Song for Sunday: Come Ye Thankful People Come

This week's Song for Sunday is a hymn that takes as back to the original meaning of Thanksgiving, back to before the pilgrims, to the idea of giving thanks for the harvest. In England, they called it "Harvest Home." It was a civic, not a religious holiday, though many took the time to acknowledge God as provider.

We tend to focus on the pilgrim's and think of theirs as the "first" thanksgiving, but many cultures have harvest celebrations. It's even in the Bible. Our American holiday has become a reminder of  our shameful historical and current treatment of Native  Americans who, like all of us, deserve justice, consideration, and respect. And perhaps it should be. There is work to be done there.

But that also shouldn't take away from thanking and acknowledging God. Or simply being grateful that we have enough.

Let us remember.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving. 

500 Years Ago Today

 Martin Luther had hoped to reform the Catholic Church from the inside. Instead, the 95 theses this monk nailed to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany sparked the protestant reformation, a movement which has grown and diversified over the past five centuries.

For those of us who are protestant this is a birthday celebration. It is the story of our brands of Christianity. It's had it's challenges, it's heresies, it's hiccoughs. But overall it is the story of a struggle to remain faithful to Jesus Christ and to bring him to our communities. We share that mission with Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches, but today is our day to celebrate our own heritage.




For those who have a historical bent, here are some links:


Luther's 95 Theses

Women Leaders of the Reformation

The Protestant Reformation

500 Years of Protestant Christianity


For everyone else, celebrate with us!

And have a blessed Reformation Day!

June 1, 1921

It was an awful day in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

A day of pain and sorrow.

A day of race riots.

The day "Black Wall Street" burned.


There are many theories as to why the Greenwood Area of Tulsa was firebombed from the air and why shots were fired on the ground. But whatever the answer, it was a tragedy of large proportions.


And one I first hear of only a few weeks ago.

Why is this history hidden?


For more information:

http://tulsahistory.org/learn/online-exhibits/the-tulsa-race-riot/

http://sfbayview.com/2011/02/what-happened-to-black-wall-street-on-june-1-1921/

http://amsterdamnews.com/news/2013/jun/03/black-wall-street-on-fire-remembering-the-tulsa/


May God grant us peace with justice.

April 7, 1933: The Return of Beer

My great-grandfather was a poet. An unpublished one, but I have his poems in a little green book with little red labels saying "My Poetry Book" and Vol. 1 on the side. It's not full, so I don't know that there ever was a Vol. 2.

He wrote about his world, what was happening to him, and his own family. On April 7, 1933 he penned his only poem with a date. That was the day that Congress repealed the Volstead Act, allowing the sale of beer with less than 3.2 percent alcohol. Eight months later, Prohibition was repealed altogether. My great -grandfather wrote a poem rejoicing in the return of beer, but also sounding a cautionary note.

To the Return of Beer

April 7, 1933

Well, good old beer is here again

And has caused quite a sensation

And with it comes prosperity,   

And an income to the nation

Now a man can drink a glass, 

And not feel he's doing wrong, 

He has gained a new freedom, 

That he has wanted, so long.

Let's hope he will enjoy it,

and not abuse, this new right,

Let's hope he'll be contented, 

And drink in a way that's right.

There is no harm in drinking, 

Amongst a gathering of friends, 

But the beer, let's have cheer, 

And good fellowship to the end. 

                                               ~ John F. Henderson, Sr.

What do you think of the message of this poem? 

Do you have any writers in your background who have left a perspective on history?

For more information on the repeal of the Volstead Act and Prohibition, go here: 

April 7, 1933: Gimme a Tall, Cold One - Wired

Song for Sunday: America the Beautiful

A classic hymn, imbedded with prayers for the US, this song is perfect for the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. In fact, we sang it in church today. 

Most schoolchildren in the US can sing the first verse, but it was the other verses that struck me today. I especially noted the first two lines of verse three: "Oh, beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved, And mercy more than life!" A fitting reminder of the servicemen and women who paid the supreme sacrifice. I also love that this song acknowledges that America isn't perfect, and reminds us we are under a higher power. 

1. 1. Oh, beautiful for spacious skies,
   For amber waves of grain,
   For purple mountain majesties
   Above the fruited plain!
   America! America!
   God shed his grace on thee,
   And crown thy good with brotherhood
   From sea to shining sea.
2. 2. Oh, beautiful for pilgrim feet,
   Whose stern, impassioned stress
   A thoroughfare of freedom beat
   Across the wilderness!
   America! America!
   God mend thine ev'ry flaw,
   Confirm thy soul in self-control,
   Thy liberty in law.
3. 3. Oh, beautiful for heroes proved
   In liberating strife,
   Who more than self their country loved,
   And mercy more than life!
   America! America!
   May God thy gold refine,
   Till all success be nobleness,
   And ev'ry gain divine.
4. 4. Oh, beautiful for patriot dream
   That sees beyond the years
   Thine alabaster cities gleam,
   Undimmed by human tears!
   America! America!
   God shed his grace on thee,
   And crown thy good with brotherhood
   From sea to shining sea.
5. Text: Katherine Lee Bates, 1859-1929
   Music: Samuel A. Ward, 1848-1903
6. Public Domain.
7. Here's a link to a version by the Hillsdale College Choir.
8. 
   
9. 
   
10. On this Memorial Day, however you celebrate it, honor the fallen.

Roads, Walls & Soldiers' Toilets: Reflections on History and Survival

Yesterday, we drove down a Roman Road. It was very straight and, after nearly 2,000 years, very usable.

Of course, over the milennia it has received maintenance, upgrades, paving and modern markings. All over Britain there are ancient Roman roads still in use.

We took that Roman Road to an ancient fort called "Housesteads." Really, a ruin. You can still see the outlines of many buildings. From an archaeological perspective, it is remarkably well preserved, but trust me, you don't want to use these toilets. Though the latrine was built to the highest level of sanitation technology known in the world at that time, it is now a curiosity, useful only to teach us about the past.

Preservation is a wonderful thing, as is learning about the past. Ruins are one way to recognize our history and to feel connected to those who came before.

But there is an even greater connection, a living connection, when we are still using the items our ancestors made. I have seen this in the castles, church buildings and cathedrals we have visited, too. Some are simply museums, showing old items and teaching facts -- often in creative and interactive ways. I love re-enactors!

Others are stil residences, places where people live, eat, laugh and cry. Or they house vibrant congregations who continue the tradition of worship. They don't live and worship exactly as their ancestors however. They have electricity, running water, projectors, updated language, new styles of music, different clothing, new forms of art and communication mixed in with the old. Historical, yet living. Renewed and transformed, yet connected to centuries past.

How is your church or organization? Is it a museum to the past or a living community? It's worth thinking about.








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CYC does a good job of balancing tradition with renewal. It's a 100 year old ministry to teens. Send your highschoolers along to this amazing two weeks in August on the southern coast of Maine. It's not too late to sign up for our 100th anniversary conference that starts August 2, 2015.  

Song for Sunday: Miss Otis Regrets

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/cole-porter/about-the-musician-and-composer/507/

One story about this song is that the great Cole Porter was having lunch at a fancy restaurant when he bragged to a a friend that he could write a song on any subject and make a hit out of it.

At the next table, a waiter approached a lone diner and impassively stated "Miss Otis regrets she is unable to lunch today"

"There's your subject," announced Mr. Porter's friend. So he wrote these lyrics and this tune.

Other stories circulate as to the song's origins, some of them detailed here.

Miss Otis Regrets -- history


However it came about, it did become a hit. Demure tune... powerful lyrics. A statement about the  passions of society's elite, hidden behind the strict etiquette of the wealthy of the 1930s.


Here's the song as sung by Ella Fitzgerald in 1956.

What songs grab your attention with an element of surprise?

Song for Sunday: "I Want to Hold Your Hand"

It was 50 years ago tonight that marked the beginning of the pop culture phenomenon known as the British Invasion. The Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, their first performance on American soil. Americans had heard records, though, and eagerly awaited the show. In fact, tickets were so tough to get that Ed Sullivan himself couldn't snag them for his friends.

 The teen idols played and sang for an hour starting with "All My Loving" and ending  with today's Song for Sunday: I Want to Hold Your Hand. I remember this one as a childhood favorite.  

I'll tell you something
I think you'll understand
When I say that something
I want to hold your hand

I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand

Oh please say to me
You'll let me be your man
And please say to me
You'll let me hold your hand

Now let me hold your hand
I want to hold your hand

And when I touch you I feel happy inside
It's such a feeling that my love
I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide

Yeah, you got that something

I think you'll understand

When I say that something
I want to hold your hand

I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand

And when I touch you I feel happy inside
It's such a feeling that my love

I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide

Yeah, you got that something
I think you'll understand
When I feel that something
I want to hold your hand

I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand

                 ~John Lennon and Paul McCartney

What's your favorite Beatles' song? 

Or childhood favorite?

 

Two Hundred Years Ago Today

It was July 13, 1813 that Adoniram and Ann Judson first set eyes on Rangoon.

Already, they had experienced much adjustment and loss. Ann's best friend Harriet Newell, just 19, had died in childbirth. Ann's baby had been stillborn. They had not been allowed to stay in India. Following their consciences, they had switched denominations and now were unsure of their support.

Ann was so weak she couldn't stand. Adoniram was weary and depressed.

These were the eyes through which they first saw the pagodas of Burma. It was the dreary monsoon season. The streets looked drab and dirty to Adoniram's eyes and that's what he conveyed to Ann.

Ann had to be carried from the ship. They went to the home of Felix Carey and found that he was away. Servants made them as comfortable as they could. With rest and prayer, their spirits rebounded and they began to see the beauty and possibility around them.

These pioneer missionaries went on to accomplish much and to suffer much for the kingdom of Christ. They never gave up, never turned back.

If you would like to learn more about the Judsons, I recommend Rosalie Hall Hunt's book, Bless God and Take Courage. It is highly readable, even for younger folks and contains much information about the Judson's lives and legacy.


Who do you see as role models of the Faith?






I first  learned about the Judsons at the Christian Youth Conference at Ocean Park. If you have teens, they would enjoy this leadership development conference that provides an experience of Christian community on the beautiful southern coast of Maine. This year's dates are August 4-17th and their is still time to register.

Multicultural Experience --Sort of

How did you hear about the Conference? Do you go to this church?

I heard that question a lot today. I was a guest speaker at a conference and was, for much of the time, the only white person present.

I had a great time. I was speaking to (and re-enacting for) a national youth and young adult group. They have a direct connection to the woman I re-enact and their host church had invited me. They are first and second generation Americans. This group was using English, unlike their parents down the hall.  They also dressed like typical American teens and twenty-somethings and their t-shirts proclaimed American interests. This makes sense. They grew up here. They fit in at their schools and colleges. In some ways this was not an intercultural experience because we all share American culture.

 On the other hand, these young folks enjoy their annual weekend conference when they gather as Christians of their specific ethnicity, so much so that they are resisting attempts to make it biennial.

From the moment I walked in this morning, I was welcomed, even by people who didn't know why I was there. I was greeted, directed to the food line, spoken too by everyone. People were curious about my presence, though. I kinda stood out.

Finally, my contact was located, I was given information and shown to my room. Everyone smiled, everyone was friendly. The youths included me in their worship and games.

I couldn't quite get over a sense of being "other", though. Probably because I was.

I mean, yes, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, yes we all live in the same country,  speak the same language and know the same songs. Still, they were gathered because of ethnicity and I was different. Which is part of what intercultural worship, ministry, and cooperation is about. Being different together.

When I was done speaking I stayed for worship and then excused myself when we got to a long break.

I had enjoyed myself and was grateful for the chance to be part of the celebration.

When have you been involved in an event for another culture?

 

In Flanders Field

In Flanders Field

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields. 

             ~Lt. Col. John McCrae, Canadian Army

We have work to do. Let us keep faith.

Song for Sunday: The Church's One Foundation

This weeks "song for Sunday" is a grand old hymn. Like many of these weekly songs,it has been "stuck in my 

head."

 1. The church's one foundation 
 is Jesus Christ her Lord; 
 she is his new creation 
 by water and the Word. 
 From heaven he came and sought her 
 to be his holy bride; 
 with his own blood he bought her, 
 and for her life he died. 

2. Elect from every nation, 
 yet one o'er all the earth; 
 her charter of salvation, 
 one Lord, one faith, one birth; 
 one holy name she blesses, 
 partakes one holy food, 
 and to one hope she presses, 
 with every grace endued. 

3. Though with a scornful wonder 
 we see her sore oppressed, 
 by schisms rent asunder, 
 by heresies distressed, 
 yet saints their watch are keeping; 
 their cry goes up, "How long?" 
 And soon the night of weeping 
 shall be the morn of song. 

4. Mid toil and tribulation, 
 and tumult of her war, 
 she waits the consummation 
 of peace forevermore; 
 till, with the vision glorious, 
 her longing eyes are blest, 
 and the great church victorious 
 shall be the church at rest. 

5. Yet she on earth hath union 
 with God the Three in One, 
 and mystic sweet communion 
 with those whose rest is won. 
 O happy ones and holy! 
 Lord, give us grace that we 
 like them, the meek and lowly, 
 on high may dwell with thee.

                     ~Samuel J. Stone

It is the first few lines of verse three that have been in my thoughts. They cameunbidden but perhaps because I have been studying church history and was struck by how quickly divisions entered into the life of the Body. 

I look forward to the day when unity is restored. 

Memorial Day

I never met my great uncle, Russell. He died in World War II. His three brothers, including my grandfather, served as did my grandmother's brother, two of my uncles, my father in law and my father. Not to mention numerous other friends and relatives. In gratitude to them and the hundreds of other solders, sailors, airmen and marines, I offer this.

It is a  poem that has become iconic. Written by a doctor in the Canadian army after he had just treated, and then performed the funeral for, a friend and former student, it reminds us of the sacrifices of war.

In Flanders Fields 

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. 

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. 

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.
            Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) 

For more on the story of this poem, click here.


As you enjoy Memorial Day, remember those who serve, those who have served and those who made the Supreme Sacrifice.

Two Hundred Years Ago Today

Adoniram and Ann Hasseltine Judson, along with Samuel and Harriet Atwood Newell, sailed on the Caravan for  Calcutta, leaving from Salem, MA. Newly married, newly commissioned and ranging in age from 19 to 24, they were true pioneers.

And so we remember them.


Harriet --still only 19-- became the first US missionary martyr when she died from complications of childbirth and a tropical fever just a few months later.

Samuel carried on, working in Madras, but I know little of his story.

Ann and Adoniram becamc Baptists and ended up working in Burma. Their main work was Bible translation. This was accomplished mostly by Adoniram, but Ann translated the book of Jonah and some other portions into Burmese. She also learned Siamese (Thai) and translated the first portion of Scripure -the Book of Matthew -- into that language. She was also instrumental in preserving the manuscript when Adoniram went to prison in 1824. They labored six long years before they had a single convert to Christianity. They are amzong examples of faith, courage and perserverance.


And so we celebrate them, with worship services here and in Burma (Myanmar), giving thanks to God for their life and work.

It was noted that it would have benn middle aged white men who initially voted the missionary organization that sent the Judsons into being.  But yesterday at worship, the congregation had no majority in terms of age gender or ethnicity. The largest group present were Burmese refugees.


Ann and Adoniram knew that God was for everyone. That's why they went to India and eventually to Burma. Let us remember their thinking and introduce God to everyone and everyone to God.

Have a blessed day.