Happy Oktoberfest everyone!
It's that time of year again. Oktoberfest 2019 is here. Oktoberfest is a season, a holiday, and a festival. My three top favorite holidays are Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, and Oktoberfest. Please see previous and future blog posts for information about Christmas and St. Patrick's Day.
I talk about the History of Oktoberfest in my Christian romance novel The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tide Part 2. Oktoberfest started out as the Wedding Mass and Wedding Feast of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and his lovely bride Princess Theresa of Saxony on October 12, 1810. Please read The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 1 to get the details about the history of Germany's most famous beer festival.
The Psalmist wrote this about Yahweh in Psalm 104:14-15, "4 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; 15 And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart" (KJV 1611).
St. John the Evangelist wrote about the Wedding Feast at Cana in John 2:1-12, "2 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the Mother of Jesus was there: 2 And both Jesus was called, and His disciples, to the marriage. 3 And when they wanted wine, the Mother of Jesus saith unto Him, 'They have no wine.' 4 Jesus saith unto her, 'Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine Hour is not yet come.' 5 His Mother saith unto the servants, 'Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it. 6 And there were set there six water-pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. 7 Jesus saith unto them, 'Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.' 8 And He saith unto them, 'Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast.' And they bare it. 9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water, that was made wine, and knew not, whence it was: (but the servants, which drew the water, knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 And saith unto him, 'Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.' 11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His Glory; and His disciples believed on Him. 12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He, and His Mother, and His brethren, and His disciples: and they continued there not many days" (KJV 1611).
My current pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church (LCMS), Reverend Mike Phillips, pointed out last fall during one of our Wednesday night Bible Studies, that John 2:4 has been poorly translated. Jesus in the original Greek manuscripts says something more like "My dear lady" instead of "Woman." Sadly most English translators translate the beginning of John 2:4 very harshly.
Dr. Martin Luther sadly also translated that verse harshly. Luther translated John 2:4 in this way, "Jesus spricht zu ihr: 'Weib, was habe ich mit dir zu schaffen? Meine Stunde ist noch nicht gekommen'" (Luther Bible 1545). Let me translate Luther's German translation of John 2:4 into English for you now, "Jesus spoke to her: 'Woman, what have I to create with you? My Hour is not yet come'" (Luther Bible 1545).
Jesus made glad hearts of the people, who were celebrating the new marriage of the bride and groom. Jesus made the groom look good. Jesus caused the water to make a chemical change from water into wine. Jesus did the impossible, but, since Jesus is both truly God and truly Man, He can do anything, except sin. The wedding feast at Cana could have ended abruptly and the groom could have looked cheap and foolish. This could have sent the wrong message to the people at the wedding feast at Cana, that perhaps the groom did not truly love his bride. However, Jesus saved the wedding feast at Cana from an abrupt ending and both the bride and groom from embarrassment. Jesus continues to save people even today, but not from embarrassment, rather He saves them from death, Hell, Satan, Satan's demons, Original Sin from Adam and Eve, and their own personal sins. Jesus died on the True Cross to save every single person of their sins thus atoning for their sins and objectively justifying them. When a person experiences water Baptism, Yahweh adopts that person as their child, Jesus becomes their Brother and Savior, and the Holy Spirit both blesses that person with His Presence and He dwells inside of them. Glory be to Yahweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit for the free gift of Salvation. Amen!
October 2019 Book Signings:
1. I'll be having a book signing at The Menagerie at 1178 Indiana Avenue in the St. Marys Business Complex in the St. Marys, Ohio on Saturday October 26, 2019 from 11 AM to 5 PM.
November 2019 Book Signings: My 2019 Christmas Book Signings will take place in November 2019 and December 2019.
1. I’ll be having a book signing at the Ottoville Rosary Altar Society Craft Show on Saturday November 2, 2019 from 9 AM to 2 PM at the Ottoville Parish Center in Ottoville, Ohio.
2. I’ll be having a book signing at the Holiday Art Bizarre in the St. Marys Union Hall in St. Marys, Ohio on Thursday November 7, 2019 from 5 PM to 6 PM.
3. I’ll be having a book signing at Jen’s Furniture and Collectibles (JFC) on High Street in between Circle K Gas Station and Zion Lutheran Church (NALC) on Black Friday 2019 (November 29, 2019) from noon to 6 PM.
4. I'll be having a book signing at the 2019 Holiday Showcase Craft and Vendor Show at The Centre at 601 N. Main Street in Bluffton, Ohio on Small Business Saturday 2019 (November 30, 2019).
General Rule About Book Signings: I’ll be signing copies of my Christian romance novels The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 1 and The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 2 and my Greek and Roman Mythology book A Survey of Classical Mythology at all of my book signings. More books are coming soon! :)
Stores Carrying My Books: My new books, which I’ve written and published, are also available at the following stores: Brunner News Agency on Flanders Avenue in Lima, Ohio, Jen’s Furniture and Collectibles (JFC) on High Street in St. Marys, Ohio, The Menagerie at 1178 Indiana Avenue in the St. Marys Business Complex in St. Marys, Ohio, Readmore Hallmark Stores out at Eastgate Plaza and on Elm Street in Lima, Ohio, Wagner’s IGA Grocery Store in Minster, Ohio, in the Book Mart section of ohiobookmart.com, and in the Shop section of my website ohioirishlutheranpress.com .
Thank you,
James W. O’Flannery, President and Founder of Ohio Irish Lutheran Press (OIL Press)