What is a spiritual monument. Spiritual monuments of the past

Monuments of material and spiritual culture are the works of human hands, ancient objects, tools and structures preserved on the earth's surface, under a layer of earth or under water. According to them, scientists restore the past of human society. The main monuments of material culture: tools, weapons, household utensils, clothes, jewelry, settlements (cities, settlements, villages) and individual dwellings, ancient fortifications and hydraulic structures, roads, mine workings and workshops, burial grounds, drawings on rocks, sunken ancient ships and their cargoes, etc.

Ancient monuments - archaeological: parking - the remains of the settlements of ancient man. Usually they are located on the banks of rivers, lakes, seas. Over the past centuries, the most ancient sites have been discovered - Paleolithic - buried under a layer of sand, clay, soil so deeply that it is difficult to detect them. It is easier to find later Neolithic ones: they are often washed away by water, and they are partially exposed. Land containing traces of human activity is called a cultural layer. It contains ash, coal from fires, garbage, construction waste, household items, etc. The cultural layer is clearly visible in outcrops against the background of sands and clays. Here you can find flint products with pointed edges, pottery-clay shards, bones of animals and fish, bone and bronze products.

Settlement - the remains of an ancient fortified settlement, located on the hills. There are ramparts and ditches near the settlement. Here you can find interesting metal products - bronze, copper, iron. Around the settlements there was an unfortified settlement - a settlement. Often there are cemeteries - ancient burials and burial mounds. Mines and workshops abound with various tools of ancient production. The main task of the local historian is the search, research and registration of historical and archaeological monuments unknown and known to science. Excavations are carried out by archaeologists. Until now, in different parts of our country (in the Urals, the Caucasus, in the Baikal region, in Chukotka, etc.), drawings of an ancient person are found on rocks or in caves. They depict figures of animals and people, hunting scenes, fantastic creatures. Such drawings are invaluable for science, for the knowledge of ancient history and art.

subject to protection and architectural monuments-creations of architects, which are part of the cultural heritage of the country, the people. These are buildings for various purposes: churches, cathedrals, monasteries, chapels, cemeteries, towers, walls, palaces, parks, mansions, public buildings, thoughts (town halls), wonderful residential buildings, estates, noble and merchant houses, peasant huts and other buildings. Each of them has its own history, closely connected with the history of the region. They are studied not only as monuments of the history of the people, but also as examples of architectural art. So, white-stone cathedrals - examples of ancient Russian architecture - captivate with the elegance of forms; the architectural structures of Central Asia, the Baltic states, etc. are full of national originality.

Folk applied art, or art crafts, arose in ancient times. Already primitive man tried to decorate his life, to create not only practical, but also beautiful clothes, dishes, utensils. The skill of artists from the people has been improved for centuries. Wood carving, folk jewelry art, porcelain and glass making achieve high skill. From ancient times, stone-cutters were also famous. At the end of the XVIII century. lacquer business arose in Russia (the famous villages of Fedoskino, Palekh, Kholuy, Mstera). Chukchi folk craftsmen are famous for their drawings on walrus tusks, residents of the Caucasus for patterned sheep wool carpets, Uzbek masters for stone carving, etc.

Young local historians collect information about folk art and its samples in each locality of their region. One should not strive to look only for rare, exceptional creations; one should also pay attention to those typical for a given village. This will help to identify local features, traditions, craftsmanship. It is interesting to find old masters and find out facts from the history of the craft, to identify the range of products in the past, how and where they were sold, etc. When and at what age did the old masters die, what did they create, do the old people remember the history of the origin of the craft, are there any legends this topic? Information on the technology of production of products in the past is especially important. How was the high quality of work achieved? All this and many other information will be of real value if young local historians first familiarize themselves with the relevant literature.

The task of local historians is to collect works of local creativity of all genres: tales, fairy tales, epics, songs, ditties, lamentations, charms, riddles, proverbs, sayings, folk drama. How to record? It is important to observe the accuracy of the recording, word for word, without cutting, releasing or redoing anything. They write down all repetitions, interjections, otherwise the rhythm, the special coloring of the story, will be broken; one should not miss all the features of the local dialect. Since it is very difficult to have time to record, they often resort to the help of a tape recorder. The narrator's speech should not be interrupted by questions or remarks. A prerequisite is to write down information about the performer (last name, first name, patronymic, nationality, age, local resident or visitor, specialty, literacy, address). It is important to know from whom the performer learned his art.

When the people of Israel crossed the Jordan to enter the promised land, God gave Joshua the following command: "Take 12 people from the people ... to spend the night that night" (Joshua 4:2-3). These stones were to become a symbol or a sign (sign) for the people of Israel. Joshua further explained, "When they ask you in the time to come ... a monument forever" (Joshua 4:6-7).

These stones were supposed to remind of those great things that God did with His people. There are many other cases where people built altars or gathered together stones to commemorate important encounters with God.

Choose ONE of the characters below.

Make a mark to the left of his name. Read about the meeting of your chosen hero with God. Then answer the following questions:

䀁 NOAH - Gen. 6-8

Exp. MOSES - Ex. 17:8-16 or 24:1-11

─ ABRAM - Gen. 12:1-8 or 13:1-18

䀁 JESUS NAVIN - Joshua Nav. 3:5-4:9

䀁 ISAAC - Gen. 26:17-25

䀁 GIDEON - Judgment. 6:11-24

䀁 JACOB - Gen. 28:10-22 and 35:1-7

Expected SAMUEL - 1 Samuel. 7:1-13

1. Briefly describe this person's encounter with God. What was God doing?

2. Why do you think the hero erected an altar or gathered stones for a memorial?

3. What special name is given to God or the altar (monument) in this case?

People of the Old Testament often erected altars or piled stones in memory of their encounter with God. Places like Bethel ("the house of God") have become memorials of God's great deeds among His people. Moses called the altar "The Lord is my banner," and Samuel called the stone "Aben Ezer," saying "Unto this place the Lord has helped us" (1 Sam. 7:12). These stones became material signs of great spiritual encounters with God. They were to help people tell their children about what God had done for His people.

SEE WITH THE EYES OF GOD

God consistently works to accomplish His holy purposes. Everything that was done in the past was done with the goals of the Kingdom of Heaven in mind. Everything that is done in the present is connected with the past and is done taking into account the same goals of the kingdom of heaven.

Every action of God is built on His past actions and with a purpose for the future.

God, turning to Abraham, began to create a people for Himself (Genesis 12). Isaac saw God's point of view when God spoke to him and reminded him of the relationship He had with Abraham, his father (Gen. 26:24). God introduced himself to Jacob as the God of Abraham and Isaac (Gen. 28:1-30). When God came to Moses, He showed him His perspective on how He acted throughout history. He introduced himself to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Ex. 3:6-10). For each new step in the fulfillment of His divine plan, God called man. In order for this person to see through the eyes of God what He is doing, God often during the first fellowship reminded him of His actions in the past.

In Deuteronomy, Moses remembers all that God did to Israel. God was preparing a people for the migration to the promised land.

He wanted the people, before taking the next step, to see what had already happened in the past. In 29 ch. Deuteronomy Moses briefly retells the history of the people. At this point in the renewal of the covenant, Moses wanted to remind the people that they must be faithful to God. There was a preparation of the people for the change of leader (Jesus Nun to the place of Moses) and for the entrance to the promised land. The people needed to see this new step through the eyes of God. People needed to see that this step

corresponds to all that God has already done.

In the diagram on page 3 of the cover, God's purposes and intentions are depicted with an arrow at the top of the drawing.

Look at the perspective God showed Moses when he spoke to him at the burning bush in Exodus 3. In this exercise:

Write PAST where God talks about what he did with the people in the past.

Write the PRESENT before those paragraphs where God speaks of His activity at the moment of His

Appeal to Moses.

Write FUTURE where God says what He intends to do in the future.

1. "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (verse 6).

2. "I saw the suffering of my people in Egypt, and heard their cry from their ministers" (verse 7).

3. "I know his troubles, and I go to deliver him out of the hand of the Egyptians" (verses 7-8).

4. "So, go. I will send you to Pharaoh; and bring out of Egypt My people, the children of Israel" (verse 10).

5. "I will be with you, and this is a sign for you that I have sent you: when

you will bring the people out of Egypt, you will minister on this mountain" (verse 12).

6. "I will bring you out of the oppression of Egypt... into a land flowing with milk and honey" (verse 17).

7. "And I will give this people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and when you go, you will not go empty-handed ... and you will rob the Egyptians (verses 21-22).

Now do you see what God did to Moses? He helped Moses see his calling from His perspective.

God worked with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and even Moses' father to create a new people for Himself.

God promised Abraham that He would bring the people out of slavery and give them the promised land.

God watched over them in Egypt.

Now He is ready to answer their cries.

God chose Moses to draw him to fulfill His divine purposes for Israel. He wanted to use Moses to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and at the same time plunder Egypt.

If Moses is obedient, God will bring him to the same place to worship. This worship was to be a sign to Moses that God had sent him.

Items 1 - 2 and 6 - past. Items 3 and 4 - the present. Items 5 and 7 - future.

God wants to draw you to fulfill His purposes. God is at work throughout the world (John 5:17). He has been working in your life since the day you were born. By His design, He worked even before you were born. God said through the prophet Jeremiah: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you...

(Jer. 1:5). When God has prepared for you a new step or a new direction in your life, it is related to what He has done in your life so far. He always has His divine purposes in front of Him when He molds your character in a certain way.

SPIRITUAL MONUMENTS

I was convinced how useful it is to establish "spiritual monuments" in life. After each meeting with God, when He called me or changed the direction of my life, I mentally built a spiritual monument on this place. Spiritual monuments reminded me of a time of change, of making decisions, of changing direction, when I clearly knew that God was leading me. As time passed, I could look back at these monuments to see again how God has consistently directed my life in accordance with His divine plans.

I turn to these spiritual monuments when I need to make a decision about choosing the right direction indicated by God. Before I take the next step, I reflect on how it logically relates to all of God's activities in my life. It helps me see my past and future through the eyes of God. After that, I consider all possible options for action. Looking to determine which one is a continuation of what God has already created in my life. Very often such an option is found. If none of the options seemed to me related to what God is currently doing around me, I continue to pray and wait for God's guidance. When circumstances don't agree with what God says through the Bible and prayer, I conclude that God's appointed time has not yet come. Then I wait for God to tell His time.

Give your definition of "spiritual monuments". Using the previous paragraph, describe in your own words how spiritual memorials can help determine God's directions at the time of decision making.

Do you see any benefit in "spiritual monuments"? What is their use for you?

Once I was offered to go to the Directorate of Local Missions to work in the field of prayer and spiritual awakening. I have never done anything like this. Only God alone could reveal to me whether this matter is part of His divine intentions or not. Then I turned to my spiritual monuments to make a decision, looking at it with God's eyes.

I come from England, where some members of my family were graduating from Spurgeon College at the time Spurgeon was preaching in England. I myself grew up in Canada, in a town where there were no evangelicals. My father served as a freelance pastor, helping to establish a mission in that city. Also in

As a teenager, I began to feel a growing concern about towns across Canada that did not have evangelical churches. In 1958, while I was still in seminary, God gave me confidence that He loved my people and that He was ready to bring about a great spiritual revival throughout the country. When I

accepted the call of God to go to pastor in Saskatoon, God used a plan for spiritual awakening to confirm my calling. You will read about this in section 11; the spiritual awakening that began in this area then spread throughout Canada in the early seventies.

In 1988, I got a call from Bob Gamblin of the Directorate of Local Missions. He said, "Henry, we've been praying for a long time that God would send someone to lead the prayer ministry for spiritual revival. We've been looking for someone for this position for over two years. Would you like to come to lead the Southern Baptist Convention in spiritual matters?" awakening?"

When I began to analyze how God works in my life (I began to look at my spiritual monuments), I noticed that spiritual awakening is an important element that accompanies my ministry. I replied to Bob: "You could ask me for anything, but I would never even pray for the cause for which I must leave Canada, except for one thing - a spiritual awakening. I feel that a spiritual awakening, like a deep stream, has fascinated me all my life since I was a teenager, and especially since 1958." After long prayers, confirmed by the Word and the opinion of other believers, I accepted a position in the Direction of Local Missions. God did not change the direction of my life, He only directed me to what He had been doing throughout it.

Find spiritual signs in your life. Define your spiritual monuments. They may be related to your origin, it may be the time of your repentance, the time of making important decisions regarding your future, etc. Recall when your life was changing, decisions or directions were made and you clearly felt that God was leading you. Take a separate piece of paper or a notebook and start making a list. Start today, but do not think that you have to give an exhaustive answer in one day. Add to this list as you pray and reflect on God's actions in your life. This week you will have the opportunity to share some of your spiritual monuments with your group.

Review today's lesson. Ask God to reveal to you one or more truths that you must understand, study and put into practice. Then answer the following questions:

What was the most important truth (or scripture) you read today?

Paraphrase a truth or scripture into an answering prayer to God.

How should you respond to what you have learned today?

KEY TRUTH LESSON

Often during decision making, the difficulty is not in choosing between good and bad, but in choosing between good and best.

Two words from the Christian vocabulary should never stand side by side: No, Lord.

God always works consistently in accomplishing His holy purposes.

When God leads me to a new step or shows me a new direction in His activities, they are always related to what He has done in my life so far.

Spiritual monuments mean a time of change, decision making, change, when I am sure that God is leading me.

These are works of human hands, ancient objects, tools and structures preserved on the earth's surface, under a layer of earth or under water. According to them, scientists restore the past of human society. The main monuments of material culture: tools, weapons, household utensils, clothes, jewelry, settlements (cities, settlements, villages) and individual dwellings, ancient fortifications and hydraulic structures, roads, mine workings and workshops, burial grounds, drawings on rocks, sunken ancient ships and their cargoes, etc.

The oldest monuments are archaeological: sites are the remains of ancient human settlements. Usually they are located on the banks of rivers, lakes, seas. Over the past centuries, the most ancient sites have been discovered - Paleolithic - buried under a layer of sand, clay, soil so deeply that it is difficult to detect them. It is easier to find later - Neolithic: they are often washed away by water, and they are partially exposed. Land containing traces of human activity is called a cultural layer. It contains ash, coal from fires, garbage, construction waste, household items, etc. The cultural layer is clearly visible in outcrops against the background of sands and clays. Here you can find flint products with pointed edges, ceramics - clay shards, bones of animals and fish, bone and bronze products.

Architectural monuments are also subject to protection - the creations of architects, which are part of the cultural heritage of the country, the people. These are buildings for various purposes: churches, cathedrals, monasteries, chapels, cemeteries, towers, walls, palaces, parks, mansions, public buildings, dumas (town halls), wonderful residential buildings, estates, noble and merchant houses, peasant huts and other buildings. Each of them has its own history, closely connected with the history of the region. They are studied not only as monuments of the history of the people, but also as examples of architectural art. So, white-stone cathedrals - examples of ancient Russian architecture - captivate with the elegance of forms; the architectural structures of Central Asia, the Baltic states, etc. are full of national originality.

Among the monuments of folk art are decorative ornaments, art crafts and oral folk art (folklore). In addition to studying buildings as architectural monuments, a young local historian gets acquainted with the decorations of houses, for example, with carvings decorating cornices, window and door frames, roof ridges, shutters on windows, and porches. The old type of carving is characteristic, “deaf”, when the pattern is not cut through; its main motives are vegetable, sometimes - birds, less often - animals. A later type of carving is a consignment note, sawn through. In the south of Russia, in Ukraine and in Belarus, painting is often found on the outside of the walls of houses and stoves.

Folk applied art, or artistic crafts, arose in ancient times. Already primitive man tried to decorate his life, to create not only practical, but also beautiful clothes, dishes, utensils. The skill of artists from the people has been improved for centuries. Wood carving, folk jewelry art, porcelain and glass making achieve high skill. From ancient times, stone-cutters were also famous. At the end of the XVIII century. lacquer business arose in Russia (the famous villages of Fedoskino, Palekh, Kholuy, Mstera). Chukchi folk craftsmen are famous for their drawings on walrus tusks, residents of the Caucasus for patterned sheep wool carpets, Uzbek craftsmen for stone carving, etc.

Finally, there is oral folk art - folklore, which is studied by the science of folklore. It explores verbal, song, musical (instrumental), choreographic, dramatic and other collective creativity of the masses. The task of local historians is to collect works of local creativity of all genres: tales, fairy tales, epics, songs, ditties, lamentations, charms, riddles, proverbs, sayings, folk drama. How to record? It is important to observe the accuracy of the recording, word for word, without cutting, releasing or redoing anything. They write down all repetitions, interjections, otherwise the rhythm, the special coloring of the story, will be broken; one should not miss all the features of the local dialect. Since it is very difficult to have time to record, they often resort to the help of a tape recorder. The narrator's speech should not be interrupted by questions or remarks. A prerequisite is to write down information about the performer (last name, first name, patronymic, nationality, age, local resident or visitor, specialty, literacy, address). It is important to know from whom the performer learned his art.

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