Messiah

Messiah

The classic oratorio written by George Frederick Handel is perhaps the most recognized piece of classical music in existence.  Handel was born in Germany toward the end of the 17^th century – in 1685.  His father desired he enter the practice of law, but his early death freed his son to pursue music.  He moved to Italy to compose opera, but a prohibition of opera from the pope at the time caused him to compose less dramatic pieces and focus on music more spiritually uplifting.  There was a debate even over this at the time, with some considering it blasphemous that an oratorio dealing with spiritual matters could be performed in the same theater as a racy comedy the night prior.

Handel had some level of success in Italy, but eventually moved to England in 1712, becoming an English citizen in 1727.  He achieved some further level of success in England, but his star began to fade by 1841 at age 56 following a minor stroke, poor health, failing vision, and poor investments that threatened to put him in debtor’s prison.

In July of 1741, Charles Jennens, a Shakespearian scholar and friend of Handel’s, wrote him a lengthy letter full of Scripture he had been studying – prophecies of Christ as found mostly in the Old Testament, and some in the New Testament, mainly from the book of Revelation.

Handel spent a great deal of time reading and re-reading this letter, and in prayer.  In mid-August, he picked up pen and began to write.  He organized the verses into sections: Part I on the birth of Christ, Part II on the death of Christ, and Part III on the resurrection and coming reign of Christ.  He completed the entire 269-page oratorio in an astonishing 3 weeks!

One musical scholar has estimated there are a quarter million notes in Handel’s Messiah.  If we presume 21 days and 10 hours of composition per day, Handel would have written down an average of 15 notes per minute!

The first performance of his now-famous oratorio was in Dublin.  The public was invited to the rehearsal performance on April 8^th, 1842, intending an opening on April 13^th.  Word of how the rehearsal moved those in attendance spread rapidly – so much so that local promoters had to publish the request that ladies not wear ‘hoop’ dresses and that men leave their swords at home so as to accommodate the expected crowd.  The theater, with a capacity of 600, crammed 700 people inside before the doors were closed.

John Wesley was in one of the early performances of Messiah (not ‘The’ Messiah!) and wrote of it in his diary, “there were some parts that were affecting, but I doubt it has staying power.”  His brother, composer Charles Wesley (“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”) was more sympathetic and ended up developing somewhat of a friendship with Handel.

Messiah was originally intended as an Easter performance.  Over the years, the relative dearth of classical music related to Christmas pushed Messiah into the tradition of being a Christmas staple.

One of Handel’s early patrons was George “The Elector of Hanover” prior to his becoming King of England – the same King of England that gave the British colonists of America so much trouble later.  As King, George attended a performance of Messiah and was so moved during the Hallelujah chorus that he spontaneously rose to his feet.  Protocol dictated that when the king stands, everyone stands – leading to the establishment of the tradition of rising during that fantastic chorus.

Handel lived another 17 years, enjoying the fantastic success that Messiah brought him.  In gratitude, he donated many of the royalties from the composition to orphanages, debtor’s prison relief, and other charities.  He attended a performance just a few days before his death.  On his deathbed, his final words were, “I want to die in the sweet hope of rejoining my good God, my sweet Lord and Savior on the day of His resurrection.”

https://www.bsomusic.org/stories/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-handels-messiah.aspx

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-glorious-history-of-handels-messiah-148168540/

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/feature/the-story-behind-the-triumphant-premiere-of-handels-messiah

Christmas Trivia

Christmas trivia

The Puritans in the 17^th Century banned Christmas, considering it ‘Popish’ (Catholic), and fined people five shillings for celebrating the holiday.  Christmas was not a popular holiday in New England until the mid-1800s.

In the East, Christmas is celebrated on January 6^th (end of the ’12 Days of Christmas’)

NORAD has been tracking Santa Claus since 1955, when a Colorado Springs newspaper ad for Sears misprinted the store’s “Santa” number and inadvertently gave children the number to the NORAD Operations Center.  The O-6 on duty that night answered the first call and instructed his staff to give a Santa status report to every child who called that evening.

‘Do You Hear What I Hear’ was written by Gloria Shayne Baker and her husband Noel Regney during the Cuban Missile Crisis and was intended as a plea for peace.  “…pray for peace, people everywhere…”

The ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ has had a number of variations to its elements over the years, including: “Four Canary Birds,” “Four Ducks Quacking,” “Eight Hares a Running,” “Eight Hounds a Running,” “Nine Bulls a Roaring,” “Ten Men a Mowing,” “Ten Ships a Sailing,” “Eleven Ladies Spinning,” “Eleven Badgers Baiting,” “Twelve Bells Ringing.”

80’s Metal band Twisted Sister took the tune of their hit song ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ from the Christmas Carol ‘O Come All Ye Faithful.’  Listen to the two songs side-by-side.  Your head will explode.

Santa Claus has his own zip code in Canada, H0H 0H0.  Every letter received for Santa at this zip code is personally answered in the language in which it was received, regardless of where in the world it comes from.

All the gifts in the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ total 364 gifts.

Per Facebook data analysis, two weeks before Christmas is one of the two most popular times for couples to break up.  Christmas Day is the least popular day.

Santa’s reindeer are all female, despite having male names.  Male reindeer grow antlers but shed them yearly before Christmas.  Female reindeer uniquely grow antlers and keep them year-round.

The best-selling song of all time is Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas’ – over 100 million copies sold.  That song reached #1 on the billboard charts on three separate occasions.

In WW2, Germany allowed Christmas care packages to be sent to American POWs.  These packages included playing cards manufactured by the Bicycle Playing Card Company which, when soaked in water, revealed escape routes.  The Nazis never caught on to this.

An artificial Christmas tree would have to be re-used for about 20 years to be ‘greener’ than a fresh-cut tree.

A very popular Christmas dinner in Japan, apparently, is KFC.  Customers must place their Christmas dinner orders 2 months in advance.

Seven out of ten dogs in England get a Christmas present from their owners.  The number is five out of ten in the United States.

The image of Santa flying in his sleigh first appeared in 1819, created by Washington Irving – creator of the Headless Horseman.

During Christmas, 2010, the Colombian government decorated trees in the jungle with lights and motion sensors.  When guerrillas would walk by, the trees would light up and banners would appear asking them to surrender their arms.  The campaign was successful in convincing 331 people to surrender and re-enter society.  They also won an award for strategic advertising excellence.

During the Christmas season, 28 Lego sets are sold very second.

The largest Christmas gift ever was the Statue of Liberty.  At 255 tons, it was gifted to the US by the French on Christmas Day, 1886.

Saint Nicholas of Myra, the namesake “Saint Nicholas,” was at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD.  During the back-and-forth, at one point he literally punched his debate opponent in the face!  So much for ‘jolly’…

‘Jingle Bells’ was the first song broadcast from space.  On December 16^th, 1965, the Gemini 6 crew serenaded Mission Control after reporting seeing a “red-suited astronaut in a low polar orbit."

Some consider the worst Christmas song ever to be Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime”.  The song nets him nearly a half million dollars in royalties every year.

The famous "Christmas Truce" of World War 1 occurred in 1914, only about 5 months after the outbreak of war.  Soldiers on each side emerged from the tranches in various places, shook hands, retrieved and buried their dead, sang Christmas carols together, exchanged souvenirs, and even played soccer together.  In most cases, contact was initiated by the Germans.  Upon hearing of this Sir John French, one of the British Senior Officers, issued a general order stating that, "such unwarlike behavior must cease."  The Christmas Truce was never repeated during that war.
There are differing reasons for the tradition of putting oranges in Christmas stockings: 1) A representation of the gold the original St Nicholas (of Myra) left for the families he ministered to; 2) during the Great Depression, oranges were considered a luxury, one per year at Christmas; 3) a reminder to share what you have with others; or 4) a treat for children in northern climates, from a time when citrus fruits like oranges were difficult to get.
The Continental Army under General George Washington scored its first significant victory in Trenton, New Jersey, on December 26th, 1776 - many of the Hessian defenders still nursing hangovers from their celebrations on Christmas Day.
The movie 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' is cited as the event that killed aluminum Christmas tree sales in the 1970s.
The movie 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' was produced with a budget of $76,000.  The next year, the animated movie 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' was produced with a $300,000 budget.
The French word 'Noel' originally comes from the Latin.  It means 'birth'.
"X-Mas" was an abbreviation for Christmas first used in the 1600s.  The 'X' comes from the Greek letter 'Chi' which is shaped like the letter 'X'.  Chi, in the Greek, is a common shorthand for writing 'Christ'.
Coca-Cola originally began using the image of Santa Claus in its commercials in the 1920s.
The world record for the largest snowman is held by the town of Bethel, Maine.  The town worked together in 2008 to build a 122' 1" snowman, actually, snow-woman, they named 'Olympia.'  The snow-woman was nearly 11 stories tall!
Placing a candle in the window is a Christmas tradition of showing the world that the home is a Christian home, and inviting other Christians to come in and celebrate.
"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was created in 1939 for a holiday promotion for the store Montgomery Ward.  Years later, facing bankruptcy due to medical bills from his wife's terminal illness, as a gift to employee Robert May, the author, they gifted him the copyright to the story.
In some places in Mexico, wearing red underwear on New Years' Eve is said to bring love during the coming year.

Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts, the “Godfather of English Hymnody” was born near London in 1674, while his father was in prison for not supporting the Church of England.  His mother literally nursed him on the jailhouse steps.  His father was later released and fathered seven siblings after Isaac.

Isaac showed great academic prowess, learning Latin by age 4, Greek by age 9, French by age 11, and Hebrew at age 13.  Several wealthy neighbors offered to pay his full expenses to go to university but, as that would have led to Anglican ministry, remembering stories of his stubborn father, he refused.  At age 16, he went to a non-conformist academy in London.  He graduated and became a tutor for five years, then accepted a pastorate at a Mark Lane Independent (Congregational) Church in London – a position he held for over 50 years.  He suffered ill health for most of his adult life, as well as bouts of depression. 

He was a scant five feet tall, skinny, pale, with a head size disproportionate to the rest of his body, and was charitably described as “homely” – which probably led to the rejection of his marriage proposal from a Miss Elizabeth Singer.  This young lady fell in love with his poetry and his letters, but was put off after meeting him.  It was written that she “loved the jewel, but could not admire the casket [case] which contained it.” 

Watts had a very special interest in music, and studied the Psalms extensively.  He grieved that the metrical singing of Psalms in the Protestant church of his day seemed stale and uninspiring.  Isaac believed that the Psalms “ought to have been translated in such a manner as we have reason to believe David would have composed them if he had lived in our day.”  As such, he proposed translations of the Psalms to music which baffled many in his day.  His hymn “Joy to the World” is his paraphrase translation of Psalm 98.  His hymn “O God Our Help in Ages Past” is his translation of Psalm 90.  His hymn “Jesus Shall Reign” was part of his translation of Psalm 72.  Despite criticism, Watts was unapologetic in doing so, believing he captured the Psalmist’s intent in speaking to the contemporary meaning of the Psalm.  His focus was on the heart of the singer, so he did not discourage the singing of metrical Psalms – he seems to have seen his music as somewhat of a supplement to that practice.

Isaac Watts was a scholar as well.  He wrote thirty books of theology, essays on Psychology, Astronomy, and Philosophy, three volumes of his sermons, the first-ever children’s hymnal, and a college-level textbook on logic, the latter of which was the standard textbook on the subject at colleges such as Harvard, Yale, Cambridge, and Oxford for well over 100 years.

Our Baptist Hymnal at FBCW contains 14 of Isaac Watts’ over 750 surviving hymns.  These include: I Sing the Mighty Power of God, At the Cross, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, Alas and Did My Savior Bleed, Am I A Soldier of the Cross, and We’re Marching to Zion.

Isaac watts died at age 74 in 1748.  He left behind the large numbers of his writings and scholarly works, but is certainly best remembered for his hymns and the impact they had on succeeding generations of English hymn-writers.  He maintained friendships with John and Charles Wesley, evangelist George Whitfield, and maintained a prolific correspondence with Cotton Mather in Boston.  There is a memorial to him in Westminster Abbey, as well as numerous other places around London.  The great American hymnwriter Fanny J. Crosby committed her life to Christ’s service after hearing the last verse of ‘Alas and Did My Savior Bleed’, “…Here, Lord, I give myself away, ‘Tis all that I can do.”  His hymn ‘O God our Help in Ages Past’ was played over British radio immediately after it was announced that Britain had declared war in 1939, the beginning of World War II.  It was played again at Winston Churchill’s funeral. 

His friend and biographer, Samuel Johnson, wrote: “Few men have left behind such purity of character of such monuments of laborious piety.”

Morgan, Robert J., Then Sings My Soul, Nelson Publishing, 2003.

Christian History Magazine, “The Golden Age of Hymns (Issue 31, Volume X, No. 3).

https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/poets/isaac-watts.html

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Isaac-Watts

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Watts

The Salem Witch Trials

The Salem Witch Trials

To understand the Salem Witch Trials, we first need to establish our cast of characters:

Rev. Samuel Parris: Pastor of the church in Salem Village, Massachusetts (very rigid and accused of being very greedy)

Tituba: slave of Rev. Parris, from the West Indes

William Phipps: newly appointed Governor of Massachusetts

Cotton Mather: influential New England pastor and author – pastor of Boston’s North Church

Increase Mather: father of Cotton Mather, President of Harvard

Summary: In 1692, near Salem, Massachusetts, the behavior of some young girls caused concern among the people of a Satanic influence.  A hysteria of witchcraft erupted, and by the time the smoke cleared, over 200 people had been imprisoned and some 20 people had been executed.

Background: There were numerous instances in Europe of witch-hunts, among both Catholics and Protestants, resulting in tens of thousands of executions from the 1300s to the end of the 1600s in areas of Europe including Scotland, France, and Germany.  Public executions of accused witches were said to cleanse the community of evil.  The very learned and respected Cotton Mather made a study of the witchcraft of Europe and published a book in 1684 about the subject.  It was widely believed and taught that there would be a dramatic increase in witchcraft as a predecessor to the return of Christ.  As a result, the late 1600s saw a number of accusations of witchcraft in Groton, Cambridge, Hartford, and Boston, as well as occasional public trials and executions for the crime.

Politically and culturally, Salem and Salem Village had recently received a large influx of refugees from King William’s War in New England.  The large number of additional people placed a great strain on the available resources and led to an undercurrent of resentment between the established citizens and the newcomers, which “good Puritans” would not have openly displayed.  In addition to this, Reverend Parris lamented constantly about the lack of a good, spiritual foundation among the people of Salem Village – and blamed the lukewarm attitude on Satan’s influence among the people.

In January of 1692, Reverend Parris’ 9-year-old daughter and 11-year-old niece became violently ill, emotionally distraught, had periodic seizures and screaming fits.  Others in the town began exhibiting similar symptoms, including at times seeing visions of the Devil or of demons.  A local doctor examined them and diagnosed “bewitchment.”  After extensive questioning, the girls accused Parris’ servant Tituba, a homeless beggar named Sarah Good, and a poor elderly woman named Sarah Osborn of bewitching them.

The latter two ladies proclaimed innocence, but Tituba confessed to the witchcraft.  She said, “The Devil came to me and bid me serve him.”  She described vivid images of black dogs, red cats, yellow birds, and spoke of a ‘black man’ who compelled her to sign his book.  All three women were jailed.  This began the witchcraft hysteria.  Sarah Good’s four-year-old daughter was even questioned, and her childish answers were considered to be a confession.

In May of 1692, Governor Phipps appointed a special commission to look into the charges of witchcraft.  The first person they examined was an older woman named Bridget Bishop.  She proclaimed innocence, but her defense did not help her.  She was the first one hanged.

Accusations were traded back and forth.  Over 200 arrests were made, and overwhelmed the judicial system.  In once case, a visiting minister arrived in late March.  He saw a 12-year-old girl named Abigail Williams “hurried with violence to and fro in the room” and “sometimes making as if she would fly.”  He quickly reported this to the Governor’s court, a hearing ensued, and the young girl began naming names.  One name was Martha Corey, who was imprisoned.  She responded that her accusers were “poor, distracted children,” but to no avail.

One controversy surrounded the use of “spectral evidence” – testimony about dreams and visions.  If an accuser claimed to have a dream of an individual trying to get them to sign the Devil’s ‘book’, the testimony was considered to be valid evidence.  Cotton Mather, and later his father Increase Mather, wrote letters to the Salem Village prosecutors strongly discouraging the use of spectral evidence, but their pleas were largely ignored, even as Increase Mather’s own wife became accused of witchcraft.

The accusations and trials continued until they were halted by the Governor in October of that year.  By that time, nineteen people had been executed by hanging and one by ‘pressing’ – placing a plank on his chest and piling the plank with large rocks until he was crushed to death.  Over fifty people actually confessed to witchcraft, likely in an effort to avoid execution.  By the following May, the Governor had issued a pardon to all accused witches remaining in prison.

After the trials and executions, all of the judges but one publicly confessed their error and guilt.  On January 14, 1697, the General Court of Massachusetts ordered a day of fasting and soul-searching in response to this event.  In 1702, the same court declared the trials unlawful, and in 1711 the colony passed a bill formally restoring the rights of those who were accused and paying 600 Pounds to the heirs of those who were executed.

Ultimately, what caused this?  This event could be attributed to mass hysteria, a phenomenon which is well-documented in other circumstances.  It could also be a reaction to the influx of so many people at once, and the competing demand for resources.  In 1976, an article appeared in Science Magazine hypothesizing that ‘ergot’ may have been an underlying factor as well.  Ergot is a fungus which thrives in climates similar to that in Salem Village in the 17^th century, and can be found in rye and wheat grasses, which were staples in the Puritan diet of the day.  Toxicologists say that eating ergot-contaminated foods can lead to muscle spasms, vomiting, delusions, and hallucinations.

Heroes and villains: As the local minster, Samuel Parris was given much blame.  The trial magistrates were assigned blame as was Cotton Mather, who wrote defending the judges.  Cotton was later denied the Presidency of Harvard College after his father stepped down – largely based on this incident.  Cotton and Increase Mather, though, did make great efforts to limit the scope of the proceedings.

Carden, Allen, Puritan Christianity in America, Baker Book House, 1990.

Christian History Magazine, Issue 41 (Vox XIII, No 1).

https://www.history.com/topics/colonial-america/salem-witch-trials

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-the-salem-witch-trials-175162489/

Kittie Suffield - "Little is Much, When God is in it"

Kittie Suffield

In the late 1800s, one cold, stormy winter evening in Canada, bachelor Fred Suffield, living in a small cabin in the Canadian wilderness riding out a snowstorm when a frantic knocking at his door disturbed him. Answering the door, he found a man chilled to the bone. After inviting him in, the man explained that he was from a train that had stalled a few miles in the distance and the passengers were in danger of freezing to death. Would he be willing to provide shelter?

Of course, Fred consented, and hurried with the man to the site of the train. Fred crowded the passengers into his modest home and provided hospitality as best he could until the blizzard passed and they could get the train moving again. Later, one of the passengers, a young lady named Kittie, wrote him a gracious thank-you letter. Fred replied, Kittie wrote back, and a romance developed which later led to marriage.

Some time later, the couple moved to Ottawa and was led to salvation and began attending a local church. As they matured in their faith, they began an evangelistic ministry. One summer, they invited their pastor’s son, George, to join them in Westport, Ontario, where they were holding evangelistic meetings for a month. One evening, Kittie was playing the piano and she heard something in young man’s voice. She asked him to sing alone. He didn’t want to, but she persuaded him. His voice broke on the higher notes, and he was mortified.

Kittie worked with him, encouraging him to sing in a lower key. Over time, he developed a rich baritone voice and found his confidence enough to sing in front of his church. That young man was George Beverly Shea, “America’s Beloved Gospel Singer,” who joined Billy Graham ministries in 1947 and served until his death in 2013 (at age 104). Shea has sung before more people that any person in history.

Kittie was also a soprano singer and a songwriter, and wrote a few hymns. Probably the most well-known is a hymn that Shea himself liked to sing: “Little Is Much When God Is In It” – also well-sung by the Gaither Vocal Band many times over the years.

Kittie died in 1972, nine years after her beloved husband.

Little is much, when God is in it,
Labor not for wealth or fame.
There’s a crown, and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ Name.

Then Sings My Soul, Morgan, Robert J., Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2003.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Beverly_Shea
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8318946

Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick

Patrick was born in Roman-occupied Britain, at about 387 AD. His death was on March 17th, possibly in 461 AD. He was a member of a respected Roman family. His father was a civil magistrate and a deacon in his church. He learned to pray from his mother, but did not commit his life to Christ until he was in his late teens.

The Roman empire was in rapid decline, from within. Immorality was rampant. Outside nations made periodic raids within Roman territory. Children were abandoned to the elements rather than be raised in their homes. The legal system was corrupted in favor of those with money who could manipulate the courts. Taxes became very high, and tax collectors were corrupt. Welfare was rampant – “those who live at the expense of the public funds are more numerous than those who provide them.” There was a huge bureaucratic machinery within the empire, which did not govern efficiently and incurred a fantastic amount of debt. Boundaries of the nation were overextended, and the military was cut back. The raids of the outside nations diluted the predominance of the Latin language.

As a teenager, barbarian Irish raiders burned his town and took Patrick captive, along with a number of other people. Patrick wrote in his 'Confessions'
"I am Patrick, a sinner, most unlearned, the least of all the faithful, and utterly despised by many. My father was Calpornius, a deacon, son of Potitus, a priest of the village Bannavem Taburniae…and there I was taken captive. I was then about sixteen years of age. I did not know the true God. I was taken into captivity to Ireland with many thousands of people – and deservedly so, because we turned away from God, and did not keep his commandments."

Patrick was sold as a slave to a cruel warrior chief named Milchu, possibly a Druid High Priest. Patrick herded his master’s livestock, living as an animal, enduring long periods of hunger and thirst. He lived this way for six years. It was during this time of captivity that the prayers of his mother and the words of his father came back to him and he truly committed his life to Christ.
"And there the Lord opened the sense of my unbelief that I might at last remember my sins and be converted with all my heart to the Lord my God, who had regard for my abjection, and mercy on my youth and ignorance, and watched over me before I knew Him, and before I was able to distinguish between good and evil, and guarded me, and comforted me as a father his son."

Patrick says he began to pray fervently, as many as a hundred times per day. He sensed God’s speaking directly to him at times. One night, while asleep on frost-covered ground, he heard God’s voice saying “Soon you will go to your own country…See, your ship is ready.” Patrick took this as God’s direction to flee for the coast. He ran and hid for days, covering nearly 200 miles. He found a ship there which took him on, possibly hoping for a reward for his safe return.

The ship was blown off course, and landed in France. Not much is known about his time there, but he did spend several years there before finally being reunited with his family.

Some time after making it home, Patrick had a dream, very similar to Paul’s Macedonian Vision in Acts, of Irish boys pleading with him to come back. Patrick decided to leave his family and prepare for the ministry. He studied in France under a Bishop there, but received resistance when he asked for their blessing to go to Ireland. In AD 431, the Pope sent a bishop named Palladius to Ireland. He was never heard from again, presumably martyred. Eventually, the decision was made to allow Patrick to go back to Ireland.

In AD 432, at over 40 years old, Patrick sailed to Ireland with a small band of about a dozen monks. He immediately set out for the house of his old master, to extend forgiveness. When he got there, he found the site abandoned and burned. He learned that, not long after he left, Milchu was killed in battle, along with his household, when a neighboring tribe raided his village. Had Patrick stayed, he almost certainly would have been killed.

Patrick and his men began the practice of entering a village and speaking to the Chief. His ability to speak their language fluently was his open door. Most of the men in the village would be suspicious, and even hostile, but Patrick would nearly always win the soul of the Chief. From there, the rest of the village usually followed in faith.

The Druids had a very active cult life in Ireland. They mounted a fierce opposition to the Gospel, placing Patrick and his men in danger many times. At one point, he was bound in chains and sentence to die.

One story of Patrick, probably apocryphal, is that he was challenged by the Druids to demonstrate his ‘magic.’ The area they were in was infested with snakes. Patrick prayed, and the snakes were driven into the sea.

Patrick wrote letters very strongly condemning the institution of slavery. He had personal experience in this regard. Within his lifetime, Patrick had abolished the entire Irish slave trade.

Patrick did not have the opportunity for a longer period of education, as most entering the ministry would have had. As such, he had feelings of inferiority. From Confessions:
"Patrick the sinner, and unlearned man to be sure… I had long in mind to write, but up to now I have hesitated. I was afraid lest I should fall under the judgment of men’s tongues because I am not as well read as others…As a youth, nay, almost as a boy not able to speak, I was taken captive… Hence today I blush and fear exceedingly to reveal my lack of education; for I am unable to tell my story to those versed in the art of concise writing…"

Patrick used his lack of education as a strength in his ministry. As one example, he used the 3-leaved Irish clover as an illustration of the Trinity. This made the complex doctrine easier to understand, and easier to teach.

All in all, Patrick labored for over 30 years. Was he successful? He founded over 300 churches and baptized 120,000 converts. He implanted a missionary mindset among the Irish, to the point that in the 6th and 7th centuries, with the fall of Rome, it was Irish missionaries who traveled the former Roman Empire and re-evangelized Western Europe. Patrick is described as the man who “found Ireland all heathen and left it all Christian."

Patrick died on March 17th, possibly the year 461.

Saint Patrick. William J. Federer, Amerisearch, Inc. 2002.

Of Plymouth Plantation (excerpts) - William Bradford

Of Plymouth Plantation (excerpts)
From a reprint of Harold Paget’s 1909 translation from 17th Century English
By William Bradford

Book I: 1608-1620
Chapter I – the causes that led to their leaving England
“So, in the early days, Christians suffered as much from internal dissension as from persecution by the heathen and their Emperors, true and orthodox Christians being oppressed by the Arians and their heretical accomplices.”
“In order to cast contempt upon the sincere servants of God, they…gave them the name of ‘Puritans,’ which it is said the novations assumed out of pride. It is lamentable to see the effects which have followed. Religion has been disgraced, the godly grieved, afflicted, persecuted, and many exiled, while others have lost their lives in prisons and in other ways; on the other hand, sin has been countenanced, ignorance, profanity, and atheism have increased, and the papists have been encouraged to hope again for another day.”
“Thus, not profanity or wickedness, but Religion itself is a byword, a mocking stock, and a matter of reproach; so that in England at this day the man or woman who begins to profess religion and to serve God, must resolve within himself to sustain mocks and injuries as though he lived among the enemies of religion.”

Chapter II – flight to Holland (Amsterdam and Leyden): 1607-1608
Chapter III – Settlement at Leyden: 1609-1620
BH - They left Amsterdam over disputes with the church there. The full colony settled at Leyden.
BH – In Leyden, they had difficulties as well. There was a large university, and was a seafaring city with needs for many skilled laborers. Unfortunately, they were simple farmers.
“…they fell to such trades and employments as they best could, valuing peace and their spiritual comfort above any other riches whatever; and at length they came to raise a competent and comfortable living, though only by dint of hard and continual labor.
“Thus, after numerous difficulties, they continued many years in good circumstances, enjoying together much sweet and delightful intercourse and spiritual comfort in the ways of God… So they grew in knowledge and other gifts and graces of the spirit of God, and lived together in peace and love an holiness…”

Chapter IV – Reasons the congregation left Leyden to settle in America (1620)
BH – the “Twelve Years’ Truce” – aka the Dutch Revolt (a religious war against Spain) was almost at an end and war was on the horizon.
“First, they saw by experience that the hardships of the country were such that comparatively few others would join them, and fewer still would bide it out and remain with them…it was thought that if there could be found a better and easier place of living, it would attract many and remove this discouragement.
“Secondly…old age began to steal on many of them, and their great and continual labours, with other crosses and sorrows, hastened it before their time…
“Thirdly……their children…were often so oppressed with their labours, that though their minds were free and willing, their bodies bowed under the weight and became decrepit in early youth… But still more lamentable, and of all sorrows most heavy to be borne, was that many of the children, influenced by these conditions, and the great licentiousness of the young people of the country, and the many temptations of the city, were led by evil example into dangerous courses, getting the reins off their necks and leaving their parents. Some became soldiers, others embarked upon voyages by sea and others upon worse courses tending to dissoluteness and the danger of their souls, to the great grief of the parents and the dishonor of God. So they saw their posterity would be in danger to degenerate and become corrupt.
“Last and not least, they cherished a great hope and inward zeal of laying good foundations, or at least of making some way towards it, for the propagation and advance of the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in the remote parts of the world, even though they should be but stepping stones to others in the performance of so great a work.
[answering raised objections] “It was replied that all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and must be both met and overcome with answerable courage. It was granted the dangers were great, but not desperate; the difficulties were many, but not invincible. For, many of the things feared might never befall; others by provident care and the use of good means might in a great measure be prevented; and all of them, through the help of God, by fortitude and patience, might either be borne or overcome…their ends were good and honorable; their calling, lawful and urgent; therefore they might expect the blessing of God on their proceedings. Yea, though they should lose their lives in this action, yet might they have the comfort of knowing that their endeavor was worthy.”

Chapter VII –
[Sermon text used when the first wave of Pilgrims departed Leyden for Southampton, July, 1620] Ezra 7:21 “And there at the river, by Ahava, I proclaimed a fast that we might humble ourselves before our God, and seek of Him a right way for us and for our children, and for all our substance.”

Chapter VIII – Departure from Southampton, delay of both ships at Dartmouth and Plymouth: Aug- Sep 1620
BH – They originally set out in two ships. Twice, they had to turn back due to leaks in the smaller ship. After the second re-docking in Plymouth, they decided the smaller ship was not seaworthy. They had to make decisions as to who had to stay back.
“Those that sent back were mostly willing to do so, either from discontent or fear of the ill success of the voyage, seeing they had met with so many crosses and the year was so far spent. Others, owing to their weakness and having many young children, were thought least useful and most unfit to bear the brunt of this arduous adventure; to which work of God and the judgment of the brethren they were consented to submit. And thus, like Gideon’s army, this small number was divided, as if the Lord thought these few too many for the great work He had to do.”



Chapter IX – Mayflower sails from Plymouth to arrival at Cape Cod: Sep-Nov 1620
“I must not omit to mention here a special example of God’s providence. There was an insolent and very profane young man, one of the sailors, which made him the more overbearing, who was always harassing the poor people in their sickness, and cursing them daily with grievous execrations, and did not hesitate to tell them that he hoped to help throw half of them overboard before they came to their journey’s end. If he were gently reproved by any one, he would curse and swear most bitterly. But it pleased God, before they came half seas over, to smite the young man with a grievous disease, of which he died in a desperate manner, and so was himself the first to be thrown overboard. Thus his own curses fell upon his own head, which astonished all his mates for they saw it was the just hand of God upon him.”



Book II: 1620-1646 History of the Settlement at New Plymouth
Chapter I – (1620 to early 1621)
“But soon a most lamentable blow fell upon them. In two or three months’ time half of their company died, partly owing to the severity of the winter, especially during January and February, and the want of houses and other comforts; partly to scurvy and other diseases, which their long voyage and their incommodious quarters had brought upon them. Of all the hundred odd persons, scarcely fifty remained, and sometimes two or three persons died in a day. In the time of worst distress, there were but six or seven sound persons, who, to their great commendation be it spoken, spared no pains night or day, but with great toil and the risk of their own health, fetched wood, made fires, prepared food for the sick, made their beds, washed their infected clothes, dressed and undressed them; in a word did all the homely and necessary services for them…and all this they did willingly and cheerfully, without the least grudging, showing their love to the friends and brethren…”
“About the 16th of March [1620] a certain Indian came boldly among them, and spoke to them in broken English, which they could well understand, but were astonished at it... He became useful to them in acquainting them with many things concerning the state of the country in the east parts where he lived… he also told them also of another Indian, whose name was Squanto, a native of this part, who had been in England and could speak English better than himself.”
“…Squanto stayed with them, and was their interpreter, and became a special instrument sent of God for their good, beyond their expectation. He showed them how to plant corn, where to take fish and other commodities, and guided them to unknown places, and never left them till he died.”

Chapter II – the first year (1621)
“And thus they found the Lord to be with them in all their ways, and to bless their outgoings and incomings, for which let His holy name have the praise forever, to all posterity.”
“They now began to gather in the small harvest they had, and to prepare their houses for the winter, being well recovered in health and strength, and plentifully provisioned…[some] were occupied in fishing for cod, bass, and other fish, of which they caught a good quantity, every family having their portion. All the summer there was no want. And now, as winter approached, wild fowl began to arrive, of which there was plenty… As well as wild fowl, they got abundance of wild turkeys, besides venison, etc. Each person had about a peck of meal a week, or now, since harvest, Indian corn in that proportion; and afterwards many wrote at length about their plenty to their friends in England.”

“On Christmas Day, the Governor called the people out to work as usual; but most of the new company excused themselves, and said it went against their consciences to work on that day. So the Governor told them, if they made it a matter of conscience, he would spare them till they were better informed. So he went with the rest, and left them; but on returning from work at noon he found them at play in the street, some pitching the bar, some at stool-ball, and such like sports. So he went to them and took away their games, and told them that it was against his conscience that they should play and others work. If they made the keeping of the day a matter of devotion, let them remain in their houses; but there should be no gaming and reveling in the streets. Since then, nothing has been attempted in that way, at least openly.”

Chapter IV – (1623)
BH – After having to rescue a rival settlement led by an advisor who took advantage of them:
“All this while no supplies were heard of, nor did they know when they might expect any. So they began to consider how to raise more corn, and obtain a better crop than they had done, so that they might not continue to endure the misery of want. At length after much debate, the Governor, with the advice of the chief among them, allowed each man to plant corn for his own household, and to trust to themselves for that; in all other things to go on in the general way as before. So every family was assigned a parcel of land, according to the proportion of their number with that in view…all boys and children being included under some family. This was very successful. It made all hands industrious, so that much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been by any means the Governor or any other could devise, and saved him a great deal of trouble, and gave far better satisfaction. The women now went willingly into the field, and took their little ones with them to plant corn, while before they would allege weakness and inability; and to have compelled them would have been thought great tyranny and oppression.
“The failure of this experiment of communal service, which was tried for several years, and by good and honest men proves the emptiness of the theory of Plato and other ancients, applauded by some of later times – that the taking away of private property, and the possession of it in a community, by a commonwealth, would make a state happy and flourishing; as if they were wiser than God. For in this case, community of property (so far as it went) was found to breed much confusion and discontent, and retard much employment which would have been to the general benefit and comfort. For the young men who were most able and fit for service objected to being forced to spend their time and strength in working for other men’s wives and children, without any recompense.”

BH – Later in the year, a new, unexpected wave of settlers came. This put their new system to the test – what to do with and how to feed the newcomers?
“Now the original settlers were afraid that their corn, when it was ripe, would have to be shared with the new-comers, and that the provisions which the latter had brought with them would give out before the year was over – as indeed they did. So they went to the Governor and begged him that as it had been agreed that they should sow their corn for their own use, and accordingly they had taken extraordinary pains about it, they might be left to enjoy it. They would rather do that than have a bit of the food just come in with the ship. They would wait till harvest for their own and let the new-comers enjoy what they had brought; they would have none of it, except what they could purchase by bargain or exchange. The request was granted them and it satisfied both sides; for the newcomers were much afraid the hungry settlers would eat up the provisions they had brought, and then that they would fall into like conditions of want.
“…harvest time had not come, and then instead of famine, God gave them plenty, and the face of things was changed, to the rejoicing of the hearts of many for which they blessed God. And the effect of their particular planting was well seen, for all had, one way or another, pretty well to bring the year about, and some of the abler sort and more industrious had to spare, and sell to others – in fact, no general want or famine has been amongst them since, to this day.”

 
There is only one other first-hand account of the Thanksgiving feast of 1621. Fellow colonist (later Governor) Edward Winslow wrote a letter to a friend in England that describes the meal shared by the Pilgrims with the Indians:
"Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, among other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed upon our governor, and upon the captain, and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty."
http://www.chron.com/life/article/Edward-Winslow-s-1621-Thanksgiving-letter-1477900.php

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Near Christmas, 1861, as the Civil War raged through its first year, author Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was napping in his study in Cambridge, MA. His wife Fannie was playing with the second of their three young daughters, Edith, when she decided to snip a lock of curly hair from one daughter and preserve it in wax.

Somehow, in melting the wax with a candle, Fannie's dress caught on fire. She immediately dropped the child and ran into the study. Henry tried to extinguish the flames with a small rug, then used his own body to smother the fire. He succeeded only in prolonging her life a short while – time spent in agony. Henry, recovering from his own burns to the face, arms, and hands, had to miss her funeral. The burns scarred his face so badly, he had to grow a beard to cover the disfigurement, and because shaving became painful.

Henry sank into what some would, in his day, call “melancholy” – today we might call “depression.” Christmas of 1861, he wrote in his diary, “How inexpressibly sad are all holidays. I can make no record of these days. Better leave them wrapped in silence. Perhaps someday God will give me peace.” The diary entry of Christmas, 1862 reads, “’A merry Christmas’ say the children, but that is no more for me.”

In March of 1863, his oldest son Charles, age 18, left home against his fathers’ wishes to join the Union Army. He joined the First Massachusetts Calvary, Company ‘G’, as an artilleryman. He quickly won the respect of his superiors and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.

Charles participated in the Battle of Chancellorsville (May), and was too ill to participate in Gettysburg (July), having Typhoid Fever. He rejoined his unit on August 15, 1863.

On November 27th, 1863, Charles was severely wounded during the Battle of New Hope Church, in Orange County, VA, during the Mine Run Campaign. He was shot through the left shoulder, with the bullet exiting under his right shoulder blade, hitting his spine along the way. Doctors gave him a bleak prognosis.

Henry and his other son, Ernest, came to Washington, DC, to retrieve Charles and bring him home to Massachusetts. Charles stubbornly refused to die and, by Christmas, things were looking better for Charles. He eventually recovered and lived a long, full life.

Christmas Day, 1863, Henry heard the bells of the churches and heard carolers singing “Peace on Earth.” The fog of melancholy began to lift from him, and he penned the words to a poem he called “Christmas Bells.” There are a couple of verses in here directly related to the Civil War which round out what he was trying to communicate to his readers.
 

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
and wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men


http://www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Fellowship/Edit_I.Heard.the.Bells.html

http://civilwartalk.com/threads/the-true-story-of-pain-and-hope-behind-i-heard-the-bells-on-christmas-day.129288/