Monthly Archives: December 2008

Odetta – One Thing to Know about Today in History

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NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 29: (FILE PHOTO) Singer O...

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Odetta Holmes was born on this day in 1930.  Martin Luther King, Jr. once called her "The Queen of American Folk Music."  Though at first Odetta thought about becoming an opera singer, this all changed when she heard some folk music in San Francisco and decided that was the kind of music that said what she wanted to say.  One reviewer once wrote, "Odetta can’t sing ‘folk’ at all, because she doesn’t really sound like a person singing, let alone like the person next door singing. She sounds more like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir." 

Below is a video from The New York Times on Odetta that was published shortly after her death on December 2nd of this year.

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Celebrate “The Monkees” – One Thing to Know about Today in History

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File:Us45m1002c1.jpgToday is the birthday of two of the four original Monkees.  Michael Nesmith turns 66 today, and Davy Jones is 63.  As this comment from IMDB puts it concerning their TV show:  [The Monkees] “hopped from one outlandish, corny adventure to another, with overly bright colors, altered film speed, out-of-focus shots, etc. more-or-less inspired by the Beatles‘ ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ (1964).” 

The Monkees was must see TV for kids in my generation, and I remember many of their antics well.  The show won two prime-time Emmys and ran for 58 episodes over two TV seasons. When the show was cancelled in 1968, the band continued releasing records until 1971.  Overall the original four members released six albums, four of which went to number one on the charts, and their hits included songs such as "I’m a Believer," "(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone," "Daydream Believer," "Last Train to Clarksville" and "Pleasant Valley Sunday."

Some other facts about The Monkees include:

  • Had the top-charting American single of 1967 ("I’m a Believer"). (Billboard No 1 for 7 Weeks) with "Daydream Believer" tied for third.
  • First band to use a Moog Synthesizer in a top-10 album (used on "Star Collector", "Daily Nightly" and "Love Is Only Sleeping" from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., released in November of 1967).
  • Gave the Jimi Hendrix Experience their first US concert appearances. It should be noted that Hendrix’s heavy psychedelic guitar and sexual overtones did not go overly well with the teenage girl audience.
  • The Monkees reunion tour was the largest grossing tour of 1986.
  • The Monkees outsold the Beatles and the Rolling Stones combined in 1967.
  • First actual live concert footage to be featured in a motion picture (Head, 1968).
  • Had 7 albums on the Billboard top 200 chart at the same time (6 were re-issues during 1986/87).
  • More of The Monkees spent an amazing 70 weeks on the Billboard charts becoming the 12th biggest selling album of all time (Billboard.com).  Source

Here is their song “I’m a Believer.”

One Thing to Know about Today in History – December 29th

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Czech President Vaclav Havel

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On this day in 1989 the playwright Vaclav Havel was elected president of Czechoslovakia by the country’s Federal Assembly, becoming the first non-Communist to hold the post in more than four decades.  Havel was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia (1989-1992) and the first President of the Czech Republic (1993-2003). He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works and has received the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Philadelphia Liberty Medal, and the Ambassador of Conscience Award.  A few of his thoughtful quotes follow.

Isn’t it the moment of most profound doubt that gives birth to new certainties? Perhaps hopelessness is the very soil that nourishes human hope; perhaps one could never find sense in life without first experiencing its absurdity.

Just as the constant increase of entropy is the basic law of the universe, so it is the basic law of life to be ever more highly structured and to struggle against entropy.

The tragedy of modern man is not that he knows less and less about the meaning of his own life, but that it bothers him less and less.

Bonus for today:  Comedian Paula Poundstone turns 49 today.  Happy birthday to her.

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One Thing to Know about Today in History – December 28th

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On this day in 1968, The Beatles “The White Album" went to number 1 on the album chart and stayed in that place for nine weeks.  There are 30 tracks on this double album, including my all-time Beatles’ favorite “Blackbrid.”  Here are six versions of this great song from youtube. The first is the original, the second is from Sarah McLachlan, the third is from the movie “Across the Universe,”  the fourth from a Japanese group called Hanaregumi, the fifth is by Carly Simon, and the sixth is from The King’s Singers . . . an A Capella version.

 

 

 

 

 

Bonus for today:  On this day in 1741, the English revivalist George Whitefield wrote in a letter: ‘Redeem your precious time: pick up the fragments of it, that not one moment of it may be lost. Be much in secret prayer. Converse less with man, and more with God.’

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The Visitor – A Short Review

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Written and directed by Thomas McCarthy (the man who brought us the excellent “The Station Agent”),  “The Visitor is another film about how we sometimes form community with people who were previously strangers to us.  Richard Jenkins does a great job as the lead character Walter Vale in the film, playing a professor who has been going through the motions of life since his wife’s death several years previously.  On a trip to an academic conference in NYC, he encounters the illegal immigrants Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) and Tarek’s girlfriend Zainab (Danai Gurira), who have been squatting in his little-used apartment there.

Tarek and Zainab help to reinvigorate Vale.  This is especially true of Tarek, who begins to give Vale drumming lessons.  After Tarek’s arrest, Vale becomes even more involved in the lives of these two immigrants and ultimately meets Tarek’s mother, played beautifully by Hiam Abbass.  In fact, all four primary actors perform admirably.

Though one can see the ending coming from a mile away, the journey there is a very good one, and I recommend this film, giving it 8 out of 10 stars.  Below is a clip from the film.

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One Thing to Know about Today in History – December 27th

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On this day in 1784 In Baltimore, at its first General Conference (called the Christmas Conference) held this side of the Atlantic, Francis Asbury, 39, was ordained the first bishop of the Methodist Church in America.  This was after  he had been ordained as a deacon on Christmas Day by laying on of hands and as an elder on December 26th (The quickest route to becoming a Bishop in Methodism’s history).  Asbury’s friend Philip William Otterbein, pastor of the German Reformed Church of Baltimore and Thomas Coke,who had been ordained by Wesley in England, also laid hands on Asbury to assist in the ordination.  Coke later said of Asbury, "In the presence of Mr. Asbury, I feel myself a child. He is in my estimation, the most apostolic man I ever saw, except Mr. Wesley."

A few quotes from Asbury follow.

“My soul is more at rest from the tempter when I am busily employed.”

”We should so work as if we were to be saved by our works; and so rely on Jesus Christ, as if we did no works.”

“Oh what people of God we ought to be; and grace can make us so!”

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Marley and Me – A Short Review

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!!!  SPOILER ALERT  !!!

image“Marley and Me” was not as bad as it could have been, despite it’s obvious manipulative tear-jerker ending.  Of course, if Marley had been my dog, I would have had the animal put to sleep long before he could have died of natural causes.  Then again, I have a kitten almost as destructive and she is still living, so I am probably all talk and no action in that regard.

Wilson and Aniston do a passable job playing a married couple,and there are times when they are actually believable.  This is especially true of Wilson, who does seem to really be bothered by the direction his life has taken.  I give the movie 6 out of 10 stars.

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Let Jesus Show

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Here is my sermon from Christmas Eve 2008

——–

It was time for the annual Christmas pageant at one church.
The manger was down in front of the sanctuary, where it always was.
Mary was there in a blue cloak and Joseph had on his beard made of cotton.
The wise men were also there, along with a handful of shepherds,
and, of course, in the midst of them all was the baby, lying in the straw.
The Christmas story was read by the pastor with carols sung at the appropriate places,
and everything went off without a hitch until it was time for heavenly host of angels to arrive.
The angels were the children of the congregation,
who were robed in white and sitting in the pews with their parents.

At the right moment they were supposed to come forward and gather around the manger saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men,
and that is just what they did.
There was just one problem — there were so many of them that night that there was a quite a bit of crowding and jockeying for position.
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men,” they all sang on cue, and then in the brief pause that followed,
one small girl on the edge of the heavenly host,
and who was frustrated because she couldn’t see a thing,
electrified the entire church by crying out in a voice shrill with irritation and frustration and enormous sadness at having her view blocked,
"Let Jesus show!" she shouted.

There was a lot of the service still to go,
but the pastor of this church later said that one of the best things he ever did in his life was to end everything right there.
"Let Jesus show!” the child cried out,
and while the congregation was still sitting in stunned silence,
the pastor gave the benediction,
and everybody filed out of the church with those unforgettable words ringing in their ears.

Let Jesus show.
That’s why we are here tonight, isn’t it?
To let him show, to let him shine into the darkness of the world and our lives.
We want to see Jesus.
The question is, what Jesus do we really want to see?
Are we only here to see a little baby wrapped in swaddling clothes,
or are we here to see the King of Kings who brings with him the salvation we so desperately need?

Talledega Nights is a silly movie that stars the comedian Will Ferrell.
Ferrell plays a champion NASCAR driver, Ricky Bobby,
and the film follows his rise, fall, and return to NASCAR stardom.
One scene in the movie stood out for me as I was thinking about tonight’s message.
Ricky Bobby is sitting down to dinner with his family and best-friend and co-driver Cal.
And before they dig in, he leads the family in prayer,
which goes something like this….
Dear Baby Jesus, or as our brothers to the south call you, Jésus…
we thank you so much for this bountiful harvest of Domino’s, KFC, and the always delicious Taco Bell.
I just want to take time to say thank you for my family,
I also want to thank you for my best friend and teammate, Cal Naughton Jr, Who’s got my back no matter what.
Dear Lord Baby Jesus . . .

And at about this point, Ricky Bobby’s wife interrupts to tell him,
“You know, Jesus did grow up.
You don’t always have to call him baby.
It’s a bit odd and off-putting to pray to a baby.”
To which Ricky replys, “Well look, I like the Christmas Jesus best,
and I’m saying grace.
When you say grace you can say it to grown-up Jesus, or teenage Jesus, or bearded Jesus, or whatever you want.”
And then just to make his point abundantly clear, Ricky closes his prayer,
“Dear 8-pound, 6-ounce baby Jesus, newborn,
not even spoken a word yet…Amen.”

Perhaps the reason Ricky Bobby’s prayer to the eight pound six ounce baby Jesus is funny is that it reveals a truth about many of us.
We really do prefer the Christmas Jesus – gentle Jesus meek and mild –
to the adult Jesus who stormed into the world causing turmoil,
disrupting lives and the staid religion of the day.
Jesus did grow up and cause a stir.
And he still does today.

So which Jesus do you like best?
At Christmastime, we focus on the baby in the manger.
But I wonder how many of us keep him there?
It’s easy to do.
The Christmas Jesus, the baby Jesus makes us feel good.
He’s cute, comfortable, and completely non-threatening.
We can come back to the manger year after year and pay our respects to the baby therein,  and walk away completely unchanged.

But what Ricky Bobby chose to ignore,
and what we sometimes fail to remember, is that THIS child,
currently resting in Mary’s lap, is no ordinary baby.
THIS child will grow up to become the man who will walk on water and feed 5,000 men from a couple loaves and fish.
He will heal people of their diseases and cast out demons.
He will even raise people from the dead.
He is the One who was in the beginning with God,
who Himself was God, the One through whom all things were made.
THIS child is Christ the King and he is Emmanuel- GOD with us.
And this Jesus means business.
This Jesus intends to change to world, as well as our hearts and minds,
and he’s not at all meek or mild when it comes to accomplishing these things.
He came to transform a sinful world,
and that kind of transformation does not come easily.

It makes you wonder some of the same things the writer of the Christmas carol wondered when he asked:
What Child is this who, laid to rest on Mary’s lap is sleeping?
The poem on which this old carol is based was written by William Chatterton Dix and is entitled “The Manger Throne”
One of it’s stanzas makes it clear that this baby is very different:
    Now a new Power has come on the earth,
    A match for the armies of Hell:
    A Child is born who shall conquer the foe,
    And all the spirits of wickedness quell:
    For Mary’s Son is the Mighty One
    Whom the prophets of God foretell.

Jesus, the baby in the manger, will not stay a baby.
He will grow up and he will tell the world that God’s kingdom is near,
and some of what he has to say is hard to swallow.
Ley me give you just two examples:
Mat 5:38-45  "You have heard that it was said,
‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 
But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil.
"You have heard that it was said,
‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,    so that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven.
Mat 16:24-27  Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
For whoever would save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 

And not only does this grown-up Jesus say things that offend our sensibilities,
he also acts in way that are contrary to the “me-first-and-the-one-with-the-most toys-at-the-end-wins” attitude prevalent in our world.
In other words, he takes his own words to heart,
and thus he lives his life is in direct contras

t to world’s definition of success.
This baby born in a manger is a baby who was born to die,
for us and so that we can have life, now and eternally.
In fact, he gives himself up completely for us and for our sake:
Mar 14:22-24  And as they were eating, he took bread,
and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said,
"Take; this is my body." 
And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them,
and they all drank of it. 
And he said to them,
"This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.

And so, like the nativity scene here in our church chancel,
the cross of Christ stands over the stable and shapes this infant’s life.
Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh, the Babe, the Son of Mary.

And so we are left with a choice to make.
We can worship and praise this baby Jesus,
we can celebrate his birth,
and we can leave here basically unchanged and do it all over again next year,
or we can let this “infant holy, infant lowly” into our souls,
we can take his teaching to heart,
and we can let his love mold and shape us,
recreating us into his own image.
Simply put, we can let Jesus show for just tonight,
or we can let him show every day in our lives.
Which will it be for you?

One Thing to Know about Today in History

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star_of_bethlehem

Today is the 190th anniversary of the composition of "Silent Night." Composed by Franz Joseph Gruber on this day in 1818; it was sung for 1st time the next day at Christmas services.  What is interesting about this carol (and many other carols that have to be translated into English is how different they are in the original language.  Below are the original six stanzas of the carol, followed by a more direct English translation.  Very Different.

1. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute heilige Paar.
Holder Knab im lockigten Haar,
Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh!
Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh!

1. Silent night! Holy night!
All are sleeping, alone and awake
Only the intimate holy pair,
Lovely boy with curly hair,
Sleep in heavenly peace!
Sleep in heavenly peace!

2. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Gottes Sohn! O wie lacht
Lieb´ aus deinem göttlichen Mund,
Da schlägt uns die rettende Stund´.
Jesus in deiner Geburt!
Jesus in deiner Geburt!

2. Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, O how he laughs
Love from your divine mouth,
Then it hits us – the hour of salvation.
Jesus at your birth!
Jesus at your birth!

3. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Die der Welt Heil gebracht,
Aus des Himmels goldenen Höhn
Uns der Gnaden Fülle läßt seh´n
Jesum in Menschengestalt,
Jesum in Menschengestalt

3. Silent night! Holy night!
Which brought salvation to the world,
From Heaven’s golden heights,
Mercy’s abundance was made visible to us:
Jesus in human form,
Jesus in human form.

4. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Wo sich heut alle Macht
Väterlicher Liebe ergoß
Und als Bruder huldvoll umschloß
Jesus die Völker der Welt,
Jesus die Völker der Welt.

4. Silent night! Holy night!
Where on this day all power
of fatherly love poured forth
And like a brother lovingly embraced
Jesus the peoples of the world,
Jesus the peoples of the world.

5. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Lange schon uns bedacht,
Als der Herr vom Grimme befreit,
In der Väter urgrauer Zeit
Aller Welt Schonung verhieß,
Aller Welt Schonung verhieß.

5. Silent night! Holy night!
Already long ago planned for us,
When the Lord frees from wrath
Since the beginning of ancient times
A salvation promised for the whole world.
A salvation promised for the whole world.

6. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Hirten erst kundgemacht
Durch der Engel Alleluja,
Tönt es laut bei Ferne und Nah:
Jesus der Retter ist da!
Jesus der Retter ist da!

6. Silent night! Holy night!
To shepherds it was first made known
By the angel, Alleluia;
Sounding forth loudly far and near:
Jesus the Savior is here!
Jesus the Savior is here!

One Thing to Know about Today in History – December 23rd

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On this day in 1889 the Swiss Reformed theologian Emil Brunner was born.  Along with Karl Barth, Brunner is most often associated with neo-orthodoxy or the dialectical theology movement.  In particular, Brunner rejected liberal theology’s view of Jesus as only a highly-respected human being. Instead, Brunner insisted that Jesus was God incarnate and central to salvation. Some claim that Brunner also wanted to find a middle position between Arminian and Calvinist understandings on soteriology, by stating that Christ stood between God’s sovereign approach to humankind and free human acceptance of God’s gift of salvation.

Several quotes (two long and three short) from Brunner follow:

“Love does not inquire into the character of the recipient but it asks what he needs. It does not love him because he is such-and-such a person but because he is there. In all this it is quite the opposite of natural love: it "does not seek its own". It does not perform the characteristic natural impulse of love and life. Therefore it is basically independent of the conduct of the other person; it is not conditional but absolute. It wants nothing for itself but only for others. Therefore it is also not vulnerable. It never "reacts" but is always "spontaneous", emerging by its own strength — rather, from the power of God. Love is the real God-likeness of man for which he has been created. In so far as love is in man he really resembles God and shows himself to be the child of God.”

“This autonomy of man, this attempt of the Ego to understand itself out of itself, is the lie concerning man which we call sin. The truth about man is that his ground is not in himself but in God — that his essence is not in self sufficient reason but in the Word, in the challenge of God, in responsibility, not in self-sufficiency. The true being of man is realized when he bases himself upon God’s Word. Faith is then not an impossibility or a salto mortale [mortal leap], but that which is truly natural; and the real salto mortale (a mortal leap indeed!) is just the assertion of autonomy, self-sufficiency, God-likeness. [It is] through this usurped independence [that] man separates himself from God, and at the same time isolates himself from his fellows. Individualism is the necessary consequence of rational autonomy, just as love is the necessary consequence of faith.”

“Faith is obedience, nothing else.”

“What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope to the meaning of life”

“One who receives this Word, and by it salvation, receives along with it the duty of passing this Word on… Where there is no mission, there is no Church, and where there is neither Church nor mission, there is no faith.”

One bonus tidbit for today:  The first national accountants’ society in the United States was formed on this date in New York, NY in 1886.  Party on!!!