![\"charades\"](\"https:\/\/mlii5e30p1dq.i.optimole.com\/cb:hFP7.217\/w:300\/h:200\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/gracechristian.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Charades.webp\")
Group games have always been a real favorite of mine.\u00a0 That isn’t really very surprising as I love people and both large and small group gatherings.\u00a0 My amazing wife Kathy is an incredible hostess!\u00a0 We often have different groups of people over throughout the year.\u00a0 We enjoy getting to know people, and talking with them as well as engaging in activities together.<\/p>\n
During the summer, I just love yard games or water games! In the winter it is board games, card games, and other indoor active games in which people mix together and laugh and play.\u00a0 These times are so enjoyable and encouraging when new and old friends come together. \u00a0As a child, I learned charades.\u00a0 Similar to that old game is the current board game called \u201cGuesstures.\u201d\u00a0 The rules of these games seek to have the \u201cactor\u201d communicate meaning without making any sounds whatsoever.<\/p>\n
Early this morning as I was reading the Word for my daily devotions, I read of a man named Zechariah, who was possibly the first recorded \u201csilent actor\u201d seeking to communicate meaning.\u00a0 He was a priest who served in the temple in the first century.\u00a0 He was married to Elizabeth, who was barren, and was well into old age.\u00a0 As Zechariah performed his duties in the temple of the Lord, an angel of the Lord\u2014Gabriel\u2014appeared to him.\u00a0 Gabriel told him of a miracle baby who would be born through him and his wife within a year.\u00a0 When Zechariah came out late from his temple service, due to his shocking visitor, he was unable to speak because he was hesitant to believe the words of the angel when he considered his age and that of Elizabeth.<\/p>\n
Nine months of charades!<\/p>\n
Elizabeth (as well as their family members) never heard the story of the angel Gabriel’s conversation with Zechariah in words,<\/em> but had to resort to hand signals and written messages.\u00a0 These communication forms became part of their daily lives. In Luke chapter 1, the story continues to unfold until Elizabeth gives birth to a son in her old age and everyone is so excited.\u00a0 On the eighth day, when Zechariah and Elizabeth went to the temple to circumcise and name the baby boy, the people present assumed he was to be Zechariah after his aged, mute father. \u00a0When Elizabeth spoke up, refusing the name, the father is consulted about this.\u00a0 Zechariah asks for a slate and a writing instrument.\u00a0 He wrote out clearly and emphatically –“His name is John.”<\/p>\n Game over!!<\/p>\n The Bible states, “Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God” (Luke 1:64).\u00a0 No more guessing, just loud worship of God and laughing and celebrating at the wonder of this event and the curiosity of who this special child would become.<\/p>\n Isn’t this an amazing story of the first “charader” or “guessturer?” \u00a0I wish I could have been there to see that happen!\u00a0 God is an amazing God who works in amazing ways with His people, seeking them to respond in obedience.<\/p>\n Like Zechariah, let us speak forth His praises every day while we have the voice to do it!\u00a0 We proclaim His goodness and grace with our actions and our words.\u00a0 We are the witness this world needs.\u00a0 Will you please pray for God to speak to and through the students of Grace Christian University?\u00a0 They truly are the mouthpiece of the Gospel of and to the next generation.<\/p>\n Ken B. Kemper<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Group games have always been a real favorite of mine.\u00a0 That isn’t really very surprising as I love people and both large and small group gatherings.\u00a0 My amazing wife Kathy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":3,"featured_media":20948,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[103],"tags":[],"dipi_cpt_category":[],"class_list":["post-20947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-presidents-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n