Shall We Meet at the Bathhouse?

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Imagine you want to spend a lovely afternoon with a friend or work associate. You create a plan to meet and chat about life events or stressful situations over a cup of coffee or tea. Oh wait! That won't work. You are in Rome, so the bathhouse it is! The bathhouse was the happening place to be in Rome for socializing or making business contacts. You could spend a whole afternoon utilizing the gym, eating form the garden, or bathing in the three different pools. Then you would retire home for your evening meal clean and refreshed and smelling like lavender from an afternoon spent with friends.

If you were poor and  lived in the run down "flats", life would look a little different. You would bath in the less then desirable bathhouses and come home to a small, poorly maintained building hoping that someone would not be discarding their waste out the window as you walked by. If you had the unfortunate luck to live in the 5th or 6th floor, you would walk many flights of rickety stairs to arrive at your one room apartment. The aroma of decaying food and feces would fill the air as you stepped over the discarded trash from the rooms. There would be no running water to wash your hands or clean your food, and a trip to the toilet meant a bucket that would be dumped out the window when you finished.

Life in Rome was very different then what we are accustomed to now. While we still pursue entertainment as vigorously as the Romans did, we don't look to gladiator games to quench our thirst for blood. Instead we look to movies and games that depict much of the same thing. We don't discard of our toilet waste out the windows or kill our children for being disfigured or the wrong sex. Would you have enjoyed living in ancient Rome?

This week you will continue to read about Rome and the tragedies that await them. It is about to get brutal! Also, don't forget to keep working on your Viking Ship. You only have 2 weeks!

Homework:
1. Read Unit 13
2. Research 2 denominations that are different from your own. Write about their customs and traditions. If you attend a non-denominational church, you can research pretty much any denomination. The catholic, lutheran, presbyterian, or episcopal churches are great ones to research.
3. For extra credit memories the Apostles Creed.
4. Work on Viking Ship.

The Western Wall and Christian Celebrities

The Western Wall, also known as The Wailing Wall, is at the root of the Jewish nation. It is the only surviving remnant of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. The epicenter of this temple is Mount Moriah. It was here that Abram bound Isaac as a sacrifice to God, and it is here that Jacob dreamed of the ladder which ascended to heaven. This wall is an eternal symbol to the Jews that they will never be destroyed as God promised. Even though Jerusalem has been destroyed and rebuilt nine times, the Western Wall still stands as an intact symbol.

The Wailing Wall is an important place to many people. It is a place where they come to pray, place notes in the wall, and gaze upon a piece of history. Celebrity is also something people tend to place value on. When Jesus walked the earth, He did not look to be a celebrity. He was here to do the work of His Father, not to be viewed as a celebrity. His celebrity really didn't occur until after his death though. These days celebrity is something that some people seek out, others gain due to talent, or achieve by mere accident. Is being a celebrity something people should seek to achieve? Depending on who you ask, the answers will vary. According to Mark Driscoll it is a problem if your nation does not have a good, young Bible teacher that is well known. Do you agree or disagree? Is there the a temptation to idolize and even worship a well known pastor or worship leader? Is it possible that they seek glory for themselves, or do they truly hope to bring glory to God? These are all interesting questions to ponder. Do we seek to elevate people or God?

Congratulations! You have made it to the Thanksgiving break! You now have 2 weeks off from history after you read Unit 12:) Enjoy it!
I hope you are enjoying the socratic method for discussing history and other ideas. It is a wonderful method for discussing thoughts, ideas, and opinions. As you become more comfortable with it, I hope that some of you will join in more. There are no bad ideas in the circle. It is a safe place to throw thoughts out there and get feedback. Through discussion we often refine our thoughts and form more defined opinions. In the second semester, I will be assigning more articles or excerpts from books for you to read and analyze. I want you to get used to making notes, critiquing written works, and developing thoughts to discuss. Hopefully today's exercise gave you a feel for that.

Don't forget to start thinking about your Viking project. Gather ideas and make a plan. Waiting until the last minute is not a good idea, so start planning now! Here are a few ideas:

Lego Viking ship

Cardboard Viking ship

Cake Viking Ship

You can be as creative as you want. You have until December 11th, but don't wait to get started in the planning.

Homework:
1. Read Unit 12
2. Start planning Viking Ship Project
3. Email me with the answers to the questions I sent you for the gift exchange

Have a great Thanksgiving!