Monday, June 25, 2007

From Bud's World

June 24, 2007

If the Bible were written today by college students:
The Last Supper would have been eaten the next morning -- cold.
The Ten Commandmentswould actually be only five -- double-spaced and written in a large font.
A new edition would be published every two years in order to limit reselling.
"Forbidden fruit"would have been eaten because it wasn't cafeteria food.
Paul's letter to the Romans would become Paul's email to abuse@romans.gov.
Reason Cain killed Abel: they were roommates.
Reason why Moses and followers walked in the desert for 40 years…
They didn't want to ask directions and look like freshmen.
Instead of God creating the world in six days and resting on the seventh,
He would have put it off until the night before to get it done.
From the choir loft
We will be presenting the patriotic musical: ‘The Spirit of America’ here at Sheridan United Church next Sunday, July 1, 2007 @ 7:00 PM and at The Cattaraugus Christian Camp on Sunday, July 15 @ 3:00 PM. This powerful musical focuses our attention on five attitudes and characteristics that have made Americans unique throughout our history: Spirit of Freedom, Adventure, Hope, Sacrifice and of Divine Purpose. This cantata will get your heart pounding with such songs as: ‘This is My Country, Salute to the Armed Services, America’ and many more. Invite your friends now!

Wit or Wisdom…
"Where the will of God leads you,
the grace of God will keep you."
~ Unknown
"A Pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself,
but a spiritual man is easy on others and hard on himself."
~ A. W. Tozer
"One cannot help being old, but one can resist being aged."
~ Lord Samuel

Today in history
(June 24)
1992 – John Gotti began his life sentence in jail
1964 – The FTC ruled that a health warning must appear on all cigarette packages
1953 – John F. Kennedy & Jacqueline Bouvier announced their engagement
1949 – "Hopalong Cassidy" became the 1st network western (NBC)
1941 – The entire Jewish population of Gorzhdy, Lithuania was exterminated
1903 – ‘In the Sweet Bye & Bye’ by Harry MacDonough & the Haydn Quartet was #1
1861 – Tennessee became the 11th state to secede from the Union
1817 – The 1st coffee beans were planted in Hawaii on the Kona coast
Church office: (716) 672-2048, Bud: (716) 934-7734, email: tubamanbud@gmail.com
www.frombudsworld.blogspot.com
Bud’s History of the Hymns
June 24, 2007
‘Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me’(1830) Page 361
Words: Augustus M. Toplady (1740 – 1778)Music: Thomas Hastings (1784 - 1872)
Even when Augustus Toplady wrote his magnificent masterpiece, "Rock of Ages." he couldn’t resist the temptation to take a shot at those who he thought were believers in "Perfectionism." Toplady calculated that if a man lived to reach the age of 80, he would have the opportunity of committing over 2.5 billion sins, making it impossible to save himself. He needed a Savior! So when he finally finished this hymn, he titled it: ‘A living and dying prayer of the holiest believer in the world.’ He often said, "The most sanctified soul in the world must come down on his knees and confess, ‘Nothing in my hands I bring,’ and ‘Vile I to this fountain fly.’"
Thomas Hastings, the composer of this hymn tune, was born on October 15, 1784, in Washington, Connecticut. He wrote 1000 hymn tunes and more than 60 original hymn texts, as well as editing more than fifty music collections. In 1858 the University of the City of New York conferred the degree of Doctor of Music upon him in recognition of his accomplishments. Along with Lowell Mason, Thomas Hastings is generally credited with being the person most instrumental in shaping the development of church music in the United States. Hastings once wrote, "The homage that we owe Almighty God calls for the noblest and most reverential tribute that music can render."

Meanwhile…1830…177 years ago…in the United States…
President: Andrew Jackson…V.P.: Martin Van Buren
Population of Buffalo, NY was 8,668
In the fall of 1830, Charles and Mary Durfee of Cazenovia set out for the wilderness of Chautauqua County, settling on the lakeshore in Sheridan. The Lake Road at that time was only a path and not passable for loaded teams of horses, so in order to reach their future home from Dunkirk, they had to take the Roberts Road to the Main Road and then to Newell’s Corners to reach their destination. Here they procured a small plot of land. Their property was described in one legal document as follows: "Beginning at a certain Hemlock Tree on the south, running thence to the lake, largest to the lake, in the shape of a wedge."
Ref. CenterForChurchMusic HanoverBicentenial Webedelic SheridanSettler TanBible