and seemingly pointless tales.  I now understand why many collections present only the familiar stories.

Rating: B-

Pandemic: Fall of Rome

Today's review is of the 2018 release, Pandemic: Fall of Rome.  For 1-5 players, it takes 45-60 minutes.

Overview
The goal and mechanics of Pandemic: Fall of Rome are virtually identical to Pandemic.  But here, rather than viruses, your team needs to convert or conquer barbarian tribes before they overrun the Roman Empire. It's a cooperative game, where each player gets four actions on their turn (helping them move, recruit armies, fight barbarians, and more), each player has a unique role granting a special ability, etc.  The main differences:
- Rome is set during the era of the Roman Empire
- Rome introduces dice (when conquering barbarians)

game in progress; image from here

Review
If you like Pandemic, you'll like this.  The designers did a good job introducing twists to a familiar baseline, and I was especially impressed how they balanced historical accuracy (forcing certain tribes along certain invasion paths) with game play.  I enjoyed the introduction of dice to the combat, too.  Another winner in the Pandemic line.

Rating: A