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Categories B3RD, Everyday Life

How long does it take to bend a bone?

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Once a month, I give a nutrition presentation for our church’s children’s group “Rock Solid Kids.”

I’ve presented on the food groups–talking about variety and balance. I’ve presented on grains–and how half the grains should be whole. I’ve presented on fruits and vegetables–and how we should eat all the colors of the rainbow.

This Wednesday, I’ll talk about dairy.

Which means it’s time to talk bones.

For the sake of the kids (and certainly not for my own sake :-P), I purchased two fried chicken drumsticks from SuperSaver to eat for dinner tonight. I carefully ate every scrap of meat off the bones (such sacrifice!) and painstakingly removed all the excess cartilage from the joints.

I placed one bone on my stovetop to dry–and the other, I placed in a saucepan full of vinegar.

Bone in vinegar

Do you remember that experiment? Didn’t you do it when you were in elementary school? You soak a bone in vinegar until the calcium leaches out, leaving a soft, rubbery, bendable bone.

It’s been a long time since I did that experiment–and I can’t remember how long it takes to bend a bone. That’s why I’m heating the vinegar–I figured that’d make the reaction go more rapidly.

But still, I’m impatient. After three hours on the stove, surely my bone should be bendable, right?

But it’s not. Which leaves me with a dilemma. Do I leave the bone on the stove? Do I transfer it into a crockpot? Do I take it off the stove and leave it in a covered jar and trust that it’ll bend by Wednesday? I don’t know.

How long does it take to bend a bone?

Categories Book Notes, Missions

Muslim Sects

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Notes on Ergun Mehmet Caner and Emir Fethi Caner’s
Unveiling Islam
Chapter 11: Islamic Sects and Splinters

Sunni

  • Largest sect
  • Leader is a caliph elected from among the people
  • This group systematized Shari’a law
  • Maintains the relative uniformity of Muslim practice throughout the world

Shi’ite

  • Leader is an imam who is direct descendant of Muhammed
  • Has a messianic figure of sorts, the twelfth imam
  • Shari’a law a governmental absolute–leading to harsh intolerances (even of Sunni’s) within Shi’ite governments

Sufism

  • Mystic sect that draws from Buddhism
  • Believes in simplicity, meditation, denial of self
  • Pantheistic
  • Follow an allegorical or symbolic interpretation of the Qur’an

There are numerous other, smaller sects that make up about 2% of the worldwide Muslim population. Many of these sects are rejected by the larger sects as being cultish, not Orthodox Islam.

Addendum (May 10, 2010): Ergun Caner’s testimony as a converted Muslim has been challenged by several bloggers who claim that he has grossly exaggerated the extent of his Muslim upbringing. Readers of this book ought to be aware that the Caners may or may not have the experiential knowledge of Islam that they claim to have, and should therefore be careful to test the statements found in this book against other reliable sources.

Categories Faith

In the morning

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“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.”

I Peter 1:3-9

Thursday morning, I wrote of being blue. I wrote of grieving. I shared a tiny glimpse into my last several months. I wrote of feeling directionless, passionless, at a loss.

I’ve identified with suffering in the last few months. I’ve experienced testing. It’s been a tough go.

Friday evening, after a draining day of grieving, I read Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

I realized then that I couldn’t conjure up joy or peace or hope. But God is the God of hope. He is able to fill me with all joy and peace. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I can not just experience hope, but abound in hope.

Saturday evening, I was reading Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler’s On Grief and Grieving. In a section on denial, the authors say: “There is a grace in denial. It is nature’s way of letting in only as much as we can handle.” I laughed a bit as I read it, noting their mis-attribution. Nature has no role in this. But I can see the gracious providence of God as I’ve walked through some of the various stages of grieving. God has provided me with everything I need, and has apportioned the seasons of my grieving as He wills in order to accomplish His good purposes.

And then this morning, I was curling my hair and reading blogs when I came across the oddest Easter morning post. Jon Acuff at Stuff Christians Like wrote “You’re not naked.” He wrote of Adam and Eve sinning and hiding from God–and God’s question to them. “Who told you that you were naked?”

“There is hurt in God’s voice as He asks this question, but there is also a deep sadness, the sense of a father holding a daughter that has for the first time ever, wrapped herself in shame.

Who told you that you were not enough?
Who told you that I didn’t love you?
Who told you that there was something outside of me you needed?
Who told you that you were ugly?
Who told you that your dream was foolish?
Who told you that you would never have a child?
Who told you that you would never be a father?
Who told you that you weren’t a good mother?
Who told you that without a job you aren’t worth anything?
Who told you that you’ll never know love again?
Who told you that this was all there is?
Who told you that you were naked?”

I saw the valley I’ve been walking through and it was as if I heard the voice of God: “Who told you that this valley would be forever?”

Acuff ended his post with these words:

“But in response to what you are hearing from everyone else, God is still asking the question, “Who told you that you were naked?”

And He’s still asking us that question because we are not.

In Christ we are not worthless.
In Christ we are not hopeless.
In Christ we are not dumb or ugly or forgotten.
In Christ we are not naked.

Isaiah 61:10 it says: “For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness.”

The world may try to tell you a thousand different things today. You might close this post and hear a million declarations of what you are or who you’ll always be, but know this.

As unbelievable as it sounds and as much as I never expected to type this sentence on this blog:

You are not naked.”

The truth is, I am not without hope. This valley will not be forever. So I have had a glimpse of identifying with the death of Christ–but I have also and shall also identify with His resurrection.

Through His resurrection, I have been begotten again to a living hope–and when the trial is over, I shall praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Weeping may endure for a long night, but joy comes in the morning.

Categories Recap

Recap (Mar 28-Apr 3)

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On bekahcubed

Book Reviews:

Recipes:

On the web

Laugh out loud funnies:

  • Make a Students encouraged to participate in food stamp program.
    In a flagrant abuse of taxpayer funds, universities are encouraging their students to apply for SNAP. “The money is there for everyone who qualifies!” they say–and tell students that it’s not charity “It’s a right for every taxpaying citizen who qualifies.” Except that most students aren’t paying taxes–and most students are already living on taxpayer assistance through scholarships, grants, and loans. Please, have a little respect, and only use government assistance if you actually NEED it. (Talk to me if you want to learn more about how to make do nutritionally on less.)
  • Is Calvinism back? An interesting article on the “New Calvinism”. HT: Instapundit

Thought-provoking posts:

  • David Livingston (a pastor at Bethlehem Baptist in Minneapolis) asks “Is Watching a Very Good Sermon on TV or Online the Same As ‘Doing Church’?”

    “No doubt there are more than just a few folks who have surfed their way into our services from elsewhere to hear the very good sermons and will stay only as long as the sermons remain very, very good. That’s what “doing church” is for them … they are “auditing” church.”

    This article on what church really is about is quite good.

  • Tim Challies on being a better reader. This article has usefulness for voracious readers (like myself) and non-readers alike. I love this particular suggestion:

    “We all have our heroes–men or women we want to be like. Most heroes (who are worth emulating) have been shaped by the books they have read. So when you find a person you admire, find and read the books that have most shaped him. If you want to be like John Piper, don’t just read the books he was written–read the books that made him who he is.”

    HT: Vitamin Z

Categories Faith

The Four Cups

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Last night, my family celebrated our annual Passover Seder. This is probably my favorite holiday ever because of the rich symbolism and powerful liturgy surrounding it.

Jews have been celebrating the Passover Seder for millenia, commemorating God’s delivering them from slavery in Egypt.

The Haggadah (Order of Service for the Seder) contains four cups of wine. They are named based the acts of God promised in Exodus 6:6-7 and are consumed in sequence throughout the liturgy.

“Therefore, say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.'”
Exodus 6:6-7

The first cup is the cup of sanctification. “I will bring you out…” God promised that He would bring Israel out, set them apart. To sanctify, to set apart. So too, we who are in Christ have been sanctified, set apart, brought out from the burden of the law.

The second cup is the cup of deliverance. “I will rescue you…” God promised that He would rescue Israel from bondage to Egypt. To deliver, to rescue. So too, we who are in Christ have been delivered, rescued from bondage to sin.

The third cup is the cup of redemption. “I will redeem you…” God promised that He would redeem Israel (purchase their ransom) with great signs. In Jesus’ Last Passover, “He took the [third] cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.'” (Luke 22:20) Jesus raised the third cup and endued the cup of redemption with even more symbolism. This cup is not just commemorating the purchase of Israel from Egypt with great signs. It commemorates, too, the ransom Christ Jesus paid with His own blood to redeem His own from their sins.

The fourth cup is the cup of rejoicing. “I will take you…” God promised that He would take Israel to Himself, that they would be His people and He would be their God. And Israel rejoices in this promise. Jesus did not drink this cup in His last supper. After He had distributed the third cup, He told His disciples, “I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” (Matt 26:29) This cup had not yet been fulfilled, would not be fulfilled for years to come. But Jesus anticipates the day when He shall take His people to Himself, when they shall be His people and He shall be their God. Revelation 21 tells of the fulfillment of this promise: “Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain…” (Rev 21:3-4) It is in that Day that we shall join with Christ in the New Jerusalem and drink with Him the fourth cup, the cup of rejoicing.

And every year, after we have drunk of the fourth cup, anticipating the joy that awaits us in Christ’s kingdom fulfilled, we conclude our Passover Seder with the traditional shout: “Next year in Jerusalem!”

My heart beats fast and my spirit cries out: “Come quickly, Lord Jesus.”

This Seder is a beautiful one. It is every year. But my heart longs for the final Seder, the wedding feast of the Lamb. My heart longs for the consummation of that promise “I will take you as My people, and I will be your God.” I long for His kingdom to come, that in the New Jerusalem we may drink with Him the cup He has held off drinking for millenia–the cup of rejoicing in the fulfillment of His promise.

And the echo of the shout continues to resound within me: “Next year, next year in the New Jerusalem!”

Categories Book Reviews

“The Haunted Cabin Mystery” created by Gertrude Chandler Warner

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Children's Classics Mystery Challenge

I didn’t read this (or review it) with the intent to participate in 5M4B’s Children’s Classics Mystery Challenge. But if the shoe fits…

I don’t remember ever reading on of the Boxcar Children books that was only “created by” Gertrude Chandler Warner rather than written by Gertrude Chandler Warner. But I must have read at least one, because I developed a deeply rooted suspicion of “created bys” and avoided them at all costs through my mid-elementary years. My main beef with the “created bys” was that they returned the four Alden children to their original ages rather than continuing to have them grow in age as they had in the “originals.”

Reading The Haunted Cabin Mystery confirmed my childhood antipathy toward “created bys”. The children abruptly return to being 6, 10, 12, and 14 after 19 books in which they’d aged at least 2-4 years (since Henry is in college in book 19.) This shift, and the uncharacteristic first chapter “recap” of book 1, was jarring to me–but not as worrisome to me as a mature reader than some more subtle elements in the story.

Like the other stories, this one centers around the four children solving a mystery in a relatively independent fashion–while still under the benevolent watchful eye of a concerned adult. Except that this story introduces a new element of secrecy and disobedience. In Warner’s “originals”, the children were always quite transparent with their older caregiver, sharing each new discovery as it occurred. Secrets in the originals were about what they were going to have for lunch or a special surprise gift they were planning–never about the mystery. Here, the children keep the mystery entirely a secret–ostensibly to avoid worrying the older man they were staying with.

In the original series, the children are energetic but obedient, following both the letter and the spirit of the law. In The Haunted Cabin Mystery, the children are expressly told not to go outside after dark–a rule that they routinely broke in solving their mystery. Despite this flagrant disobedience, the children are never punished or made to feel sorry for their behavior (even just in their own consciences.) In fact, the children were commended for solving the mystery with no mention whatsoever made of their disobedience or deception in doing so.

As a youngster, I probably wouldn’t have caught onto this. It was subtle, not intrusive. It wasn’t like the children were disrespecting their caregiver to his face. They were just ignoring his directives. But it’s the subtlety of this disrespect that most concerns me as an older reader. When “badness” is flagrant and straightforward, it’s easy to condemn it. The reader can easily see that they should not emulate the characters in that aspect of their actions. The reader is forced to read with his filter on when “badness” is clearly seen. But when something is billed as wholesome, the story can slip in bits of compromise to an unsuspecting reader. Without even realizing it, children can begin to think that there is no need to be obedient and no consequences for disobedience. They can begin to think that concealing the truth is a better policy than telling the truth. After all, the Boxcar children did and it all turned out for the best.

My opinion of the “created by” is hereby reinforced. I am highly in favor of the original nineteen Boxcar children books. But I can’t place my mark of approval on the subsequent additions to the series. Not only are they more clunky stylistically than the originals (admittedly, the series was never about literary style)–but I fear that they leave the moral high ground and embrace a relativistic approach to morality. I cannot recommend the “created bys”.

Rating: 0 stars
Category: Children’s fiction
Synopsis: The four Alden children go to stay with a retired sea captain and discover a mystery surrounding the cabin he lives in.
Recommendation: Tolerable story, intolerable moral relativity. I cannot recommend this book.

Categories Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday: Blue

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Today I’m thankful…

…for the blue bike that I’m loving to ride

…for the blue sky that greeted me as I rode my way on to campus

…for the blue water bottle that keeps me hydrated as I fight against the wind

…for the blue backpack that enables me to tote all my books and papers about on my bicycle

Thankful Thursday banner

Today, I’m blue. And when I’m blue, I’m thankful…

…for my aunt, who can relate

…for my uncle, who reminded me that I am not without hope

“We grieve, but not as those who have no hope. Grief is real and good and must not be glossed over. On the other (better) hand, there is joy in trusting in the Lord with all your heart and leaning not (at all) on your own understanding. I wonder to myself (truly, – not directed at you or anyone but myself) does God have contingency plans in case His plans don’t work out? My mind and especially my heart cannot conceive of it. — Peace”
-Uncle Nathan

…for my mom, who brought some clarity to my confusion and finally convinced me to look into some resources on grieving.

…for my dad, who tells me that God hasn’t given up on me, who asks me to consider whether my lack of interest in the jobs that have been coming across my desk might be God’s leading–that He’s holding me back from getting a job for a reason? (Dad said that while some people might experience God’s leading in a sudden interest or a kick in the pants, maybe this uncharacteristic lack of interest might be His leading for the generally go-gettum, make-things-happen me.)

…for God, who is ever-present, who is with me when I cry myself to sleep, who knows the heart I don’t know myself, who hears my every contradictory petition and works all things to accomplish His (good) will. I’m thankful that He hasn’t given up on me, that He hasn’t lost His plan for my life. I’m thankful that even when I don’t understand my own heart, my own emotions, my own will–God knows, and has a plan to work all things together for His glory and my greatest good.

Categories Reflections

Through the tears

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I’ve had a plan, all these years–a plan that carried me seamlessly from high school to college to grad school. I had planned for every contingency and merely had to adjust to the appropriate path whenever life arrived at a branch point. I graduated from college unmarried–I had a contingency plan for that. I had contingency plans I didn’t end up using–plans for if I didn’t get into an internship, for example.

But now I come to the end of my plans. Now I’m at the great intersection where hundreds of paths lie open before me–and I have no idea which one to take. I have no well-planned flowchart here, no rubric for deciding.

The future is a hazy mist fast approaching, and I feel lost in the fog.

A ray of light shone through on a frightening path. I shied away from it at first. Then God eased my fears and I felt my heart come into focus. This, this was what I wanted for my future. This was what I hadn’t even realized I’d been wanting all along. All my dreams aligned along this path and I was ready to follow it wherever it went.

What I didn’t expect was the “road closed” sign just beyond my view. I came upon it and had no choice but to turn aside.

Now, once again, I stand in the valley of decision–a broad vista of limitless paths. They bewilder me, they overwhelm me, none of them truly excites me. I want that path back.

I didn’t have, still don’t have a contingency plan. That future that so frightened me at first had come to excite me so. And now, every future I can envision seems drab and cold and lifeless.

I should be excited. The world is open to me. I have my whole life in front of me. I can do whatever I want to do. I can be whoever I want to be. Except, that is, that I cannot do or be that thing which I came to desire more than anything else in this world. That path is closed to me.

Abraham lay Isaac on the altar, believing that God would resurrect him. Any hope of resurrection has faded in my soul. Now, like Japheth’s daughter, I say, “If this is what you have vowed, put me on the altar–but first let me grieve what I have lost.”

Categories Everyday Life

A Powerful To Do List

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This study that I just read about suggests that powerful people are notoriously bad at estimating how long it’ll take to complete tasks. When I first saw the headline (Powerful People Often Too Optimistic About Task Time), I thought of my to-do list immediately.

It turns out that my thought was pretty tangential. The article didn’t have anything to do with scheduling or length of to-do lists. But I couldn’t help but think of how overly optimistic I generally am about my to-do lists. I rarely complete every item on my to-do list.

But I’d be willing to bet that my optimism manages to get an awful lot more done in a day than the “realistic” person who puts three items on their to-do list.

Today is shaping into a pretty productive day–so my list might be a bit (5ish items) longer than normal–but this is fairly typical of my daily to-do lists:
(I’ve italicized completed tasks.)

Morning routine
Make bed

  • Get up
  • Make bed
  • Dress to shoes
  • Fix Hair
  • Makeup
  • Breakfast
  • Devotions
  • Brush teeth
  • Swish and swipe
    This is wiping down my sink and toilet as well as doing a quick scrub of the toilet bowl. It’s a FlyLady technique–and I adore it.

Spiritual
Copying Scripture

  • Word
    I’m going through a Bible reading schedule from “The Lookout” (a Christian magazine, I think). It’s a through-the-Bible-in-a-year plan that has readings from the Old Testament, a wisdom book, a gospel, and another New Testament book every day. I’ve enjoyed the format immensely.
  • Prayer
  • Memory
    I’ve been trying to step up my Scripture memory a bit more (and practice it regularly). I add a new (or an old familiar that I need to get word perfect) about every week or so. For now, the notecards in my purse for daily review are Gen 1:1-2, Gen 1:26-28, Deut 6:4-6, Deut 32:46-47, Josh 1:8, Ps 1, Ps 23, Rom 8:37-39, and Rom 12:1-2
  • Copy
    I’m trying to copy down the whole Bible. I know. It’s absolutely crazy. It’ll probably be a lifetime work. But I was inspired by Deuteronomy 16:18 which commands the king of Israel to write for himself a copy of the Word of God. I have maybe 50 or 60 chapters in the looseleaf binder I’ve devoted to the project. I’ve been working on it in fits and starts for three or four years. So it’s slow progress, but I’m not planning on giving up anytime soon.
  • Worship
    This is a concentrated time of musical worship–but it takes different forms. Sometimes it’s working through a hymnal, sometimes it’s taking a walk and singing, sometimes it’s borrowing my folks’ piano, sometimes it’s worshipping along with a CD.
  • Listen to sermon
    With occasional breaks, I’m working through John Piper’s series on John that he started in 2009. I just finished listening to the third sermon on The Woman at the Well
  • Write tithe check
    I get paid at the end of each month–but since the check is automatically deposited, unless I’m proactive, I’ll forget how much my tithe check needs to be by the time Sunday rolls around. So I write the check as soon as I get my “advice” (which tells me what I earned.)

School

  • Homework with SAS
    I have to do any assignments that require SAS on campus–so it’s a bit more work than normal
  • Print lab
    There are a half-a-dozen things that have to be printed before statistics lab each week.
  • Grade and record student homework assignments
  • Write and copy quiz for lab tomorrow
  • Read and comment on student presentation for tomorrow
  • Attend Statistic lecture (1 hour)
  • Attend Statistics lab (2 hours)
  • Pick up pay advice
  • Work on survey
    I’ve done some work on this, but I’d like to do a bit more before I call it quits for the day.
  • Work on paper

Home
Lunch

  • Tidy living area
  • Vacuum living area
  • Set up new craft upstairs
    I like to have some sort of handwork all set up so I can pick it up while listening to sermons or watching videos on my computer. I finished my Christmas napkin holder yesterday, so I gathered the materials for some felted and embroidered Christmas ornaments today.
  • Make lunch
    A BLT with a side of sauteed asparagus, onions, and orange peppers. Yummmy!
  • Get mail
  • Make Roasted Vegetable Cassoulet
    CassouletA rather involved recipe–and not quite as good as I’d have liked. It was good but not fantastic.
  • Check furnace filter
  • Check Casandra’s toilet
    It’s been refilling every hour or so, indicating that there’s some sort of slow leak going on. I messed with it a bit and haven’t heard it run since–so we might be good. (Then again, I can’t tell for sure until it’s been used some more.)
  • Dishes

Books

  • Islam
    That would be Unveiling Islam, the book I’ve been commenting on. I’m reading about a chapter a day.
  • Children’s Picture books
    I read 2 or 3 of these a day in my quest to read through my local library.
  • Once Upon a Summer
    A novel by Janette Oke, this is usually bedtime reading–a couple three chapters at a time.
  • Letting Go
    My right before bed reading, this is a book/Bible study on grieving. My mom suggested that I look up some grieving resources and so far, this one has been pretty helpful.
  • Biology
    One chapter a day, High School Review Biology.
  • Words to Live By
    Again, a chapter or so a day gets me through.

Computer

  • Fun Post
    That’s this one!
  • Islam
    A post for tomorrow on the chapter I’ve read in Unveiling Islam–except that I haven’t read it yet.
  • Blog Read
    I follow 80 blogs and I’m about halfway through my list (Thankfully, not everyone posts every day!)
  • Roll a Burrito
    Halfway done with a post on how to roll a burrito (with lots of pictures)
  • 10 Big Lies
    A review of a book I finished recently
  • Blue Zone Notes
    Notes on a book I just finished reading
  • Log Books
    Recording the books I’ve recently finished reading.

Personal

  • Bicycle
    40 minutes or so. I rode to class and took the long way back.
  • Schedule Doctors appointment
  • Library
    Return 20 books, get the 7 children’s picture books that are on hold, plus a few more.
  • Gas for car
  • Car wash
  • University bill
  • Rent and utility bills
    Divying up bills is going to take a bit more time for the next couple of months because we just got a new roommate. I’ve got to try to figure out what proportion of which bills which of us has to cover. Joy.
  • Get caramel from campus
    We made it in lab last week, but I hadn’t brought it home yet. Now it’s home.
  • Send in ADA membership renewal
  • Get furnace filters, battery for cyclecomputer
  • “Fellowship” at Mickey D’s

Evening

  • Computer off
  • Set out clothes
  • Bathe
  • Wipe tub
  • Lotion
  • PJs
  • Meds
  • Floss
  • Brush teeth
  • Recharge cell phone
  • Go to bed

Now that’s one powerful to-do list.

But, I can’t spend too much more time on this specific task–I’ve got a dozen or so still to complete before I settle in for the night. Ciao!

Categories Book Notes, Missions

Holidays: Celebrating God or man?

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Notes on Ergun Mehmet Caner and Emir Fethi Caner’s
Unveiling Islam
Chapter 10: Holy Days (A Calendar of Islamic Community)

“Christians must understand that Islamic holidays differ in both essence and meaning from the holy days that Christians observe.

First, and of most importance, Christian holidays remember divine interventions, while Islamic holidays are based upon human accomplishments. In Christianity, we celebrate Easter as the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and His completion of the sacrifice for our sins. In Islam, ‘Eid-ul-Adha celebrates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Ishmael, not Allah’s substitution of the ram in the thicket. In Christianity we celebrate [Christmas] the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ, for our redemption. Islam celebrates Mawlid al-Nabi, the birth date of Muhammad, their warrior. Christianity and Judaism recognize Passover as the work of God sparing the firstborn children of the Israelites. Muslims mark the end of their own personal sacrifice in Ramadan with ‘Eid-ul-Fitr. The complete inversion of the purpose of holy days cannot be overstated.

Second, the communal activities and meals celebrated in Islam are exclusively for Muslims. In Christian terminology, Muslims believe emphatically in “closed communion.” While Jews often make a point of inviting their Christian neighbors to celebrate Shabbat or the Passover Seder with them, non-Muslims (even if they are friends or family) are unwelcome at Muslim celebrations….

Christians take note: While we should understand Islamic customs, we can easily fall into syncretistic idolatry [by participating in Islamic prayer or other forms of Islamic worship that the Muslim considers a pledge of devotion to Allah]. Respecting other religious traditions enables us to witness more effectively. Validating their traditions waters down the gospel witness. We center our celebrations on the provision of the Lord, not on our personal endeavors.”

-Caner and Caner, Unveiling Islam, pages 159-160

Addendum (May 10, 2010): Ergun Caner’s testimony as a converted Muslim has been challenged by several bloggers who claim that he has grossly exaggerated the extent of his Muslim upbringing. Readers of this book ought to be aware that the Caners may or may not have the experiential knowledge of Islam that they claim to have, and should therefore be careful to test the statements found in this book against other reliable sources.