Random Acts

 

Friday, March 11, 2016

Random Acts or Just Kindness

I have often been on the receiving end of Random Acts of Kindness.  The first was at a Cracker Barrel in Mississippi.  Two gentlemen paid for our dinner.  It was certainly a warm gesture after being on the road all day.  But, I seem to have a hard time  knowing how "to pay it forward".  Do I do the same thing?  Does it need to be dollar for dollar? Or, does letting someone in front of me at the grocery store count?

I have been ill lately and have again been on the receiving end many times----a neighbor cleared snow off our driveway, another brought over brownies and a rose, many church friends have called or written notes offering to run errands, bring a meal or take me to the doctor.  Now I am so deep in random acts of kindness debt, I may never dig myself out of the hole.

Fortunately I found a web site which has 96 ideas.  But, I think many of these suggestions are just being kind, acting in a Christian way which I strive to do daily. http://www.bradaronson.com/acts-of-kindness/.  Seeing some of the suggestions, I realized that I do some of them on a regular basis like "letting a car merge" or "stopping for a pedestrian in a crosswalk" or "letting someone with one item ahead of me at the grocery store."  That got me thinking, "Which is more important, random acts of kindness or being kind on a regular but small scale basis?"

Recently there has been a back lash to being "politically correct".  Some think being politically correct is a sign of weakness of caving in.  But, isn't it really just being kind and courteous? There seems to be more incivility than usual with this being an election year. But we don't have to agree to be kind, do we? So, I'm suggesting that rather than making plans to carry out random acts of kindness, we live in a Christian, courteous, kind way every minute of every day even with those whose opinions are different from our own.

Luke 6: 35 "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.

Jaclyn Morgan

The Wind Whispers.. . ..

 The Wind Whispers. . . . 

Ruach whispers in my ear

“Find peace, my dear:  Ruhe”

Ruach whispers in my heart

“Find yourself, I’ll be by your side”

Ruach whispers to my mouth

“Speak with grace and truth.”

Ruach whispers to my feet

"I will guide you on the right road."

Ruach is the balm, the calm that I need.

She guides me to turn aside pride 

to others 

    hurting inside. 

She swirls around me wrapping me in energy

hugging me in hope.

Ruach fills me with the laughter of life

She energizes me to take a chance, 

to dance to my own music

She urges me to write—-

by lighting my path. 

She fanned the embers of memories, 

  and inspired me to find my own fire.

I’ve said farewell.  

I can now reach forward with 

Ruach’s wind at my back:

I can breathe again. I am alive.

I am comforted knowing Ruach 

will be with me

until the end of days. . . .

and beyond. 

Church Music

 

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Church Music---Contemporary or Traditional

Bellefontaine Methodist Children's Choir

As a non-choir person, I love the contemporary hymns and tend to roll my eyes at the old-time religion hymns, usually hearing the squeaky, squawking voice of my children's choir director from 60 years ago, Mrs. Sheets.  She wore her hair in braids wrapped into two cinnamon rolls just over her ears (long before Star Wars), wore orthopedic shoes, wire-rimmed glasses and sang with fervor!  Honestly her voice was like finger nails on a chalk board.  Did I mention she sang loudly?  " Little Church in the Wildwood" was one of her favorites (and I liked the drum-like "Oh, Come, Come, Come, Come, Come"--- that was an alternate chorus I took advantage of which helped drown out the squawks)

Then, there were my mother and grandmothers always singing an octave below everyone else.  In order to see, I stood on the church pew with them singing in my ear. Their occasional flat singing drowned out any hope of ever hearing the hymn as it was written.  So, my experiences with traditional church hymns is not so rosy through my cracked and critical childhood lenses.

The contemporary hymns have several advantages:  I don't have to read music, and they are in my key!  I don't have to strain my voice to hit the high notes, nor go an octave lower as my family did.  These hymns many not be rich in tradition nor scripture, but I can sing them!

Several weeks ago in worship, I was singing the "Gloria Patri" and instantly went into the alto harmony as I always do.  And then it hit me: I have been singing this almost weekly in Methodist and Presbyterian churches in St. Louis and Pittsburgh----like a thread connecting all of my church experiences for 70 years.  If I took nothing else away from Mrs. Sheets' church choir, I'd learned the harmony to "Gloria Patri" which was in my key and didn't strain my voice.

I looked down at my "supportive" shoes with my wire-rimmed glasses and was flooded with other memories besides squawking voices and voices singing an octave down.  I now see the smiling face of Mrs. Sheets singing with such passion, the arms of my grandmothers around me to keep me from falling off the pew (where I was standing). And, the memories of being in the children's choir with friends and family learning the alto part to "Gloria Patri".

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, World without end.  Amen, Amen

Jaclyn Morgan

The Magi

 

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Keeping the Mystery of the Magi

 Many years ago, when my children were young and WAY before the Elf on the Shelf, we had the mystery of the Wise Men (Magi) starting at some far point of the family room working their way closer and closer to the Nativity.  They would start on the books shelves, go to the mantel, then to the table and finally to the entertainment center where the Manger Scene was.

 It isn't easy keeping Christmas focused on the Birth of Jesus with children.  The success of Elf on a Shelf proves how much children like the mystery of the holiday.  Maybe once your Elf goes back to the North Pole, your family can focus on the mystery of Jesus's birth and the Magi by having them move each day getting closer and closer to their destination.

There are many traditions which focus on the Epiphany:  share some of the traditions from other countries with your children and grandchildren.  Click here.

Matthew 2:1-12

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Visit of the Magi

2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, [a]magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the [b]Messiah was to be born.5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written [c]by the prophet:

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
For out of you shall come forth a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them [d]the exact time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.”9 After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they [e]fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.