Art Print
Rockwell, Norman
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Here are a few links to some autumnal posts, pages and resources here at Semicolon as we celebrate my favorite season:
October: Celebrations, Links and Birthdays
100 Pumpkins: A Celebration of All Things Pumpkin-ish
The Apple Collection: A collection of posts about apples from 2007.
In November 2006, I celebrated the Pecan, noblest of all nuts, and so yummy!
Lyrics: Henry van Dyke, 1907.
Music: ODE TO JOY, from Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony #9.
Theme: “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” I Corinthians :10
Dr. Van Dyke was a professor of English literature at Princeton University, a lecturer at the University of Paris, Minister to the Netherlands and Luxembourg appointed by President Wilson, and a Presbyterian clergyman. He wrote the verses to Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee intentionally to be set to Beethoven’s Ode to Joy.
Henry van Dyke: “These verses are simple expressions of common Christian feelings and desires in this present time—hymns of today that may be sung together by people who know the thought of the age, and are not afraid that any truth of science will destroy religion, or any revolution on earth over throw the kingdom of heaven. Therefore this is a hymn of trust and joy and hope.”
Brenda: “I had this played at my wedding. It makes me happy as it seems a preview of the Heavenly Host singing.”
Secret Notebooks: “When I was a child in Rhode Island, attending Catholic services with my family every Sunday, we often filed out of our pews to this hymn, following the priest and altar boys in a slow, crowded shuffle to the double doors which had been thrown open to the sun and air. It remains one of my clearest childhood memories, and I can hear the voices of both my mother and my father singing when I recall it.”
Chris: “Beethoven’s 9th owns all other melodies ever composed or ever to be composed.”
Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!
All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain call us to rejoice in Thee.
Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blessed,
Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, all who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.
Mortals, join the happy chorus, which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us, brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward in the triumph song of life.
Lyrics: Edward Perronet, with a final verse added by John Rippon.
Music: Ah, yes, the hymn with (at least) three tunes:
MILES LANE by William Shrubsole. Published 1779.
CORONATION by Oliver Holden. Published 1793.
DIADEM by James Ellor. Published 1838.
So, which tune do you prefer?
Both Shrubside and Ellor were nineteen years old when each published his setting for All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.
Theme: The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:10-11
All hail the power of Jesus’ Name! Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.
Let highborn seraphs tune the lyre, and as they tune it, fall
Before His face Who tunes their choir, and crown Him Lord of all.
Before His face Who tunes their choir, and crown Him Lord of all.
Crown Him, ye morning stars of light, who fixed this floating ball;
Now hail the strength of Israel’s might, and crown Him Lord of all.
Now hail the strength of Israel’s might, and crown Him Lord of all.
Crown Him, ye martyrs of your God, who from His altar call;
Extol the Stem of Jesse’s Rod, and crown Him Lord of all.
Extol the Stem of Jesse’s Rod, and crown Him Lord of all.
Ye seed of Israel’s chosen race, ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him, ye heirs of David’s line, whom David Lord did call,
The God incarnate, Man divine, and crown Him Lord of all,
The God incarnate, Man divine, and crown Him Lord of all.
Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget the wormwood and the gall,
Go spread your trophies at His feet, and crown Him Lord of all.
Go spread your trophies at His feet, and crown Him Lord of all.
Let every tribe and every tongue before Him prostrate fall
And shout in universal song the crownèd Lord of all.
And shout in universal song the crownèd Lord of all.
[Baptist John Rippon added this verse in 1787.]
O that, with yonder sacred throng, we at His feet may fall,
Join in the everlasting song, and crown Him Lord of all,
Join in the everlasting song, and crown Him Lord of all!
Edward Perronet who wrote most of the lyrics to this famous hymn was an associate of John and Charles Wesley. The hymn was published anonymously in a collection of poems called Occasional Verses, Moral and Sacred. Published for the instruction and amusement of the Candidly Serious and Religious (1785). Perronet later disagreed with the Wesley brothers over doctrine and withdrew from the Methodists, then still later from the Anglican fellowship, and finally became a Congregational pastor in Canterbury.
Though considered a capable preacher, Perronet was uneasy about doing so in front of John Wesley, despite Wesley’s persistent urging. After wearying of his requests, Wesley simply announced one day that Brother Perronet would speak. Edward cleverly managed to escape Wesley’s sly intention by mounting the pulpit, declaring he would deliver the greatest sermon ever preached, and proceeding to read Christ’s “Sermon on the Mount”; after which, he immediately sat down.
Perronet’s last words: “Glory to God in the height of His divinity! Glory to God in the depth of his humanity! Glory to God in His all-sufficiency! Into His hands I commend my spirit.”
Sources:
Selah Pub.
Wikipedia: Edward Perronet.
Glimpses of Christian History: January 2, 1792 Edward Perronet Wrote the “National Anthem of Christendom.”
Lyrics: St. Francis of Assisi, Canticle of the Sun: translated by William Draper.
Music: LASST UNS ERFREUEN (German hymn tune); harmony by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Theme:
By the way if you’ve never seen the Franco Zeffirelli film biography of St. Francis called Brother Sun, Sister Moon, I recomend it. I saw that movie when I was a teen, and I was so impressed. I taught myself to play Brother Francis’s theme song from the film on my flute.
Such lovely filmography, and a beautiful song. I’m also quite fond of All Creatures.
Brenda: “Spent many an Easter morning singing this one. Reminds me of the Resurrection!”
Jennifer, Snapshot: “In the hymnal that we use in our Bible Study Fellowship’s leadership group, there’s a verse that I don’t often see in hymnals (or online), and I love it. I’d love it to be sung at my funeral. It’s verse 6 of 7 that is listed.”
Roger Mugs: “Moon, sun, fire. All of these things have been worshiped themselves in the past and very very wrongfully. Why worship the creation when you could worship the creator? Not everyone understood the creator I suppose.
But how right it then seemed that Francis of Assisi would then turn and write this song. Saying basically, “Look, even those things you worship give their worship to our God and King.”
All creatures of our God and King,
lift up your voices, let us sing:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
thou silver moon with softer gleam,
Refrain:
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
ye clouds that sail in heaven along,
O praise him, Alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,
ye lights of evening, find a voice,
Refrain
Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
make music for thy Lord to hear,
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
that givest man both warmth and light,
Refrain
Dear mother earth, who day by day
unfoldest blessings on our way,
O praise him, Alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow,
let them his glory also show:
Refrain
And all ye men of tender heart,
forgiving others, take your part,
O sing ye! Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
praise God and on him cast your care:
Refrain
And thou, most kind and gentle death,
waiting to hush our latest breath,
O praise him, Alleluia!
Thou leadest home the child of God,
and Christ our Lord the way hath trod:
Refrain
Let all things their Creator bless,
and worship him in humbleness,
O praise him, Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
and praise the Spirit, Three in One:
O praise ye! O praise ye!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Congregations can add the Doxology to All Creatures, same tune, thus:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Praise Him all creatures here below!
O praise him, Alleluia!
Praise Him above ye heavenly host!
Praise Father, SOn, and Holy Ghost!
O praise ye! O praise ye!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
David Crowder Band:
Benjamin Netanyahu’s UN Speech, September 24, 2009: “But to those who gave this Holocaust-denier a hearing, I say on behalf of my people, the Jewish people, and decent people everywhere: Have you no shame? Have you no decency? A mere six decades after the Holocaust, you give legitimacy to a man who denies that the murder of six million Jews took place and pledges to wipe out the Jewish state. What a disgrace! What a mockery of the charter of the United Nations!”
Wilder Women by Judith Thurman in The New Yorker. (HT: Mental Multivitamin) Rose Lane Wilder and her more famous mother Laura Ingalls WIlder don’t sound as if they were very happy people in this article, but maybe it’s Ms. Thurman who doesn’t like their politics and way of life.
Perhaps the Wilders just should have been born later so that they could enjoy all the wonderful media tools of the twenty first century, such as Twitter. In this youtube video, evangelist Louie Giglio apologizes to Twitterers everywhere for his former disparaging remarks about Twitter. I’m still at a loss as to what in the world Twitter is good for??? But if Mr. Giglio now repents of his disdain for it, maybe I should give it another look? (Nah, blogging takes up enough of my time and energy.)
Today is the birthdate of Felicia Dorothea Hemans, born in 1793. She wrote at least one well known poem, Casabianca, based on an historical incident: “Young Casabianca, a boy about thirteen years old, son of the admiral of the Orient, remained at his post (in the Battle of the Nile), after the ship had taken fire, and all the guns had been abandoned; and perished in the explosion of the vessel, when the flames had reached the powder.”
The boy stood on the burning deck
Whence all but he had fled;
The flame that lit the battle’s wreck
Shone round him o’er the dead.
Yet beautiful and bright he stood,
As born to rule the storm;
A creature of heroic blood,
A proud, though child-like form.
The flames rolled on–he would not go
Without his Father’s word;
That father, faint in death below,
His voice no longer heard.
He called aloud–’say, Father, say
If yet my task is done?’
He knew not that the chieftain lay
Unconscious of his son.
‘Speak, father!’ once again he cried,
‘If I may yet be gone!’
And but the booming shots replied,
And fast the flames rolled on.
Read the rest of the poem, including the tragic ending.
Ms. Hemans’ poem has been remembered so long mainly because of its parodists:
The boy stood on the burning deck,
The flames ’round him did roar;
He found a bar of Ivory Soap
And washed himself ashore.
The boy stood on the burning deck
Eating peanuts by the peck;
His father called, he would not go
Because he loved those peanuts so.
The boy stood on the burning duck
A stupid thing to do
Because the duck was roasting
On the barbecue.
The boy stood on the burning deck
Playing a game of cricket,
The ball flew down his trouser leg
And hit his middle wicket.
The boy stood on the burning deck,
His heart was a all a-twitter,
He stood ’till he could stand no more,
And became a crispy critter.
Spike Milligan:
The boy stood on the burning deck
Whence all but he had fled –
The twit!
The two paintings of the Battle of the Nile are by George Arnaud or Arnold(?).
Lyrics: C. Austin Miles, 1912.
Music: C. Austin Miles, 1912.
Theme: When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).
John 20:14-16.
The story of the writing of this hymn.
Jennifer, Snapshot: “I help with our church’s nursing home service and the oldtimers love this one, so it’s become one of my favorites too.”
John MacArthur: “Those lyrics say nothing of any real substance, and what they do say is not particularly Christian. It’s a mawkish little rhyme about someone’s personal experience and feelings. Whereas the classic hymns sought to glorify God, gospel songs like “In the Garden†were glorifying raw sentimentality.”
Brenda: “I love the vision this hymn brings to my mind, a little glimpse of Heaven as well as bringing peace to troubled souls.”
Joseph Holbrook, Jr.: “America’s all-time religious favorite, ‘In the Garden,’ has done the worst in fostering the I-me-myself version of Protestantism in our country.”
Cecelia: “This was one of my beloved Grammy’s favorite hyms and I love knowing that God will walk and talk with me, calling me His own!”
Nothing like a little controversy to liven up this hymn countdown. I won’t say which side I lean toward, but I will say that a little sentimentality never hurt anyone.
I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses,
And the voice I hear,
Falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.
Refrain:
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.
He speaks, and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody
That He gave to me,
Within my heart is ringing.
I’d stay in the garden with Him,
Tho’ night around me be falling,
But He bids me go;
Thro’ the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.
Z-Baby (8) can’t read very well yet. She reads, but not well enough to enjoy reading the stories that are appropriate for her maturity and intellectual level. We do read to her, but we can’t read to her all day long. So, she has discovered the joy of recorded books. When she’s not doing school or something else that I ask her to do, while she’s playing Barbies and other eight year old games, she’s listening to a book on CD. And she listens to them over and over again. Right now the favorite is the Newbery-award winning book, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. For today’s Read Aloud Thursday, I present an interview with Z-baby on her favorite listening experience. FYI, the story is about a brother and sister, Jamie and Claudia, who run away from home and hide out in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. While there, they try to solve a mystery concerning Michaelangelo and a small statue.
How many times have you listened to From the Mixed-Up Files?
Z: I’ve listened to it whole twice. Parts, three times. I’m listening to it again today.
(Editors’s note: It’s been more like ten or twelve times at least. Z-baby isn’t very good at estimating.)
What do you like about the story?
Z: I don’t know. It’s just interesting. First of all, I like it when stories are really long.
Who’s your favorite–Jamie or Claudia?
Z: Jamie, because he’s funny. My favorite part is when Jamie says, ” You said it. You said it.”
Why does Claudia pick Jamie to run away with?
Z: Because he can keep quiet, and he’s rich. And he has a radio.
Why does Claudia enjoy planning?
Z; Because it’s a secret. And it’s fun to keep secrets.
How do you think Mr. and Mrs. Kincaid felt when Claudia and Jamie ran away?
Z: Worried. Scared.
Would you like staying in the Metropolitan Museum? What would you like to see there? What section of the museum would you like to explore?
Z: Yes. I would want to see all the paintings by Leonardo da VInci.
(At this point in the interview, Betsy-Bee horned in even though Z-baby was insisting that this was her book interview.)
Betsy-Bee (10): I would want to go around and look at everything, not just stand and look at one thing.
How do Claudia and Jamie get more money?
Z: They took a bath in the fountain, and people tossed change in the fountain. They could find the coins and get more money.
BB: I didn’t hear that part.
What do you think Claudia was running away from?
Z: She wanted them to appreciate her. She didn’t feel bad exactly; she just wanted her family to think she was special.
She said she wanted to go back home “different.” How did she want to be different?
Z: She wanted to be a heroine.
What is a heroine?
Z: A hero
BB: It’s a girl hero.
Z: Sometimes it’s a person who saves people.
BB: It can be a hero that is nice to someone.
Z: Or it can be somebody who does something special and good. Or does something important.
Claudia says, “When you hug someone, you learn something else about them. An important something else.†What do you think she means?
Z: She means you just get to know them.
BB: When you hug someone, you get to know them, and they’ll like you. You get to know them better because they’re happy, and they’ll tell you more things, I guess.
Why do Mrs. Frankweiler and the children get along so well?
Z: Because both of them have secrets.
BB: Because I think that they were happy that she had a sketch of the angel, and that was her secret. They might have been scared of her, but then they shared a secret.
What would you say to make other kids want to read this book?
Z: I would say that it’s very interesting and exciting. It just has a lot of meaning. When it starts out, you might not think so, but it really is interesting.
BB: But a little word of advice, don’t listen to it over and over again because your family might get tired of it.
HT to Scholastic’s Discussion guide for some of the questions used here.
Lyrics: Fanny Crosby, 1873.
Music: Phoebe Knapp, 1873. Mrs. Knapp was the wife of Joseph Knapp, founder of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.
Theme: Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22.
Crosby was visiting her friend Phoebe Knapp as the Knapp home was having a large pipe organ installed. The organ was incomplete so, using the piano, Mrs. Knapp played a new melody she had just composed called “Assurance”. “What do you think the tune says?” asked Knapp.
“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine”, answered Fanny Crosby.
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight!
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
Perfect submission, all is at rest!
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with his goodness, lost in His love.
This hymn marks Ms. Crosby’s fifth and final appearance on this list. Other Top 100 Hymns by Fanny Crosby are:
To God Be the Glory
Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It
All the Way My Saviour Leads Me
Tell Me the Story of Jesus
More about Fanny Crosby.
More about Phoebe Knapp.
Lifespring Hymn Stories: Blessed Assurance.
Williams, Vera B. Three Days on a River in the Red Canoe. Greenwillow, 1981. A Picture Book Preschool selection.
Picture Book Preschool is a preschool/kindergarten curriculum which consists of a list of picture books to read aloud for each week of the year and a character trait, a memory verse, and activities, all tied to the theme for the week. You can purchase a downloadable version (pdf file) of Picture Book Preschool by Sherry Early at Biblioguides.
Preschoolers and water . . . what a great combination! For this week (week 40) in my curriculum book Picture Book Preschool, the theme is Boats, Rivers, and Bridges. There are so many projects that can go with this theme:
Sail paper boats in the bathtub or somewhere else.
Build a bridge out of popsicle sticks or paper or cardboard or blocks.
Go for a boat ride.
Play PoohSticks.
Make a town in the sandbox or in the dirt and flood it. (Engineer Husband used do this in his backyard repeatedly.)
And one of the books listed in the curriculum for this week is Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe by Vera B. Williams. The book tells the story of a girl, her mom, Aunt Rosie, and Cousin Sam who go together on a weekend canoeing and camping trip. The four adventurers cook outdoors (recipes included), canoe in the rain, catch fish, fall into the river, and have an all-around good time.
I got the book out for this post, and Brown Bear Daughter (14) exclaimed, “Oh, I love that book! That’s one of my favorite books!” Karate Kid (12) has been in canoeing classes for about three years now, and I would say that the book gives a fairly good picture of what a novice canoeist would encounter and enjoy. However, the creek that Karate Kid and his friends paddle in is much nastier than the one in the book. Which is one reason I read about canoeing and KK does it.
