Religion & Values » Episcopal

12 Days of Christmas: Christmas quiz

religion — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 22:57:36 +0000

Just how did Mary and Joseph make their famous trip to Bethlehem?

What did an innkeeper tell Mary and Joseph once they reached the crowded city?

The Rev. Joe Alsay, rector of St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, asked his congregation these and other questions during Dec. 19 services at the Oklahoma City church, 14700 N May.

Instead of a traditional sermon, Alsay surprised the church with a “Christmas IQ Quiz.”

The quiz drew some good-natured consternation as folks tried to answer questions about the traditional Christmas story. The short test also drew lots of laughter as Alsay proceeded to answer the questions.

“It certianly caught their attention,” Alsay said.

“What it also did is make people wonder. They say ‘I go to church on Christmas I know the story. I hear it every year.’ Well, Scripture itself does not say a lot about these things.”

For instance, Alsay said Scripture does not mention an innkeeper although it may be safe to assume that there was one who spoke to Mary and Joseph about ‘no room in the inn.”

Did Mary ride to Bethlehem on a donkey? Alsay said people historically traveled in caravans during biblical times so it is just as likely that she traveled by caravan.

“You wouldn’t want to make that trip by yourself,” he said. “Maybe she and Joseph had to foot it. We don’t know that there was a donkey. We can hope.”

Alsay said he got the quiz questions from a a list of such questions compiled by a professor. He said it’s interesting to see how people have filled in the empty blanks over the years.

Alsay said most importantly he likes to introduce different things like the quiz because it may spur people to go home and read their Bibles.

Also he said looking at the Christmas story with new, fresh eyes may spark a new and fresh relationship with Jesus.

“I hope that Christ can be born again in our hearts.”

And he said we may never know the answers to some of the questions. And that’s OK.

“Somethings we don’t know and that’s probably the beauty of it,” Alsay said. “That’s when faith comes in.”

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OK, if you are curious, you can take the quiz here. The answers are posted below the quiz.

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Christmas I.Q. Test

As Long as Christmas has been celebrated, it has been on December 25. (True or False)
Joseph was from:

(A) Bethlehem (B) Jerusalem (C) Nazareth

(D) Egypt (E) Minnesota (F) None of the above

3.How did Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem?

(A) Camel (B) Donkey (C) Walked (D) Volkswagen (E) Joseph walked, Mary rode a donkey

(F) Who knows

4. Mary and Joseph were married when Mary became pregnant (True or False)

5. Mary and Joseph were married when Jesus was born (True or False)

6. Mary was a virgin when she delivered Jesus (True or False)

7. What did the innkeeper tell Mary and Joseph?

(A)“There is no room in the inn.” (B) “I have a stable you can use.” (C) “Come back after the Christmas rush and I should have some vacancies.”( D) Both A and B (E) None of the above

8. Jesus was born in a: (A) Stable (B) Manger (C) Cave (D) Barn (E) Unknown

9. A “manger” is a: (A) Stable for domestic animals (B) Wooden hay storage bin (C) Feeding trough (D) Barn

10. Which animals does the Bible say were present at Jesus’ birth? (A). Cows, sheep and goats (B). Cows, donkeys and sheep (C) Miscellaneous barnyard animals (D) Sheep and goats (E) Lions, tiger and bears (F) None of the above

11. Who saw the “star in the East.”(A) Shepherds (B) Mary and Joseph (C) The Magi (D) Both A and C (E) None of the above

12. What “sign” did the angels tell the shepherds to look for? (A) “This way to baby Jesus” (B) A star over Bethlehem (C) A baby that doesn’t cry (D) A house with a Christmas tree (E) A baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger (F) None of the above

13. What did the angels sing? (A) “Joy to the World,” (B) “Alleluia” (C) “Unto us a child is born” (D) “Glory to God in the highest. . . . “ (E) “My Sweet Lord”( F) “ Glory to the Newborn King”

14. There was snow that first Christmas (True or False)

15. The baby Jesus cried (A) When the doctor slapped him on the behind (B) Just like other babies (C) When the little drummer boy played his drum (D) He never cried

16. What is frankincense?(A) A precious metal (B) A precious fabric (C) A precious sap used in perfume (D) An Eastern monster story (E) None of the above

17. What is myrrh? (A) An easily shaped metal (B) A spice used for burial (C) A drink (D) An after-shave lotion (E) None of the above

18. How many “Magi” does the Bible say came to see Jesus ______________

19. The Magi found Jesus in a: (A) Manger (B) Stable (C) House (D) Holiday Inn (E) Good Mood

20. Where do you find the Christmas story in order to check on all these ridiculous questions?

(A) Matthew’s Gospel (B) Mark’s Gospel (C) Luke’s Gospel (D) John’s Gospel (E) All of the above (F) Only A and B (G) Only A and C (H) Only A, B and C

ANSWERS:

1. false

2. a

3.f

4.false

5.true

6.true

7.e

8.e

9.c

10.f

11.c

12.e

13.d

14.false

15.b

16.c

17.b

18.??? we know more than 1 could have been two, three, four

19.c

20.g

NOTE: Father Alsay wanted me to be sure to invite all my readers to St. Augustine’s Christmas Eve services set for 5:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. Dec. 24. The church’s regular services are at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Sundays.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

Visiting with Dean George Back

religion — Sat, 08 May 2010 12:14:13 +0000

My interview with Dean George Back (pictured) at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral was very intriguing.

Stepping back in time with him was like a history lesson in itself.

Back is retiring from the dean’s post after 28 years.

What intrigued me the most was Back’s reflections about the time after the Oklahoma City bombing. I don’t think I had questioned a faith leader about how they themselves coped with the tragedy. Many faith leaders across the metro and state were called upon to help their congregations and communities come to terms with the senseless loss of so many lives. And how do you do that and not be affected yourself, to some degree?

Well, Dean Back shared exactly how. He said he never lost faith but he did witness the struggles of many others who were trying to come to grips with the tragedy.

As we sat in the quiet, peaceful sanctuary of St. Paul’s, I wasn’t surprised at Back’s depth of emotion as he described the waves of feelings that washed over him in the middle of the night back in those first days and weeks after the bombing.

I was very grateful that he shared that with me, and with all of our readers (because I put that in the story in today’s Oklahoman). I think it says a lot about Dean Back as a clergyman and as a human being. By all accounts, he has been a humble and gracious leader and he will be missed as leader of the downtown cathedral.

Carla Hinton

“March Gladness”

religion — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:21:09 +0000

March Madness has turned into March Gladness.

Everybody’s got their brackets done for the NCAA basketball tournament. Now it seems a faith group has found a way to help you give more during this basketball bonanza.

Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation, an Episcopal group working to eradicate poverty, aims to do good with its project focusing on the tournament.

The group is running a bracket for the tournament to raise money for charity, the Associated Press reported.

Money raised through the “March Gladness” pot will be donated to nonprofits that work toward the group’s Millennium Development Goals. I know from having talked to the Rt. Rev. Ed Konieczny, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma, that meeting these goals is a high priority for the bishops and Anglicans across the globe.

The eight goals, drafted in 2000, are to: feed the hungry, educate all children, empower women, save children’s lives, keep motherhood safe, heal the sick, care for the environment and work together to heal the world.

Check out the March Gladness effort and see how it all works by going online to www.e4gr.org/marchgladness.html.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

Bishop Ed to discuss Lambeth

religion — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 03:59:44 +0000

Oklahoma Episcopalians will get a chance to hear about the once-a-decade Lambeth Conference at six regional briefings beginning Tuesday in Duncan.

The Rt. Rev. Edward Konieczny, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma, will share information about the conference, which he attended in England along with other bishops in the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Dates, times and locations of the briefings are as followed:

6:30 p.m. Tuesday at All Saints Episcopal Church in Duncan.

6:30 p.m. Wednesday at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Ardmore.

6:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in Oklahoma City.

6 p.m. Sept. 8 at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Enid.

7 p.m. Sept. 12 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Tulsa.

6 p.m. Sept. 21 at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Grove.

PHOTO ABOVE RIGHT FROM EPISCOPALOKLAHOMA.ORG/The Rt. Rev. Edward Konieczny, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma, poses for a picture with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, at the 2008 Lambeth Conference in England.

Bishop Ed at Lambeth

religion — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:02:08 +0000

PHOTO FROM EPISCOPALOKLAHOMA.ORG/The Rt. Rev. Edward Konieczny, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma, poses for a picture with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, at the 2008 Lambeth Conference in England.

As he prepared to travel to the much-anticipated Lambeth Conference, Bishop Edward Konieczny predicted that some difficult conversations were ahead for participants of the once-a-decade event in England.

Apparently those weighty matters have descended upon n bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma, and others attending the conference set to wrap up on Sunday.

As promised, Konieczny has been posting missives about the conference on the Oklahoma diocese’s Web site. In his most recent posting Konieczny said hearings regarding the Windsor Report began yesterday.

The Windsor Report was issued in 2003 by a group of leaders in the worldwide Anglican Communion. It sharply criticized the Episcopal Church USA, the American arm of the Anglican Communion, for the 2003 consecration of the first openly gay Episcopal bishop (V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire – who, by the way, was excluded from Lambeth, but is meeting in an area near the prestigious gathering with some bishops and other leaders supporters).

The homosexuality issue, which has been so divisive for the Anglican Communion, possibly will take center stage at Lambeth later as well. Konieczny said in the next few days, the bishops are to discuss, among other things, human sexuality.

He once again predicted there will be more difficult conversations, but seemed hopeful that some leaders have been able to at least share their opinions and beliefs face-to-face, which is what Lambeth is really all about.

“I am still hopeful that through those who are faithfully entering into personal conversations and dialogue, we as a Communion can find a way forward,” Konieczny wrote.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor