Tuesday, November 28, 2006

November 26, 2006



Holy Humor...




What kind of man was Boaz before he married Ruth?
Ruthless.
What do they call pastors in Germany?
German Shepherds.
Who was the greatest financier in the Bible?
Noah. He was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation.
Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible?
Pharaoh's daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.



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From the Choir Loft





Thanksgiving is now over. When I was growing up, my mother always said I couldn’t play the Christmas "records" (remember those?) until Thanksgiving Day. The reason for that rule was she caught me playing "Joy To The World" in August. That means I can now perform Christmas music with a clear conscience. Beginning next week, I will be including the history of some of the "best"



Christmas Tunes (I decide which ones are "best!"). I will also include the history of some of the old Christmas Toys. If you have a favorite Christmas Carol or favorite Christmas toy, let me know and I will do some research on its background.



The Community Chorus has two dress rehearsals on Sunday, December 3, 2006:



2:00 PM @ Sheridan United Methodist Church (Sheridan, NY)



4:00 PM @ First United Church (Silver Creek, NY)



For many reasons, we need you to make both dress rehearsals.



The two performances of the Christmas cantata are:



Sunday, December 10, 2006 at First United Church in Silver Creek (7:00 start/6:00 report)



Sunday, December 17, 2006 at Sheridan United Methodist Church (7:00 start/6:00 report)



Also, Tuesday, December 19th, we will be Christmas Caroling @ St. Columban's and to the many "shut-ins" in our area. Please meet @ *St. Columban's (Route 5 in Silver Creek, NY) @ 6:15 PM, or meet at the church @ 6:00 PM if you are traveling to the shut-ins. We want a big group, including the kids! "Come one...come all!"



[If you know of anyone who would appreciate being visited by Christmas Carolers, please contact me or the church office for a visit from some of the very best Christmas Carolers in Chautauqua County!]



*Because of bridge construction, you must enter St. Columban's on Route 5 from the west side (from the Dunkirk side) of the facility! I know this from personal experience!







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You might be a United Methodist if...



... you know that a circuit rider is not an electrical device



... you've ever owned a pair of 'cross and flame' boxer shorts



... your church is named for a geographical location rather than for a saint



... at least one person in every church meeting says, "But we've never done it that way before!"



... the only church camp song you know by heart is "Kum ba yah"



... you realize that the ‘Book of Discipline’ is not a guide to getting your child to behave



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Today in history



(November 26)



1978 – 10 died in a fire inside a Holiday Inn in Rochester, NY



1968 – The 34th Heisman Trophy was awarded to the USC running back O.J. Simpson



1962 – The 1st recording session under the name ‘Beatles’



1956 – ‘The Price is Right’ debuted on NBC-TV



1940 – The Nazis forced 500,000 Jews in Warsaw, Poland to live in a "walled ghetto"







1865 – ‘Alice in Wonderland’ by Lewis Carroll was 1st published



1861 – The state of West Virginia split from Virginia over the issue of slavery



1832 – The 1st streetcar in America began operating in NYC with a fare of 12 cents



1789 – The 1stNational Thanksgiving’ was celebrated in America



1716 – The 1st lion ever exhibited in America in the Boston Zoo





Church office: (716) 672-2048, Bud: (716) 934-7734, email:



tubamanbud@yahoo.com
















From Bud’s



History of the Hymns



November 26, 2006



"Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me"



(1776) pg. 361



Words



by Augustus M. Toplady (1740 - 1778) Music by Thomas Hastings (1784 - 1872)



Many years after ‘Rock of Ages’ was written, one of the "Jubilee Singers" of Fisk University was on board a ship that caught on fire. He had the presence of mind to place life preservers on himself and his wife. But in the agony of despair, when all on board were trying to save themselves, someone took from his wife her life preserver, so that she found herself helpless in the water. But she clung to her husband, placing her hands firmly on his shoulders as he swam on. After a little while her strength was exhausted and trying to keep his wife’s spirits up, he pleaded with her to sing ‘Rock of Ages.’ Immediately they both began to faintly sing; and their strains fell upon the ears of many in the water around them. One after another, other swimmers joined in. Strength seemed to come to each of the singers; and they were able to hold out a little longer, still faintly singing. A boat was seen approaching, and they did get strength enough to keep themselves afloat until the crew lifted them on board. And thus Toplady’s hymn helped to save more than one from death by the sea, as it has often helped save souls from sin.





Meanwhile…1776…230 years ago…



What happened to the signers of the Declaration of Independence?



Five of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were captured by the British and brutally tortured as traitors. Nine fought in the War for Independence and died from wounds or from hardships they suffered. Two lost their sons in the Continental Army, another two had sons captured and at least a dozen of the fifty-six had their homes pillaged and burned. What kind of men were they? Twenty-five were lawyers or jurists. Eleven were merchants. Nine were farmers or large plantation owners. One was a teacher, one a musician, and one a printer. These were men of means and education, yet they signed the Declaration of Independence, knowing full well that the penalty could be death if they were captured. In the face of the advancing British Army, the Continental Congress fled from Philadelphia to Baltimore on December 12, 1776. It was an especially anxious time for John Hancock, the President of the Congress, as his wife had just given birth to a baby girl. Due to the complications stemming from the trip to Baltimore, the child lived only a few months.



R



ef. HistoryOfAmerica HymnHistories TimelinesOfHistory TanBible PoliticsAndVirtue

Monday, November 20, 2006

11/20/06


"Bump in the night"

A man is walking home alone late one foggy night... when behind him he hears:
BUMP... BUMP... BUMP...
Walking faster, he looks back and through the fog he makes out the image of an upright casket banging its way down the middle of the street toward him. Terrified, the man begins to run toward his home, the casket bouncing quickly behind him.
FASTER... FASTER... BUMP... BUMP... BUMP...
He runs up to his door, fumbles with his keys, opens the door, rushes in,


slams and locks the door behind him.
However, the casket crashes through his door, with the lid of the casket clapping
clappity-BUMP... clappity-BUMP... clappity-BUMP... on his heels, the terrified man runs.
Rushing upstairs to the bathroom, the man locks himself in. His heart is pounding;


his head is reeling; his breath is coming in sobbing gasps.
With a loud CRASH the casket breaks down the door. Bumping and clapping toward him.
The man screams and reaches for something, anything, but all he can find is a bottle of cough syrup!
Desperate, he throws the cough syrup at the casket... and,
(...hope you're ready for this!!!)
The coffin stops!


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From the Choir Loft

Choir rehearsals for the upcoming Christmas musical are in full swing and we’re still looking for more participants!


If you can help by singing with us, or by videotaping the performance, or by greeting or ushering during the cantata, or by acting in the drama portion of the cantata, or by finding us some theater spotlights, or by helping build a few sets, or by providing a few set decorations, or by dancing during the "big band" music…we need you! Why not call Bud or call the church office to offer some help?


Christmas caroling will be Tuesday, December 19 at 6:00 PM. Everyone is invited! Especially kids!

Do you know anyone who would appreciate Christmas Carolers singing outside their door? Call me and we will sing for them. Do you have any Christmas Caroling books we could borrow?

Yes folks...there is a BLOG from Bud. We'll be including the Bud's World and History of the Hymns articles plus choir announcements and information. The Blog address is:


http://frombudsworld.blogspot.com/


Happy Thanksgiving!


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Wit or Wisdom?


"To me, old age is fifteen years older than I am."


- Bernard M. Baruch


"Millions of people long for immortality who do not know what to do


with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon."


- Susan Ertz


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Today in history

(November 19)


1965 – Kellogg’s introduced America to the "Pop Tart"


1959 – The Ford Motor Co. discontinued the unpopular "Edsel"


1928 – The 1st issue of Time Magazine was published (Japanese Emperor Hirohito on cover)


1895 – The pencil was patented as "The Paper Pencil"


1863 – President Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous "Gettysburg Address"


1644 – The 1st Protestant Ministry Society was formed in New England



Church office: 672-2048, Bud: 934-7734, email:


tubamanbud@yahoo.com







From Bud ’s


History of the Hymns


November 19, 2006


"Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow"


(1978) pg. 95

Words


by Thomas Ken (1637 - 1711) Music by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958)

Nearly every English-speaking Protestant congregation unites at least once each Sunday in this noble overture of praise. These lyrics, sung as the "Doxology" in many churches, are actually the last verse of a longer hymn, "Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun." It has been said that the "Doxology" has done more to teach the doctrine of the Trinity than all the theology books ever written.



The author of this text was a bold, outspoken 17th century Anglican bishop named Thomas Ken. Ken’s illustrious career in the ministry was stormy and colorful. He served for a time as the English chaplain at the royal court in The Hague, Holland. He was so outspoken; however, in denouncing the corrupt lives of those in authority at the Dutch capital that he was compelled to leave after a short stay. Upon his return to England, he was appointed by King Charles II to be one of his chaplains. Ken continued to reveal the same spirit of boldness in rebuking the moral sins of his dissolute English monarch. Despite this, King Charles always admired his courageous chaplain, calling him "the good little man."

History & Traditions of Thanksgiving…


Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States commemorating the harvest reaped by the Plymouth Colony in 1621, after a winter of great starvation and hardship. In that year Gov. William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving, and all the colonists and the neighboring Native Americans shared the feast. Although similar observances were held locally, they were sporadic and had no set date. After the American Revolution the first national Thanksgiving Day, proclaimed by George Washington, was Nov. 26, 1789. Abraham Lincoln revived the custom in 1863, appointing as the date the last Thursday of November. In 1939, 1940, and 1941 Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed Thanksgiving to be the third Thursday in November. When a conflict arose between President Roosevelt’s proclamation and some state governors, Congress passed a joint resolution in 1941 decreeing that Thanksgiving should fall on the fourth Thursday of November. The day is observed by church services and family reunions. The customary turkey dinner is a reminder of the four wild turkeys served at the Pilgrims’ first thanksgiving feast.


The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2001-05 Columbia University Press

Monday, November 13, 2006

November 12, 2006

SIGNS YOU HAVE GROWN UP (ctd.)


1. You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonald's leftovers.

2. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.

3. You take naps.

4. Dinner and a movie is the whole evening instead of the beginning of one.

5. Eating a basket of chicken wings at 3 AM would severely upset, rather than settle, your stomach.

6. You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time.

7. "I just can't drink the way I used to" replaces "I'm never going to drink that much again."

8. 90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.

9. You eat and drink at home to save money before going out for the evening.

10. You read this entire list looking desperately for one that doesn't apply to you
and can't find one.


From the Choir Loft

Often, when I invite people to join our choir, many will respond by saying: "I just don’t have the time!"


Since we recently turned our clocks back, and have gained an "extra hour"…why not dedicate that extra hour back to the Lord? We can use your voice in our church choir. It only takes about an hour each week. We Need you!


Community Chorus rehearsals:

Tuesdays @ Sheridan United Methodist 7:00 - 8:30 PM (with the exception of Tuesday (11/21/06).


Sundays @ First United (Silver Creek) 6:00 - 7:00 PM (with the exception of 11/26/06).


PLEASE MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO MAKE EVERY REHEARSAL!


PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR PracticeTrax EVERY DAY!


The "half-wit"

A man owned a small auto repair business in Upstate New York. The Wage and Hour Department of New York claimed he was not paying proper wages to his help and sent an agent to interview him. "I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them," demanded the agent.


"Well, there's my mechanic who's been with me for 3 years. I pay him $600 a week."


"The mechanic's helper has been here for 18 months, and I pay him $500 a month."


"That's the guy I want to talk to; the half-wit," says the agent.


The owner says, "That would be me."


Today in history

(November 12)


2004 – Scott Peterson was convicted in the murder of his wife (Laci) and their unborn son


1998 – Mercedes Benz completed its merger with the Chrysler Corporation


1946 – The 1st drive-up banking facility opened in Chicago


1940 – Walt Disney released "Fantasia"


1933 – The 1st Sunday football game was played in Philadelphia


1927 – 1st underwater tunnel (The Holland Tunnel) opened connecting New York & New Jersey


1923 – In Germany, Adolf Hitler was arrested for attempting to seize power


1864 – The destruction of Atlanta, Ga. began by Gen. William Sherman during the Civil War




From Bud’s
History of the Hymns
November 12, 2006


"Blest Be the Tie That Binds"

(1845) pg. 557


Words by John Fawcett (1740 - 1817) Music by Johann G. Nageli (1773 - 1836)



John Fawcett was one of many fine British hymn writers who helped make the eighteenth century the "Golden Age of English Hymnody." A Baptist minister, Fawcett served as pastor at Wainsgate in Yorkshire, England from 1765 – 1772, when he felt called to a prestigious pulpit in London. Fawcett accepted the call, preached his farewell sermon at the Wainsgate church and packed his belongings.


As he and his wife prepared to leave, the Wainsgate congregation gathered around them for a very tearful farewell. At the last moment, however, the Fawcetts decided they could not leave their congregation, and he remained as pastor in Yorkshire.


This may not have been the occasion for the writing of "Blest Be the Tie that Binds," which was not published until ten years after this event, but the hymn certainly expresses the kind of love Fawcett and his Wainsgate church felt for one another.


This hymn reminds us that Christian love is not only a matter of emotional ties ("our hearts"), but also a "fellowship of kindred minds," a fellowship that chooses intentionally to love one another. Sometimes overlooking disagreements or faults in other believers.


Meanwhile…1845…161 years ago…in the United States…
U. S. President: James K. Polk…Vice-President: George M. Dallas
The 1st American Opera: "Leonora" was written by William Fry

Half the population of New York City was foreign-born

The population of Buffalo was 29,773

There was one saloon for every 60 residents in the city of Buffalo

There were over 500 taverns and gaming houses in the city of Buffalo

There were 2,243 arrests for the year (most for "drunkenness" and disorderly conduct)

Steamships carried 93,000 passengers to/from Buffalo (mainly to/from Detroit)

As many as seven taverns were in operation in Sheridan, New York

Ref. The Sheridan Settler Cyberhymnal BuffaloHistory TanBible DmarieCapsule