Jesus and sinners

• Jesus came for sinners – 1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Jesus came to earth “in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3).
• Jesus sought sinners – Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. He needed to go through Samaria in order to save an adulterous woman (See John 4:4ff).
• Jesus called sinners – Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Matthew 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Cf. Luke 5:32 
• Jesus forgave sinners – Luke 7:36-48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
• Jesus justified sinners – Luke 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other... 
• Jesus received sinners – Luke 15:2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
• Jesus befriended sinners – Matthew 11:19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. Cf. Luke 7:34
• Jesus died for sinners – Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

[Derived from a piece by Daniel E. Parks]

The True Cross

By W. F. Bell 

"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21)... 

Is the cross "the Latin cross," and is it the symbol of Christianity? Scripture is silent, and so must we be! Not one word is said about what kind of cross Jesus died upon. Further, we read nothing about making "the sign of the cross" which many practice. The Greek word for "cross" is "stauros," simply meaning "stake, post."...Most people still believe that accepting "the Latin cross" is tantamount to accepting the true cross of Scripture, so in this sense "the Latin cross" has become an idol. 

What is the real meaning of "the cross" in the New Testament?...The work of the cross and resurrection of Christ is the Christian's "triumph" and "victory" (Acts 13:29-30; Romans 8:31-33, 37), and is the very cornerstone of our faith. It matters not what kind of wood it was, or its shape, or its symbolism.

...There is no scriptural "symbol" of Christianity (not a cross, a fish, a triangle, or a trefoil)...It is not a piece of wood that we proclaim, or a trinket, or a superstition, but the glorious person of our precious Savior, the incarnate God who gave His life for poor sinners! 

Save me from this bewitching world, 
That has to death ten thousand hurled; 
Whose charms enchant, and lead astray, 
From Jesus Christ, the living Way. 
[Hymn --Henry Fowler in Gadsby's Selection #954]

Excerpts from "The True Cross," by W. F. Bell (via Mike McInnis)

Purpose in Disorder

"But now we see not yet all things put under him." Hebrews 2:8 

"Take a scriptural instance, the highest and greatest that we can give, to shew that where, to outward appearance, all is disorder, there the greatest wisdom and most determinate will reign. Look at the crucifixion of our blessed Lord. Can you not almost see the scene as painted in the word of truth? See those scheming priests, that wild mob, those rough soldiers, that faltering Roman governor, the pale and terrified disciples, the weeping women, and, above all, the innocent Sufferer with the crown of thorns, and enduring that last scene of surpassing woe, which made the earth quake, and the sun withdraw his light. What confusion! What disorder! What triumphant guilt! What oppressed and vanquished innocence! But was it really so? Was there no wisdom or power of God here accomplishing, even by the instrumentality of human wickedness, his own eternal purposes? Hear his own testimony to this point: "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain" (Acts 2:23)." -- J. C. Philpot

Teaching Kim Davis how to read the Bible

Huff Post has posted An Open Letter to Kim Davis by Jennifer G. Bird. Unlike some of the hate-filled manure slung at Davis, Bird approaches the topic with kindness, understanding and apology for intolerant reactions such as death threats, bullying and shaming. Rather, as an educator, she positions herself "to ask that [Kim Davis] take a few moments to think about the way [she reads] the Bible." 

I nevertheless found Bird's advice on how to read the Bible less than enlightening. The essay is not about hermeneutics, but about confusing the Bible's teachings on homosexuality. One reviewer of Bird's book Permission Granted (who is a new Christian) "started out liking the book" but progressing found that Bird put so much spin on it that the reviewer did not know what to believe. That is the danger of those who press the Bible into the service of their theories (and that can be any of us if we're not careful). Bird recommends herself highly based on her education and position as an educator. But she focuses on the Old Testament, and mentions not the New Testament. She abandons Jesus's interpretation of the Old Testament creation account. Bird says passages such as Genesis 1:28 and 2:24 are "not even talking about marriage." I say, "let Jesus determine." He says they are. For example: Matthew 19:4-6 And [Jesus] answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 

I don't want to learn to read the Bible like Jennifer G. Bird!

Didn't Make the Cut

This following biographical sketch of Allen Carden didn't make the cut for my upcoming Songs Before Unknown book. Though the version of Pilgrim in The Sacred Harp can be traced to Carden's Missouri Harmony, there is no proof that he wrote or arranged it.

Carden, Allen Dickerson/Dickinson (October 13, 1792–March 21, 1859) was born in Virginia, the son of Joseph and Mary Carden. He is best known as the author of The Missouri Harmony, first published in 1820. Carden had a professional relationship with Ananias Davisson, perhaps as a teacher and agent of Kentucky Harmony. He is mentioned as one of a dozen "gentlemen teachers in Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky" in Davisson's concluding remarks in his 2^nd edition of this tune book. Of the 185 tunes in the first edition of The Missouri Harmony, 111 are found in Kentucky Harmony. According to Marion J. Hatchett, Carden’s song book was one of the most popular of all shape-note tune books in its time. David Crouse called it “the most popular tune book of the South and West until the Civil War.” The Missouri Harmony went through more than 20 printings in four decades. In 1835 a supplement was added, and in 1850 a new edition appeared, with harmonies revised by Charles Warren of Cincinnati. This brought it in tune with prevailing "scientific" notions of the day, but perhaps hastened its death. In May of 1820, Carden advertised “a School for teaching the theory and practice of Vocal Music” in the Baptist church of St. Louis. The book's popularity spread from there, but the author of The Missouri Harmony soon removed to Tennessee, where he lived and taught singing schools. He was involved in compiling at least two other works – The Western Harmony, with S. J. Rogers, F. Moore and J. Green (Nashville, 1824) and United States Sacred Harmony (Nashville, 1829). Carden married Maria W. Hyde (1807-1858), circa 1823. They are buried in the Rest Haven Cemetery at Franklin, Williamson County, Tennessee. Carden was a member of the Masonic Fraternity and probably a Baptist in religion. The Sacred Harp version of 201, Pilgrim, was first printed in Carden’s Missouri Harmony.

References

A Companion to the New Harp of Columbia, Marion J. Hatchett, Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 2003

Carden on Find-A-Grave

Missouri Gazette and Public Advertiser, May 30, 1820

The Work of Allen D. Carden and Associates in the Shape-note Tune-books The Missouri Harmony, Western Harmony and United States Harmony, David L. Crouse, Dissertation, SBTS, 1972

The Missouri Harmony, Allen D. Carden, Bison Book Edition, Introduction by Shirley Bean, Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1994

“Introduction to the Facsimile Edition,” Irving Lowens, Kentucky Harmony, Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 1976

Sacred Harp history in Songs Before Unknown

Songs Before Unknown: a Companion to The Sacred Harp, Revised Cooper Edition, 2012 By R. L. Vaughn, Mt. Enterprise, TX: Waymark Publications, 2015, 330 pages.  ISBN 978-0-69252-247-9. $15.00

Songs Before Unknown is a reference work, designed as a companion to the latest book produced by the Sacred Harp Book Company -- The Sacred Harp, Revised Cooper Edition, 2012. The second chapter includes a biography of W. M. Cooper, early history of revision of The Sacred Harp commonly known as “the Cooper Book,” an overview of the course of its publication, and a brief history of the Sacred Harp Book Company. Chapter three is comprised of biographical sketches of all the composers with songs in the 2012 edition. Chapter four lists each song in the book by page order, with the author of the hymn and composer of the tune, if known. Seven appendices add supporting and peripheral information. [Note: this book does not include biographical sketches of composers already found in The Makers of The Sacred Harp by Warren Steel, unless we have new information on them.] It is scheduled to be available by December 2015.

Pre-publication price valid until October 31, 2015: $10.00 postpaid. 
You save $5.00 + shipping and handling.

Order from (and make checks or money order payable to):

Waymark Publications
3528 CR 3168 W
Mt. Enterprise, TX 75681

"Songs Before Unknown fills an important gap in the historiography of The Sacred Harp. Serving as a companion to the revised Cooper editions from 1902 to 2012, Vaughn’s study offers biographical studies of W. M. Cooper and other composers and arrangers of songs in those editions, as well as a history of the Sacred Harp Book Company and its predecessors. It represents the latest research on the sources of the words and music of every song in the book. Every Cooper book singer, as well as many other singers, will want to own a copy, for its valuable perspective on the multifaceted phenomenon of Sacred Harp singing." -- Warren Steel, Professor of Music Emeritus, University of Mississippi; author of The Makers of The Sacred Harp

10 myths, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• 10 popular grammar myths debunked by a Harvard linguist -- "You can't begin a sentence with a conjunction."
• Admonitions to a Disappointed Young-Earther -- "A supernatural origin transcends the nature of the thing created and leaves no mark on its nature to identify it with supernatural origin. How old something is in its nature does not depend on when it was supernaturally created."
• Constitution Check: Is freedom of conscience a shield against public duty? -- "There is no right, [Kim Davis] has asserted, to get a marriage license in a specific spot within a state, when, as a practical matter, there are in Kentucky some 130 places where such a license is actually now available."
• Gerrymandering Snafu Puts Proposed Tax Hike In The Hands Of A Single Voter -- "Business leaders in Columbia, Missouri, are caught in a web of their own spinning Monday, after their attempt to keep citizens from casting ballots on a sales tax measure inadvertently left the proposed tax's fate in the hands of just one voter."
• Kentucky Clerk Didn’t Follow Christianity Before Converting To It -- "Perhaps the most interesting thing about her past, given that she’s waging a (losing) religious liberty battle, is that she is apparently a recent convert to Christianity"
• Man-splaining Is No Excuse For Invading Girls’ Locker Rooms -- "The 150 Missouri girls who walked out of their locker room when a young man barged in, insisting he’s a woman, are courageous and deserve admiration, not man-splaining."
• Ministers, churches seek end to ‘mission tourism’ -- "Baptist leaders say the historic, western style of short-term mission trips were more about self-fulfillment rather than transforming the lives of impoverished people."
• Professors Threaten Bad Grades for Saying 'Illegal Alien,' 'Male,' 'Female' -- "Politically correct professors at Washington State University are reportedly planning to give students bad grades if they use 'oppressive and hateful language' like 'illegal alien', 'male' and 'female'."
• To My Daughter With Down Syndrome on Her Wedding Day -- "You’re the nicest person I know. Someone who is able to live a life of empathy and sympathy, and without agendas or guile, is someone we all want to know."
• Why unschooling is the next wave of home-based education for kids -- "Imagine if your child's school day started with him packing his lunch, grabbing his canteen and marching off into the horizon."

Judge Saxon Poyner

Poyner, Saxon Pace (November 9, 1889-January 8, 1967) was the son of Benjamin Patrick Poyner and Anna Brett Pace. He married Jeanette Freudenthal Monnish (1897-1988) in 1914. They had four children: Saxon Pace, Jr., Rosa L., James Alexander, and John L. He studied at both the University of Alabama and the Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University). He owned a seed company in Dothan as early as 1917, when he registered for the World War I Draft. He lived on 105 South Park Ave in Dothan, and served Houston County as a judge in probate, juvenile court and county court -- as well as being an ex-officio member of the Houston County Board of Revenue. He is buried at the Memory Hill Cemetery in Dothan, Houston County, Alabama. Judge Poyner was (apparently) the last owner/publisher of Cooper revision of The Sacred Harp before the formation of the Sacred Harp Book Company.
---
"At noon, after a lunch had been enjoyed by the singers, a brief talk was made by S. P. Poyner, of Dothan, who also directed a song in memory of his father." -- "Sacred Harp Singers Honor B. P. Poyner at Memorial Event," The Dothan Eagle, July 20, 1947

"," Said Booker T. Washington

Character, not circumstances, makes the man.

I think I have learned that the best way to lift one's self up is to help someone else.

The world cares very little what you or I know, but it does care a great deal about what you or I do.

You can't hold a man down without staying down with him.

I learned the lesson that great men cultivate love, and that only little men cherish a spirit of hatred. I learned that assistance given to the weak makes the one who gives it strong; and that oppression of the unfortunate makes one weak.

No one can prosper who learns not that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem.

Atheists spread, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

Atheists Spread Anger Where There Is Peace -- "Do you realize how angry and self-loathing you would have to be to actually make it your life’s work to pull people away from peace and goodwill?"

Did Religion Make the American Civil War Worse? -- "Faith may have inflamed the conflict, but one lasting legacy of the war may be the toll it took upon American faith."

The 5 Tiers of Homeschooling -- "Christian homeschoolers are an eclectic group. We hold varying viewpoints on many subjects, and embrace many styles of living."

I enjoyed the Atlantic article about religion and the Civil War/War for Southern Independence/War Between the States. I think it is a worthwhile. I was a little confused, though, by the author's assessment of Lincoln's religion. Initially he wrote, "Even a man of such modest religious visibility as Abraham Lincoln, who never belonged to a church and never professed more than a deistic concept of God. But later says, "Lincoln was certain that 'God wills this contest, and wills that it shall not end yet'." I'm no expert on Lincoln and his faith (or lack thereof), but it seems curious to label a man a Deist who believes that God intervenes in the affairs of men. Doesn't the Deist's god usually not concern himself with the affairs of men? I wonder if it is possibly missing that Lincoln basically believed the theology (of God) that was taught by the church of his birth even though he never was a member? Maybe someone with more knowledge of Lincoln can answer.

God is bigger and other quotes

The posting of quotes by human authors does not constitute agreement with either the quotes or their sources.

"God is bigger than any lines we can draw." -- Reba Riley

"Let your trials make you better, not bitter." -- copied

"Whenever the Gospel is so hashed and cooked up that it becomes palatable to the taste of human wisdom, it ceases to be the Gospel that Paul preached." -- Sir Richard Hill

"How can a universe of mindless matter produce beings with intrinsic ends, self replication capabilities and coded chemistry?" -- Antony Flew

Free, free, free!

Salvation is a free gift! The people of God are: 

• Freely loved, Deuteronomy 7:6-8 
• Freely chosen, John 15:16-19, Eph. 1:4 
• Freely accepted, Ephesians 1:6 
• Freely adopted, Eph. 1:5, Gal. 4:5-6 
• Freely reconciled, II Cor. 5:18-20 
• Freely justified, Romans 3:24 
• Freely saved, Ephesians 2:5-8

(copied, author unknown)

We get rain when we need it

I haven't posted any recent news from the community of Sandy Valley. Mostly, it's been hot and dry. Which reminds me of an old resident named Jim. Jim lived and died in Sandy Valley on the very farm where he was born. Jim was altogether a simple country farmer. Not a pastor or a theologian who would parse meanings to suit the situation. Not a city slicker with no understanding of the effect and importance of rain. A farmer who depended on the rain to survive. His life and livelihood was the farm and farming. But he would not shave his belief to fit his convenience or what appeared obvious to others. 

One particularly dry August, Alton Dove stopped by to see Jim. Alton was also a farmer. The conversation naturally turned to the drought. 

"It sure is hot and dry," said Alton. "We sure do need some rain." 

Jim replied flatly, "We'll get the rain when we need it." 

Aghast, Alton inquired whatever in the world did Jim mean? "Surely you can see we need rain! The ground is parched and turned to dust; the crops will fail if we don't get some rain." 

"Neither man nor ground nor crops decide when we need rain," Jim explained. "Only God decides that. We'll get rain when we need it." 

"Well, I guess God thinks we need a drought," harrumphed Alton sarcastically. "Indeed it does looks that way," 

Jim summed up. "We'll get rain when we need it."

Time, and other quotes

The posting of quotes by human authors does not constitute agreement with either the quotes or their sources.

"Time is that quality of nature which keeps events from happening all at once. Lately it doesn't seem to be working." -- Anonymous

"History has always been a series of pendulum swings, but the individual doesn’t have to get caught in that." -- Robert Johnson

"Every person you meet knows something you don’t; learn from them." -- H. Jackson Brown

"Although I am a sinner, yet I despair not; for Christ, who is my Redeemer and my righteousness, liveth. In Him I have no sin, no fear, no sting of conscience, and no fear of judgment; for in Him there is no condemnation. I am indeed a sinner as touching this present life; but I have a righteousness of God which is above this life, who is Christ my Lord. In Him I rejoice!" -- Martin Luther

"Works of art make rules; rules do not make works of art." -- Claude Debussy

"The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul." -- Johann Sebastian Bach

"There's nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself." -- Johann Sebastian Bach

"When you hold a grudge, you want someone else’s sorrow to reflect your level of hurt but the two rarely meet." -- Steve Maraboli

"If a window of opportunity appears, don't pull down the shade." -- Tom Peters

The Son of God

In Friday's links I posted Was Jesus the Son of God? It's Complicated by James D. Tabor. I always include a disclaimer with my links, but want to follow up with this further "disclaimer".

When asked the question, "Do you believe that Jesus was the Son of God," Tabor concludes that answering is quite complicated. Certainly the Bible is no Kindergarten reader, and an eternal God who is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient is a wee bit more than we can truly comprehend. But the gist of Tabor's piece is that he doesn't believe that Jesus is the Son of God in the way the question is posed -- and that does call for a little subterfuge. The three words "son of God" can (and does) have different meanings -- even in the Bible. Don't let anyone use that to confuse you about what the New Testament clearly claims for Jesus -- He is eternal God incarnate who died to take away the sins of the world, rose again for our justification and is alive in heaven. If folks like Tabor don't believe the New Testament claims, that's one thing. To claim the New Testament doesn't proclaim the divinity of Jesus is quite another.

Unintended consequences, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• A Chick-fil-A owner shocked his employees in the best way after shutting down for renovations -- "A Chick-fil-A owner recently had to shut down his Austin, Texas, restaurant for five months for renovations."
• An Unintended Consequence of Wal-Mart Pay Raise: Unhappy Workers -- "...Wal-Mart employees are calling the move unfair to senior workers who got no increase and now make the same or close to what newer, less experienced colleagues earn."
• Ben Carson responds to Hillary Clinton on abortion -- "I spent my entire career as a pediatric neurosurgeon, frequently staying up all night, fighting, struggling to save the life of little babies, even operating on babies inside the womb. So I don't think it should be hard for anyone to understand that I am totally opposed to killing babies."
• Everybody Has A Tattoo, But Nobody Talks About The Side Effects -- "...long term risks, like organ toxicity or cancer, are still unknown..."
• Hey Christians, Say Goodbye To Religious Freedom -- "Today, the state is inclined to substantially burden a Christian by the mere fact that someone’s feelings are hurt."
• How Much Does America Love Ice Cream? Yahoo Food Has the Scoop. -- "When asked to choose a favorite desert, ice cream is the obvious winner and is twice as popular as its closest competitor, cake."
• Hymn Lining: a Disappearing African-American Tradition -- "... meet Troy Demps, 86, who is trying to preserve the haunting art of "hymn-lining"."
• Middle Tennessee Sacred Harp Singers -- "Under the direction of Mrs. Neil Wright, the MTSC Sacred Harp Singers give splendid performances in early English Madrigals, Sacred Harp Hymns and white spirituals, and Southern folks songs and ballads."
• Was Jesus the Son of God? It's Complicated -- ...in my experience, most often, the question is "Do you believe that Jesus was the Son of God." In good Socratic fashion one is tempted to reply, "Well what do you mean by the term 'Son of God,'" and such a counter question is certainly more than subterfuge.

Should it bother us?

"It should bother us as a society that we have use for aborted human organs, but not the baby that provides them." -- Michael Wear

Old Books on Google, et al.

The posting of links to books does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific books linked.

Here are some interesting, and sometimes unusual, books and articles that I found online:

• Border Radio -- By Bill Brammer in Texas Monthly, March 1973(not exactly old, but, oh well)
• Duties of masters to servants: three premium essays -- By Holland N. McTyeire, C. F. Sturgis and A. T. Holmes, 1851
• Earth-Burial and Cremation -- By Augustus G. Cobb, 1892
• Federal Harmony -- Printed by John Norman, 1793
• Mexico, Aztec, Spanish and Republican -- By Brantz Mayer, 1853
• Promise and Deliverance -- By S. G. DeGraaf, 1977 (not exactly old either)
• The Baronial and Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Scotland -- By Robert William Billings, 1845

Merritt’s Misunderstanding and Barber's Remonstrance

Southern Baptists cozy up to GOP after pulling back 

Merritt’s Misunderstanding -- Jonathan Merritt’s recent RNS article, “Southern Baptists Cozy Up to GOP after Pulling Back” entirely misunderstands, I think, the nature of what happened with the Ben Carson matter earlier this year and with the SEND North America conference. At least, as someone who had some involvement in the former matter, I can say that Merritt’s analysis misses the mark on what I was trying to do. This wasn’t about political parties.

Ode to Joy, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Donald Trump is now leading with women and young people, GOP in desperation mode --"The first Republican primary debate is less than 72 hours away and all signs point to Donald Trump taking center stage."
• 'Largest Confederate funeral in a century' says goodbye to a Southern black man -- "The same town that's home to the Ole Miss Rebels and the university's former mascot Colonel Reb, just held the largest Confederate funeral and procession the city has seen for over the last 100 years."
• LDS church releases never-before-seen pics of ‘seer stone’ used by Joseph Smith -- "The images of the small, smooth brown and black colored rock were published in a book containing the original printer’s manuscript of the Book of Mormon, a central text of the Mormon faith."
  
• Ode to Joy -- "Join a choir. Science shows it’ll make you feel better."
• Parking karma comes back and bites Urban Meyer -- "The parking space gods can be a ruthless and vindictive group, even if you happen to be the head football coach of the defending national champions."
• Scalia Gets It Pretty Much Right -- "By departing from tradition and becoming more inclusive and less doctrinaire, the court has deprived itself of any brakes that might stop the train it has set in motion. Many will think this is a good thing. The question Scalia and the other dissenters raise is whether it is a legal good thing."
• Shape Note Singers Revive The 1911 'Sacred Harp' -- "What’s so interesting about it is just the way that it’s an artifact of what 'Sacred Harp' meant to people, how people were understanding it as fitting into their lives in the modernizing New South of the early 20th century."
• Singing Changes Your Brain -- "Group singing has been scientifically proven to lower stress, relieve anxiety, and elevate endorphins."
• Teacher punishes kid because of his religious beliefs -- "An Indiana teacher at Forest Park Elementary School is under fire for keeping a 7-year-old segregated from the rest of the class for three days after getting the kid to admit he doesn’t believe in God."
  

Two Ships from Southampton

On August 5, 1620 two ships set sail from Southampton, England -- destination America, the New World. Many of the "The Pilgrims" had been living in Leiden, in the Netherlands and hired the Speedwell to bring them to Southampton. There they met the Mayflower, a ship that had been hired in London. This ship was about 80 feet long on deck, and 100–110 feet long overall. There were several false starts on the voyage, due to the Speedwell leaking and needing repair. After docking twice, finally at Plymouth, England, they decided to leave the un-seaworthy Speedwell behind.  The Mayflower probably had about 65 passengers in the beginning, but after the Speedwell's unfortunate demise, they stuffed 102 passengers and about 30 crewmen abroad. The Mayflower left for America alone, departing on September 6. At this time the Pilgrims had left England, they had already been living on board the two ships for almost a month and a half. From that time the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean took 66 days till they sighted Cape Cod (Massachusetts, well north of their intended landing) on November 9th. The difficulties of the voyage included mostly sea-sickness in the beginning. Later they encountered many very treacherous storms. There were two deaths on the journey.

Nearly 300 years later, April 10, 1912, the remarkable, massive and "unsinkable" RMS Titanic set out on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City. The ship was over 882 feet long. Her maximum breadth was a little over 92 feet and her total height was 104 feet. She was the largest ship afloat at the time. On this maiden voyage the ship included about 885 crew members and carried over 1300 passengers -- about 1/3 of her capacity. Five days out to sea -- early a.m. April 15, 1912 -- she collided with an iceberg and sank into the North Atlantic Ocean. Over 1500 met their fate in those icy waters, and some survivors died afterwards. The unsinkable ship that sank remains one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in modern history.

Soda drinks are mostly unhealthy

An interesting article about drinking sodas is found HERE. 

"...cutting the habit is harder than you think - not only is caffeine addictive, but so is aspartame. 

"Diet soda may even hook you worse than regular soda, because artificial sweeteners don’t quite satisfy the body like sugar does." -- From "Infographics claiming soda is unhealthy are mostly true"

Appealing to the government, and changing sides

"We must not fight false belief by appealing to the government or other forms of coercive force; rather, we must fight it by testifying to the truth."

"Would you have me on the other side? Then the task before you is clear: Show me from the scriptures where I am wrong and you are right."

These two quotes above come from Bart Barber, in his blog post The Biblical Case for Religious Liberty.

Just because I can't, and other music quotes

"Just because I can't sing, doesn't mean I won't sing." -- Snoopy (Charlie Brown's dog)

"A song does not exist until it is sung, or re-created, by a human voice. Every incarnation is different, and so one sound is the only right one. This is a paradox. A page of music seems to present a finished product, yet it contains no sound. (Hold it up to your ear: Can you hear it?) The song doesn’t live until it comes off the page and resumes its natural state as sound. The page can no more substitute for living sound than a recipe can for edible food." -- Alice Parker

"Sing so they can hear you!" -- Unknown

Praise for Reigning Grace

No. 406 in Gadsby's Selection (meter 8.8.6.) by John Kent
Praise for Reigning Grace. Rom. 5. 20, 21; Rev. 5. 9

    1    Hark! how the blood-bought hosts above
        Conspire to praise redeeming love,
            In sweet harmonious strains;
        And while they strike the golden lyres,
        This glorious theme each bosom fires,
            That grace triumphant reigns.

    2    Join thou, my soul, for thou canst tell
        How grace divine broke up thy cell,
            And loosed thy native chains;
        And still, from that auspicious day,
        How oft art thou constrained to say,
            That grace triumphant reigns.

    3    Grace, till the tribes redeemed by blood,
        Are brought to know themselves and God,
            Her empire shall maintain;
        To call when he appoints the day,
        And from the mighty take the prey,
            Shall grace triumphant reign.

    4    When called to meet the King of dread,
        Should love compose my dying bed,
            And grace my soul sustain,
        Then, ere I quit this mortal clay,
        I’ll raise my fainting voice, and say,
            Let grace triumphant reign.

I will not leave you comfortless

Gospel Magazine, 1777

I will not leave you comfortless. John 14:18

1 O God of grace, of love immense,

  How free thy favours to dispense!

  I to thy mercy-seat repair,

  Since thou hast said, I'll meet thee there.

2 Thou seest my soul by sin oppressed;

  O come, and give the weary rest;

  My base backslidings kindly heal,

  Apply the balm, thy love reveal.

Funny things, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Funny Things Foreign Governments Warn Their Citizens About Traveling to the U.S. -- "Don’t make flippant remarks about bombs or terrorism, especially when passing through U.S. airports."
• Pastor Voddie Baucham Says Gay Is Not the New Black: 'Ethnicity Is Innate and Unchangeable; So-Called Sexual Orientation Is Not' -- "...differences between ethnicity and so-called sexual orientation cannot be overlooked..."
• Rusk County clerk resigns over gay marriage ruling -- "That's a decision she's made…I hate that it's worked out this way because she is a great colleague and committed to her work serving the people of Rusk County."
• Sacred Harp Singers Enjoy a Special Musical Heritage -- "People tend to have very strong reactions to the music."
• Why I Will Not…Under ANY Circumstances…Lobby against the Construction of Mosques in Farmersville -- "We're less than a month past a Supreme Court decision in which four justices warned us about serious threats to religious liberty that are coming our way. Tell me, please, how do you expect us to argue at the national level with a straight face that we believe in religious liberty for all people while at the local level we're running the Moslems out of town on a rail?"

Song of Solomon and other book reviews

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• A Baptist’s Bookshelf: Song of Solomon -- "The book comes on the heels of other popular explanations that view the book as little more than a celebration of love and sex within marriage."
• A review of Out From Under: The Impact of Homosexual Parenting By Dawn Stefanowicz -- "This is surely one of the most politically incorrect books available."
• Book review for Donald Sunukjian’s Biblical Preaching for the Contemporary Church -- "...not only does Sunukjian do a good job of explaining the passage, but he also illustrates the text, and applies it in equal measure."
• Review of Discovery House Bible Atlas -- "The Discovery House Bible Atlas is well researched with extensive endnotes which provide documentation and references for further study."
• The Complementarians Win: A Review of One God in Three Persons -- "In the new book, One God in Three Persons, the complementarians win. They have argued persuasively that there is a hierarchy in the immanent Trinity."

Crosses removed, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Crosses removed from Gregg County clerk's wall -- "To avoid any kind of controversy, we took the crosses down the day the woman complained."
• How the Gospel Ended My Same-Sex Marriage -- "You may not like the way my story turns out. You may feel sorry for me, or even be angry with me. You may feel flustered that my story doesn’t fit nicely into a theological box that you would like to keep nice and tidy."
• Michael Douglas: American Actors Too ‘Asexual or Unisex’ for Most Movie Roles -- "...In Britain, they take their training seriously, while in the States, we’re going through a sort of social-media image-conscious thing rather than formal training."
• Satanists caught in Ten Commandments ruling fallout -- "A legal decision in Oklahoma to bar a Ten Commandments monument from its statehouse has a group of Satanists seeking a new home for a huge horned-goat statue of Satan."
• The famous 1861 'Cornerstone Speech' that aimed for hard truths about the Confederate battle flag -- "Alexander Stephens didn’t want the South to leave the United States, and he tried to keep his home state of Georgia from abandoning ship."
• 40 Questions for Christians Now Waving Rainbow Flags -- "If you consider yourself a Bible-believing Christian, a follower of Jesus whose chief aim is to glorify God and enjoy him forever, there are important questions I hope you will consider before picking up your flag and cheering on the sexual revolution."
• 40 questions for Christians who oppose marriage equality -- "...there are many pressing questions that non-affirming Christians frequently do not address."
• An Honest Response to 40 Questions from Matthew Vines -- "All Christians are constantly repenting."
• 10 huge Supreme Court cases about the 14th Amendment -- "On July 9, 1868, Louisiana and South Carolina voted to ratify the amendment, after they had rejected it a year earlier. The votes made the 14th Amendment officially part of the Constitution."

160th anniversary

East Texas Sacred Harp Convention - 160th anniversary 

IN one month, on Saturday August 8 and Sunday August 9 we will celebrate the 160th anniversary of the East Texas Sacred Harp Convention. This Convention was organized in 1855 as the East Texas Musical Convention. It is the second oldest continuous Sacred Harp singing convention in the United States, and the oldest singing convention in Texas.

Festivities include: Singing, singing and more singing! Eating Bar-B-Q! 

We will meet in the Henderson Civic Center, located at 1500 Lake Forest Parkway - this is off of State Hwy 64 west of the traffic star in Henderson, Texas. There will be "continental breakfast"/refreshments provided, and the convention will provide lunch both days. Singing will kick off at 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning. We use the The Sacred Harp, 2012 Cooper Revision. On Saturday night we will have a Mexican dish "social". The social will be an informal get together -- eat, visit, and sing if you want to. If you want to sing we encourage you to bring copies of songs in the shape note tradition. You might need as many as 50 copies.

Below is Hotel/Motel information for the East Texas Sacred Harp Convention; The hotels are offering the following rates. 

Baymont Inn 
Hwy 259/79, Henderson, TX 
(903) 657-7900 
Single or Double $94.00 

Best Western of Henderson 
Hwy 259 South Henderson, TX 
(903) 657-9561 
Single $65.00 
Double $70.00

Days Inn 
US Hwy 79 S, Henderson, TX 
(903) 657-8789 
Double $65.00 

Holiday Inn Express 
Hwy 259 N, Henderson, TX 
(903) 657-5250 
Double $96.95 

Woodland Hills 
1204 Hwy 79 N, Henderson, TX 
(903) 657-2511 
Contact person: Steve Patel Call for rates 

All these establishments have continental breakfast. Motel room rates are for the room, plus 13% tax. Be sure and make your reservations soon. Please say you are with the East Texas Sacred Harp Convention and ask for the convention rate. Cancellation policies vary; please check with the particular establishment where you reserve your room. If you have any problems, please let us know.

In addition to hotels/motels, there are three nearby RV Parks. 

Please call them for their rates for that weekend. 

Cross and Sons RV Park 
300 Pinecrest Drive Henderson, TX 
(903) 854-2997 Call for rates 

H and H RV Park 
3805 Hwy 79 S Henderson, TX 
(903) 836-2006 Call for rates 

The RV Park 
2068 TX Hwy 323 Henderson, TX 
(903) 658-2878 (903) 658-2790 
(This is a new park that is 1.4 miles from the Civic Center) Call for rates

Make plans to sing with us. Your presence will make it better and us gladder. 

Texas Fasola

When the road darkens and other quotes

The posting of quotes by human authors does not constitute agreement with either the quotes or their sources.

"If we would think a little bit more about the future we would likely modify a lot of what we do today!" -- Karen E. Willard

"Who can be surprised that 'gay marriage' has become acceptable in a society which long ago cast off any semblance of regard to the true 'sanctity' of marriage. Many 'conservatives' and religious folk long ago winked at and turned a blind eye to fornication and adultery." -- Mike McInnis

"If the Supreme Court, in its June 26 ruling to redefine the meaning of marriage, has made things less comfortable for believers, we must ask ourselves why we were so comfortable to begin with." -- Jack Wheeler

"The “culture wars,” while well-intentioned, were a mistake from the beginning." -- Cal Thomas

"Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens." -- J.R.R. Tolkien

"God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas but for scars." -- Elbert Hubbard

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." -- Corrie ten Boom

"All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

This day in history

* July 5 -- "John Spur and John Hazel were taken by warrants dated July 5, 1751 for giving an expression of concern and sympathy to Obadiah Holmes after his beating by the authorities..."

Happy Treason Day

...you colonial rebels.

The Rock

The Rock, July 1, 2015. Common meter.

1. Our Rock is not like other rocks, 
He is the Living Lord;
He lives and reigns in heav'n above,
For thus says God's true word.

2. That Rock that followed Israel
Through all the wilderness
Was Christ from whence the water flowed,
Who by his hand them fed.

3. Upon this Rock he built his church
For glory and for praise;
The gates of hell shall not prevail
In all her length of days.

4. He is our Rock, our Living Lamb,
The one foundation stone.
He knows his own and all of them
Are lodged secure thereon.

President

It might be a shorter list if those who are not running for President of the United States would announce!

Pray for Ernest Hendrix and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Athens hiker who fell 80 feet from Huntsville cliff over weekend remains critical -- "Pray for Ernest Lee Hendrix"
• After Years Of Research, Confederate Daughter Arises -- "Friends and family members doubted that Rice's father, who was born a slave, supported Confederates."
• Civil War buffs on Confederate flag debate: It's complicated -- "If you're looking for simple answers about the Confederate flag’s place in contemporary America, don’t ask a Civil War reenactor."
• County Clerk Resigns Instead of Issuing Gay Marriage Licenses -- "I had already decided in my heart that I could not issue marriage licenses to same sex couples. It’s my Christian belief."
• Embattled rebel flag reassessed at Georgia's Stone Mountain -- "Stephens said the park's leaders are listening to arguments pro and con in considering their next steps."
• For many black Americans, Confederate flag debate a distraction -- "Taking down the flag does not improve the quality of life for black people."
• Lesbian couple adds to Nacogdoches County's history with first license -- "I don't feel a piece of paper makes a difference..."
• Polygamous Montana trio applies for wedding license -- "It's about marriage equality. You can't have this without polygamy."
• Priest Jonathan Morris Spat on Near Gay Pride Parade -- "Father Jonathan Morris wasn’t feeling prideful after being spit on by two men near a Gay Pride Parade in New York City Sunday."
• Six arrested during Lakewood Church service -- "Six people were arrested at Lakewood Church Sunday after heckling Pastor Joel Osteen while he was preaching..."
• Texas attorney general says county clerks can refuse gay couples -- "Justices of the peace and judges similarly retain religious freedoms and may claim that the government cannot force them to conduct same-sex wedding ceremonies over their religious objections."
• Yes, Gay Marriage Hurts Me Personally -- "Indeed, you know love has emerged victorious when a bunch of liberals are screaming in your face, calling your children ugly, and urging you to kill yourself."
• 40 Questions for Christians Now Waving Rainbow Flag -- "What Bible verses led you to change your mind?"