SPECIAL REPORT: Happy 231st Birthday Claudius Crozet
Happy 231st Birthday Claudius Crozet
It has just been a month since the Blue Ridge Tunnel, first constructed in 1859 by Claudius Crozet, reopened as a walking/bicycle trail. A pleasant ramble underground has stirred a renewed interest in Virginia’s ‘Reckless Engineer.’ Claudius Crozet, engineer and educator, was born in Villefranche, France on December 31, 1789. Following his graduation from the Ecole Polytechnique, he entered the French Army as an artilleryman, and served until 1816. He was a prisoner of war in Russia from 1814-1816. In 1816 he married Agathe DeCamp, and the couple immigrated to the United States. Crozet accepted an appointment as a professor of engineering at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he taught until 1823 and published A Treatise of Descriptive Geometry for the Use of the Cadets of the United States Military Academy. Subsequent to his career at West Point, he served as the State Engineer of Virginia (1823-1832), State Engineer of Louisiana (1832-1834), President of Jefferson College, Louisiana (1834-1836), President of the Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors (1837-1845), Principal Engineer of Virginia (1837-1843), and as Principal of the Richmond Academy (1845-1849). In 1849 he was appointed Chief Engineer on a project to build a tunnel through the Blue Ridge, and from 1857-1859 he worked on constructing an aqueduct for Washington, DC. Crozet died in Richmond, Virginia on January 29, 1864.
The restored Blue Ridge Tunnel stands as a monument to the man and his accomplishments. He is buried at Virginia Military Institute and has a building there named for him.
This bench at the Yancy Building in Waynesboro, Virginia was designed byRory Mayof Dragon Forge, Colorado. It was fabricated by Waynesboro’s own Virginia Institute of Blacksmithing in 2018. May’s design is inspired by the Western Portal ofClaudius Crozet’s Blue Ridge Tunnel.
Claudius Crozet surveys the opening of the Blue Ridge Tunnel in a mural by Bob Kirchman and John Pembroke, restored by Kristina Elaine Greer and Meg West in 2012.
Personal effects of Claudius Crozet and his portrait in the Virginia Military Institute Museum.
The Richmond home of Claudius Crozet. Photos by Bob Kirchman.
In the darkness of the bunker, Allison and Josiah suspected something terrible had been attempted and thwarted. They now prepared to die. The bunker, however, had been provided with ample oxygen for more crew members than it now held and the two settled in to a routine as they waited for the radiation levels outside to subside. Then they donned pressure suits and pushed open the hatchway. Digging through the rubble they eventually emerged on the cratered surface. That night they watched the Great Northern arc across the Martian sky. “Tomorrow we’ll try to create an’S.O.S.’” Allison said. That night was the last time they saw Great Northern pass overhead.
Allison and Josiah looked hard at the suicide pills. There was a problem, however, as they would have to get into a pressurized space to remove their helmets and take them. Removing the helmets, they correctly surmised, would lead to a painful death if they did it in the rarified Martian atmosphere. The pathway back into the bunker was very unstable. “Let’s see if any greenhouses have survived past the ridge.” Josiah said as they began the long walk out. There might be a place where they could go in, remove the helmets and take the pills. Then they could sit in the gardens as their lives ebbed away.
They walked for most of a day. “I wonder what happened to the tractor?” Allison thought to herself as they trudged on.
Threading through a small crevasse in the ridge, they saw the tractor. A pressurized personnel trailer was attached to it and it sat parked at the airdock of the closest greenhouse. The greenhouses sheltered by the ridge had indeed survived and likely there would be others there. The helmet radios were short range by design so they would have to enter the airlock to find out. They proceeded to do so and soon stepped into a biosphere garden, lush with all forms of edible plant life.
The greenhouses were large, with pathways laid out in a grid and graveled so as not to become mud in the constant irrigation. Up ahead, Allison spotted a maintenance barn and the two colonists decided to investigate. Josiah cautiously opened the door. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw signs of encampment. Bedding and personal spaces seemed to have been established inside. “Hello,” he stammered. “Anybody home?” There was only silence. He and Allison stared at the makeshift living quarters for a long time. Had the survivors actually lived on? Were they able to avoid the radiation and somehow make a way for themselves?
Josiah and Allison stepped outside into the bright Martian sunlight filtering into the biosphere and made a meal of the vegetables growing in raised beds near the barn. The graveled paths did not yield clear or fresh clues as to movement within the biosphere so the two marked the position of the barn and set out in a likely direction.
(to be continued)
SPECIAL REPORT: “Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant”
– Matthew 25:23
Stephen's Message for Our Time
Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant” – Matthew 25:23
Today is the Feast of St. Stephen. He is remembered in the sixth and seventh chapter of the Book of Acts. The Church remembers him this day as the first Christian martyr. The man who saw Heaven opened as he was stoned to death –strengthened indeed by the promise of Heaven – was a great example of faithfulness on earth.
In chapter six of the Book of Acts, we see faithfulness in the very ordinary things of life. The early Church was not unlike the modern Church in that there were issues to be dealt with. Simple needs went unmet as the great work of proclaiming the Gospel went forth. Such was that of the neglected widows. So, Stephen and others stepped up to do the very practical work of ‘serving tables.’ It was an unsung ministry. It probably would have passed unnoticed by the recognition of Scripture but for the fact that it was indeed the training ground for Stephen’s great testimony as he stepped into the Kingdom that he held to the promise of.
In the song and story of “Good King Wenceslas,” the service of Stephen is echoed in the Bohemian King’s journey to bring a feast to a peasant man. It is a tale that reminds us that the true task of leadership is service! In fact, the role of Deacon is truly one of “ruling with Christ.” Praying people see the diaconate role of economic development as an integral part of G-d's provision. In “Resources for Deacons, Love Expressed Through Mercy Ministries,”[1.]Tim Keller states his belief in three “levels” of mercy in diaconal ministry:
The first Level Is Simple Relief: That is taking care of the immediate need.
The Second Level Is Economic Development: That is teaching the poor how to get out of poverty by teaching them how to handle money, property, etc. and furnishing them with the means to do so. “Not handouts, but ownership is the way to break the cycle of poverty.”
The Third Level Is Social Reform: Christians should be involved in the culture in an effort to change the social structure.
We see it very localized in a place like Zambia, where people of faith instruct widows to become seamstresses (and people in America gift them with sewing machines). But, can we believe God for ever greater inspiration? What vision would G-d give us for our family, our company of employment, our city and county... and beyond? George Müller said "the age of miracles is not past."Angus Buchan[7.], in the turmoil of Zambia and South Africa, looked to God for inspiration. God met him in a corn field where he learned the power of prayer!
Buchan had packed his family up during the unrest in Zambia in the late 'seventies and moved them to South Africa. A successful farmer in Zambia, he felt that he would be happy if he could acquire another farm in South Africa. It didn't. Experiencing deep depression, Buchan was angry and confused. Wandering into a lay-witness Sunday at the local Methodist Church, Angus heard builders, tradesmen and fellow farmers tell of what Jesus meant in their lives. For the first time he saw men crying, he wept unashamedly himself as he responded to an altar call. He took the Lord seriously about the changed life promise.
Buchan went back to his farm and learned to pray in his own corn field. Then he sought to minister to his Zulu workers. His farm manager, Simeon Bhengu, told him: “that's women's religion...” But God met Angus and spoke through his friendship with Simeon. Today the men are brothers in faith and brothers in every way. “My children are his and his are mine.” Angus says of his Zulu brother. Angus expanded his farming operations and G-d's miraculous provision was seen at every turn. The movie “Faith like Potatoes” is the true story of Angus Buchan and it is quite inspiring! Buchan used machinery but avoided totally mechanizing the farm, looking to provide steady employment to his Zulu neighbors.
In the early 1980's Buchan became aware of a new tragic development. AIDS was ravaging families and creating untold numbers of orphans. Buchan reached out to these orphans but had no place to house them. A local school had temporary classrooms they were going to demolish and Angus received permission to take them apart and reassemble them at Shalom, which he had named his complex at the farm. At first the children lived in dormitories but gradually Angus was able to create “houses” where one “mother” cared for a smaller number.
South Africa in her recent history has experienced much uncertainty and Buchan's experience is instructive as we look to address the turmoil in our own country today.
Many years ago I celebrated Thanksgiving with our church family. There I met the first Nepali I have ever had the chance to speak with. His name was Prem Pradhan. This Gurkha warrior had served in Britain's Royal Air Force before returning to his native land. An accident had permanently injured him and he walked with a limp; but walk he did. In a land where foot travel is necessary to reach most of the villages, Prem walked. He had learned something amazing and he felt compelled to travel to the ends of this mountain kingdom to share it!
Walking all day to reach some remote village, Prem would seek out the men and elders of the place and say: "I have heard a NEW THING! I have heard about a man who died and came to life again!" Who would NOT be intrigued? Pradhan would go on to share his fresh vision of the risen Jesus... and many put their faith in Christ through the fresh telling of the old old story. Not everyone was thrilled to hear this 'Good News,' however. Prem had run afoul of the country's anti-conversion laws. He was put into prison, where he languished for seven years.
Nepali prisons are notorious. Prem's enemies sent him there knowing that it was a place to die. Like the amazing man Prem spoke of, he too was basically sentenced to death. But here he was, years later, telling me his story. He didn't die. While he was in prison he had a vision of the risen Lord, and was further strengthened in his resolve to tell the story of redemption. When he left prison he became involved in education and took in a lot of orphans. While proselytizers are discouraged in Nepal, educators are revered. Prem became a leader of his town and never stopped telling the amazing story.
The Babe of Bethlehem became a man. We have heard the Christmas story so many times that we fail to appreciate its audacity! Let us listen again to it with fresh hearing: "I have heard a NEW THING! I have heard about a man who died and came to life again!" Let us follow the grown Jesus to that time of his death. We first meet him on a hillside. An unlikely candidate for leader of a world religion, he attracts multitudes nonetheless. He teaches a simple message that "The Kingdom of G-d is at hand," and then withdraws to a lonely place with his disciples.
Children flock to Him. He is often surrounded by them and his disciples want to shoo them away. Jesus rebukes them. The Kingdom of G-d is meant for such as these. I met an Egyptian woman who had visions of this place. She says that in Heaven Jesus is SURROUNDED by children. This Jesus did not seek out the halls of power, but instead sought out the weak and simple people of this world. He was a carpenter. His disciples were fishermen, zealots and a tax collector. He spoke to women (most rabbis would not). He spoke "as one having authority." Indeed, one of the most amazing parts of the story is when Jesus stands before the Roman ruler Pilate, who's reaction to Jesus is worth noting.
The promises of Messiah were well known and many in Judea hoped for the coming of that leader who would free them from the oppression of Rome. There were many who claimed to be Messiah, looking to fire a zealot rebellion, and Rome was especially good at killing people. So when a maligned and fairly ordinary Galilean was brought before Pilate, why should he hesitate? There was the fact that he was not actually inciting any uprising... but something in Jesus caused this tough old Roman to pause. Pilate knew his job, but he also recognized authority and chain of command. This Galilean was not blustering about rebellion, in fact He was holding the details of His true mission close to His heart. Pilate saw more than met the eye about the man from Galilee. There is more searching than sneering in his question: "Are you a king?"
Pilate finds himself drawn into a higher sort of dialogue with this man... even asking Him: "What is Truth?" Already troubled by the man he sees, he is further troubled by his wife's dream of him. Indeed, he wants to "wash his hands" of this matter. The simple execution of a supposed rebel has become something far bigger. Pilate tries to release Jesus but is pressed to release Barrabas, a real insurrectionist, instead. The death and Resurrection of Jesus became the story that eventually captivated the Gurkha from Nepal.
The modern age brought about a dismissal of the unseen. Science and Naturalism pushed for concentration on what can be observed. The spiritual and invisible dimensions of life no longer dominated great thought... except to perhaps be broad brushed as simply unknowable. Had Pilate limited himself to that which was observable he would have quickly executed this ragged Galilean. There would be no need for angst, for though he SPOKE as one with authority, he had no physical evidence of that authority.
C.S. Lewis was a man of the modern age. He dismissed the faith as a young man, embracing the Naturalism of his day. As an enlightened Medieval scholar, he nonetheless dismissed the power of story to convey unseen truths. His friendship with men like J.R. R. Tolkien led him to become: "the most reluctant convert in all of England." Lewis, along with his friend Tolkien, discovered the power of the story to convey unseen truths. Imagination for them became the key to discover and share: "a NEW THING!"
"When the Pupil is Ready, The Master Will Appear"
"Imagination is the organ of understanding." -- C. S. Lewis
If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” -- C. S. Lewis
Chapter 4: Mars Ain't the Kind of Place to Raise Your Kids
At Mission Control Commander West listened and watched intently. The whole conversation was being recorded and Josiah began: “Hello Earth! I suppose you are wondering what we are doing here?”
West asked Josiah to tell his story.
Let us start with that moment so long ago when our distress signal missile was fired at the starship Great Northern. I am sure you want to know what transpired here on Mars. As you know, APOLLONIUS had his ‘inner circle’ on this mission and they had smuggled aboard a number of Iranian nuclear devices. As near as we can tell, they planned to demonstrate what they had and hold Earth hostage. As you probably know, the missile was aborted and a ‘return command’ initiated, basically the quickest way to save the starship involved bringing the missile back where it came from in a ‘hard turn’ maneuver.”
So,” West asked, “Who aborted the missile?”
Idid, sir,” said Josiah. He related the story of how he and his colleague had remained after their shift and noticed unusual activity. Upon investigation they saw the launch of the missile from the blockhouse and though at the time they thought it was a malfunction, they stepped in to stop it.
They expected it to fall to Mars without much trouble. When the world was rocked by an explosion and everything went dark, Josiah and Allison knew it was something worse. They had initially signed on to the voyage because they were political/ideological prisoners and had lost everything. They thought the Mars colony would offer them a new life. Soon, however, it was clear that APOLLONIUS was creating a dark kingdom. The colonists were required to forsake their names for numbers and APOLLONIUS expected unquestioned loyalty. Josiah and Allison simply played along and kept their suspicions to themselves.
How many survivors are there then?” West asked.
Initially there were thirty-seven.” Josiah said. “Four of those died from injuries and other causes in the time that followed.”
The colony was destroyed. How did you all make it?” Exclaimed West.
That’s the really strange part.” Returned Josiah, “You see, we normally would have been in the colony proper at the time but in an odd sort of way, many hands became needed in one of the more remote greenhouses. Even stranger, those greenhouses were in an area sheltered by this interesting rock ridge you see behind me. After the radiation subsided, Allison and I made our way over to the surviving greenhouses. It was just a hunch, but we thought those greenhouses might still be functioning if the blast had been stopped by the intervening ridge. We were not at all surprised to find the greenhouses intact, but we were happily surprised to find so many of our fellow settlers still alive!”
West interrupted, “So, I have to ask you, as a matter of necessity, what is your colony’s stance toward those of us on Earth?”
Personally, Allison and I have no animus toward AAR or Israel. I have to say that I cannot speak for the ones who were more loyal to APOLLONIUS. For decades we simply haven’t thought about it. We determined that you were above us scanning for survivors but could detect none. When we no longer saw the ship in the sky, we assumed you had given up and the Great Northern had returned to Earth. Our communications were totally destroyed so there was no way for us to tell you otherwise.
Iassumed command of the colony because no one knew what to do. We managed to create a village in the remaining greenhouses where we live today. They are pretty much simple mud houses but they serve us well. We grow our own food and have been able to hold on for some time now.”
West asked, “So, there are thirty-three of you still on Mars?” He did the math. It would be impossible to evacuate thirty-three souls from Mars in the single lander. He awaited Josiah’s answer.
Oh no, there are now 122 of us.” Came back the answer from Josiah
(to be continued)
Creche at the National Cathedral, Washington, DC A Particularly Beautiful Representation of the Nativity
Photo by Kristina Elaine Greer.
The Least of These
Here is a film very much in the spirit of Miracle on 34th Street.
Michelangelo's Pieta
The Pieta by Michelangelo, displayed at the 1964 World's Fair in New York.
The Vatican website states: “When Michelangelo was assigned the work on Pieta, he was not a famous artist yet. Similarly, when the Pieta was showcased to the public in the church of the French cardinal, Chapel of Santa Petronilla, it was wrongly understood to be sculpted by some other contemporary artist other than Michelangelo. This made him feel so upset that he took a light and chisel into the chapel and signed his Pieta right across the body of Mary. Being the only one to be signed by him, Michelangelo’s signature on the Pieta can be seen as “Michala(n)gelus Bonarotus Florentin(us) Facieba(t)” that means “Michelangelo Buonarotti made this.” In the film The Least of These, the signature and Michelangelo's subsequent remorse at having done it are referenced by the character Rose.
Christmas At Washington DC's Union Station Washington's Train Terminal Has Yuletime Cheer
Photos from Years Past by Bob Kirchman
Wreaths decorate the station's great Roman arches.
There are visual treats for those who look up...
...and a great spruce in the great terminal hall.
The great tree...
...and many smaller trees.
Wreaths in the station's great arches welcome travelers.
Rockefeller Center, New York City
Photos byMichael Anderson
Park Avenue, Richmond, Virginia
Photos byBob Kirchman
St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York Photo byMichael Anderson
Since 1927, TIME Magazine has chosen a man, woman, or idea that for better or worse, has most influenced events in the preceding year. Charles Linbergh was the first person to be so honored.
In 1938 Adolph Hitler was named. FDR received the honor three times. Osama Bin Laden was considered for recognition early in this decade.
TIME declared Albert Einstein the most influential person of the century. I don't believe they have ever tried to name the most influential person in all of human history.
THYME Magazine, looking back on thousands of years of history, breaks with the modern trend to honor media creators and celebrities. Gutenberg, in our minds, is far more of an innovator than Zuckerberg.
When Samuel Morse invented the telegraph, he sent the first 'Instant Message:'"What hath G-d Wrought?" Morse was on to something. There is always a back story of inspiration in every innovation.
So THYME today wants to single out those who have yet to show accomplishment at all. Our choice for 'Person for All Time' will no doubt place us in controversial territory. Still,we invite you to examine history for yourself. Alvin Schmidt's"Under the Infuence" [click to read] could be considered your essential guide as you meet THYME's 'Person for All Time.'
One Solitary Life
Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.
He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself...While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves.
While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life."
For many it was the 'righteous gentiles'... Christians who risked their own lives and safety to hide their Jewish neighbors and sneak them out of Nazi occupied parts of Europe. For the mentally ill it was Dorothea Dix, a Christian woman who worked to provide more humane treatment.
Christianity is often blamed for many of the world's ills when in fact you can look to it in its pure form and see the exact opposite. Yes, much evil has been done by men who claim to do it 'in the name of G-d,' but look at the lives of those who actually dare to live by Christ's teaching and you will see a clear departure from culture's corruption.
William Wilberforce and John Newton are prime examples of this. Newton was a slaver. When he came to faith he was repulsed by his involvement in this trade in human misery. When his friend Wilberforce, a rising member of the British government, came to faith, he was going to step away from government to devote his life to G-d. Newton urged Wilberforce to remain in public service and his legacy became the end of slavery in every land under British rule.
Cover Art: Detail of a mural by Kristina Elaine Greer and Bob Kirchman
Here are presented some of our favorite Christmas features from all time, collected from past issues.
The Life of William Booth
While women weep, as they do now, I’ll fight While little children go hungry, as they do now, I’ll fight While men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’ll fight While there is a drunkard left, While there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, While there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I’ll fight-I’ll fight to the very end!”
The year is 1783 and the War for Independence has been won. General George Washington has one last promise to keep: to come home for Christmas. Please join in the celebration of Christmas in America 1783 on The Public Square®! Recorded before live audiences in three cities, this show features classic Christmas music and a compelling true story of faith, love and inspiration right from the front porch of Mount Vernon. Please join Dave Zanotti, Wayne Shepherd and an award winning team of musicians and guests on this year’s episode of Christmas In America on The Public Square®. (read more)
Dr. James Dobson once said, "inheritance is something you leave to someone, while a legacy is something you instill in someone." On this broadcast, Dr. Tim Clinton looks at the importance of a godly heritage with author and therapist, Kenny Mauck. The two reflect on their own families' stories and how meaningful Christian lessons were passed down from one generation to the next. (read more)
The Homecoming
The Bells of Saint Mary's
For Unto Us a Child is Born Isaiah 9:6,7
Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, Op. 71
A Beloved Christmas Story's Story With Six Children to Feed, the Author Needed a Miracle
Frances Alexander's 1842 painting of the famous author.
The Year was 1843 and he needed a miracle. With six children to feed and a large house in London to maintain, his slipping sales as a writer were of great concern. His installment novel: Martin Chuzzlewit, was selling poorly, unlike earlier works like Nicholas Nickleby, which had given him some measure of success. Christmas was coming as he bitterly confided to a friend that his checkbook was empty. Walking the streets, he came up with a 'Ghost of an Idea' and set to work. He published 6000 copies in time for Christmas distribution. They sold out, but because he had splurged on hand-coloured illustrations by John Leech he barely broke even. [1.] Yes, even in Nineteenth Century England, good illustration cost you something! [2.]
Fortunately the little work went on to be a classic. It reinvigorated the career of its creator. Today we still love A Christmas Carol and its author: Charles Dickens, not only as a writer, but as one who helped to bring about much needed social reforms in his day.
Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht Beloved Carol Inspired by a Broken Organ
The pipes of the Trinity Lutheran Church organ in Crimora.
Lynn [click to read] brings us the wonderful story of how one of our most beloved carols came to be written:
In 1818, a roving band of actors was performing in towns throughout the Austrian Alps. On December 23 they arrived at Oberndorf, a village near Salzburg where they were to re-enact the story of Christ's birth in the small Church of St. Nicholas.
Unfortunately, the St. Nicholas' church organ wasn't working and would not be repaired before Christmas. Because the church organ was out of commission, the actors presented their Christmas drama in a private home. That Christmas presentation of the events in the first chapters of Matthew and Luke put assistant pastor Josef Mohr in a meditative mood. Instead of walking straight to his house that night, Mohr took a longer way home. The longer path took him up over a hill overlooking the village.
From that hilltop, Mohr looked down on the peaceful snow-covered village. Reveling in majestic silence of the wintry night, Mohr gazed down at the glowing Christmas-card like scene. His thoughts about the Christmas play he had just seen made him remember a poem he had written a couple of years before. That poem was about the night when angels announced the birth of the long-awaited Messiah to shepherds on a hillside.
Mohr decided those words might make a good carol for his congregation the following evening at their Christmas eve service. The one problem was that he didn't have any music to which that poem could be sung. So, the next day Mohr went to see the church organist, Franz Xaver Gruber. Gruber only had a few hours to come up with a melody which could be sung with a guitar. However, by that evening, Gruber had managed to compose a musical setting for the poem. It no longer mattered to Mohr and Gruber that their church organ was inoperable. They now had a Christmas carol that could be sung without that organ.
On Christmas Eve, the little Oberndorf congregation heard Gruber and Mohr sing their new composition to the accompaniment of Gruber's guitar.
Weeks later, well-known organ builder Karl Mauracher arrived in Oberndorf to fix the organ in St. Nicholas church. When Mauracher finished, he stepped back to let Gruber test the instrument. When Gruber sat down, his fingers began playing the simple melody he had written for Mohr's Christmas poem.
Deeply impressed, Mauracher took copies of the music and words of "Stille Nacht" back to his own Alpine village, Kapfing. There, two well-known families of singers — the Rainers and the Strassers — heard it. Captivated by "Silent Night," both groups put the new song into their Christmas season repertoire.
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht, Alles schläft; einsam wacht Nur das traute hochheilige Paar. Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar, Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
English translation:
Silent night! holy night! All is calm, all is bright, 'Round yon virgin mother and Child! Holy Infant, so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace.
The Strasser sisters spread the carol across northern Europe. In 1834, they performed "Silent Night" for King Frederick William IV of Prussia, and he then ordered his cathedral choir to sing it every Christmas eve.
Twenty years after "Silent Night" was written, the Rainers brought the song to the United States, singing it (in German) at the Alexander Hamilton Monument located outside New York City's Trinity Church.
In 1863, nearly fifty years after being first sung in German, "Silent Night" was translated into English (by either Jane Campbell or John Young). Eight years later, that English version made its way into print in Charles Hutchins' Sunday School Hymnal. Today the words of "Silent Night" are sung in more than 300 different languages around the world.
The English version we know today was written by the Episcopal priest John Freeman Young, however the standard English version contains just three verses, whereas the German version contains six. (only verses 1, 6 and 2 from the original Joseph Mohr version are sung in English).
The Story of 'Joy to the World' A Beloved Hymn Written in Celebration of Advent
Graphic by Kristina Elaine Greer, who writes: "I
overlaid the entire picture from photos I took of the music in the
most recent United Methodist Hymnal. I simply clipped out the music part
and compiled them together then cut and pasted them to the template and changed the opacity."
A Short History of 'Joy to the World' by Kristina Elaine Greer
Most
people think of the wonderful hymn, “Joy to the World,” as Christmas
Hymn proclaiming the joy of Christ’s birth, but there is a different
history behind this marvelous song. The original words
to “Joy to the World” by English hymn writer Isaac Watts were based on
Psalm 98 in the Bible. According to Wikipedia “the song was first
published in 1719 in Watts' collection; The Psalms of David: Imitated in
the language of the New Testament, and applied to the Christian state
and worship.” Isaac Watts originally wrote the words of "Joy to the
World" as a hymn glorifying Christ's triumphant return stated in the
book of revelation, instead of as a song celebrating the birth of Jesus
Christ. This song was meant more for Advent than Christmas and in some
hymnals today you will find it in the holiday concordance of the hymnal
under Advent instead of Christmas (which is correct). Interestingly, we
only sing the second half of Watts' lyrics when we sing this beloved
hymn. The music of this song was adapted and arranged to Watts' lyrics
by Lowell Mason in 1839. The melody is said to have been from an older
melody, which was then believed to have originated from Handel,
partially because of the theme of the refrain (And heaven and nature
sing...). This appears in the beloved orchestra opening and
accompaniment of the “Comfort ye” from Handel's Messiah, the first four
notes match the beginning of the choruses “Lift up your heads” and
“Glory to G-d” from the same oratorio. Handel, however, did not compose
the entire tune. In fact “Antioch” is the generally used name of the
tune. As of the late 20th century, “Joy to the World” was the
most-published Christmas hymn in North America. Today we still enjoy it
during the holiday seasons of Advent and Christmas time no matter the
history it reminds us to be joyful that we have a Savior, who came to
earth as a baby, lived among us, died for us, was raised again
victorious, and is our Lord who will come again in glorious acclamation.
Unpacking The Twelve Days of Christmas You Will Never Look at this Song the Same Way Again
"Partridge."
I always assumed the song: "The Twelve Days of Christmas" to be a simple frivolous song of celebration. Not so!, this song is instructive in basic truths of the Christian Faith! Here is the explanation by Father Edward Dowling:
“The Twelve Days of Christmas” celebrates the official Christmas season which starts liturgically on Christmas Day and ends twelve days later on the Feast of the Epiphany. “My true love” refers to God, “me” is the individual Catholic. The “twelve lords a leaping” are the twelve basic beliefs of the Catholic Church as outlined in the Apostles Creed. The “eleven pipers piping” are the eleven Apostles who remained faithful after the treachery of Judas. The “ten ladies dancing” are the Ten Commandments. The “nine drummers drumming” are the nine choirs of angels which in those days of class distinction were thought important. The “eight maids a milking” are the Eight Beatitudes. The “seven swans a swimming” are the Seven Sacraments (or the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit) [click to read]. The “six geese a laying” are the Six Commandments of the Church or the six days of creation. The “five golden rings” are the first five books of the Old Testament called the Torah which are generally considered the most sacred and important of all the Old Testament. The “four calling birds” are the Four Gospels. The “three French hens” are the Three Persons in God or the three gifts of the Wise Men. The “two turtle doves” represent the two natures in Jesus: human and divine or the two Testaments, Old and New. The “partridge” is the piece de resistance, Jesus himself, and the “pear tree” is the Cross." Here is More Historical Background [click to read] from Father Dowling. h/t Kristina Elaine Greer
G-d bless you all during the Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany seasons!
Sherando Lake Island and Ice
The island in Sherando Lake. This photo is displayed in the Virginia Blood Services Waynesboro Facility. Photo by Bob Kirchman
THYME’s ‘Person of the Year’
This will be the last issue of THYME for this year and as the ‘other’ weekly news magazine has chosen their ‘Person of the Year,’ so have we. Our person of the year is probably not on your radar. She’s not sailing across the ocean in a $4,437,240.00[1.] racing yacht. She’s not accusing anyone of ‘stealing’ her future – in fact, she’s too busy building it. I’m talking about the young people who are my personal heroes. They don’t end up in magazine articles (except here), but they are out there every day making this world a better place. They are the young couple I know in the mountains of Virginia who pastor a church and do many creative things to bring the Gospel to their community. Two young women I know who mount their electric wheelchairs every day and create beauty and hope while fighting the effects of Spinal Muscular Atrophy. They are the young students in our art classes who hone their critical thinking skills along with their artistic ability. They are the young nursing student who travels to Guatemala to share her skills helping people in another part of the world and another young woman who is preparing to become an advocate for the aging – along with my most faithful young reader who lives in Kernersville,
NC, a man who writes inventive computer programs. They are the young people who are building a bright new world.
Remembering a Special Day
Winter scene, St. John's United Methodist Church in Staunton, Virginia. The painting celebrates the wedding of Kristina Elaine and Jonathan Greer six years ago! Happy Anniversary! Painting by Bob Kirchman.
