McCrite Love

I came to McCrite broken:

weary from care-giving,

limping with sciatica,

emotionally drained.

But, here at McCrite, I found love:

the love of a neighbor checking in on me,

the love of a work out buddy who said, 

“Have a Good Day”,

the love from a resident welcoming me with a goody bag 

that included the Cardinal schedule,

the love of people in the dining rooom inviting us to join them.

the love of friends who prayed for me and Dave

the love of a support group that helped dry my tears

Now, it is my turn to return that love

with a poem or two,

a welcoming smile,

with a listening ear, and

a hug,

with a laugh at breakfast or happy hour, or

a birthday card slipped in the door.

The people at McCrite

found all of my pieces 

and helped me re-assemble myself

I’m not the same person but a new and improved version of myself.

thank you.

April 2026

I believe

 

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

I believe. . .

Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Our pastor challenged us to write "I believe. .. " statements.  I could not get the Frankie Laine song (I Believe) out of my head, so I had to think of a "back door" to get to my beliefs.  My cousins are often quoting their mother who always said, "Everything will be all right, " and I thought maybe that was one way to get to my core beliefs.  What do I say all of the time?

There are two phrases I find myself repeating. One is, “Go while the gettin’ is good.” Thank goodness, Dave and I have always made quality travel experiences a priority since at this time, our health prevents us from traveling much.  Someone was surprised that I had already achieved 100 things on my “bucket list” but we travelled, skied, hiked, biked when we were young and healthy.  We might not have always lived in the largest house or driven the fanciest cars, but we chose to experience life to its fullest while we could. We loved to travel and hope to again some day.

My other frequently used phrase  is “ Life is too short for uncomfortable shoes.”  This probably began when I was in 8th grade.  I was always short, but suddenly I felt . . . .well, immature compared to my classmates.  So I went out and bought a pair of high heel shoes.  Yes, they were uncomfortable, but they made me look more mature.. . . or so I thought until I saw a reflection in a store window of myself walking.  I looked like a little girl clomping around in her mother’s high heels.  Then, I did the math.  I was 5’ tall and 3” heels made me 5’3” which was not exactly statuesque.  That was the last time I ever wore high heels.

I wore hush puppies, Dr. Scholl’s, Birkenstocks, Clarks and Merrills——insisting that there was more to life than fashionable and uncomfortable shoes.  I also took that credo to other aspects of my life.  I drive a VW Beetle which makes me smile and fits me just right. My kitchen island is shorter than counter tops so I can work comfortably. I seldom wear skirts or dresses which bind me at the waist.  I don’t watch television which makes me squirm with its language or violence.  I shut off all political diatribes on facebook by “hiding” them or blocking the original poster.  

But, lately I’ve noticed that I’ve started avoiding people and groups which make me uncomfortable, also. It probably began when I had to limit my social contact due to being immune suppressed. Also, I’ve had blood pressure issues for years.   I see a doctor regularly, but. . . .when I’m with pessimistic people, toxic people, or angry people, my blood pressure rises. Whether it’s their politics, their slant on Christianity,  or their values, I just haven’t be able to make room in my life for people who are binding and make me squirm.  If I have to limit my social contact, then I want it to be with healthy people in every aspect. So, I’ve expanded my “Life is too short for uncomfortable shoes” to “Life is too short to surround myself with people who make me uncomfortable.”  

Which bring me to my “I believe “statement. . . . I believe in freedom from things, people, places that bind me.  I believe in freedom to choose where I live, how I live, with whom I live.My DNA says that I descend from a slave in America, and now I wonder if my need for freedom and travel comes from something imbedded in my DNA. But, maybe by “choosing my social contacts” I am in truth restricting myself to just people who are like myself.  Maybe I need to break out of my “comfort zone” in order to be truly free of chains. Maybe, as my daughter suggested, those whom I see as negative or shallow, need encouragement to break their chains also.

Psalm 107:13-16 - Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.

Jaclyn Morgan

Joyful, Joyful

 

Monday, May 20, 2013

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

 When asked to name a hymn that filled him with joy, Frank Calkins chose this hymn as did Sherry Naylor.  Sherry says," How can you listen to that uplifting music and sing those happy words and not be full of joy?  All hymns are joyful--they praise God.  Easter service is not right without the joyful words of "Jesus Christ is Risen Today!  Alleluia!"

 When we sang it a few weeks ago during worship at St. Mark Presbyterian, I, too, had decided this was one of my favorite hymns.  As an English and German teacher, this hymn is perfect.  The lyrics are beautiful poetry and the music is Beethoven's "Hymn to Joy".  It doesn't get any better than that.  If you don't want an English teacher's analysis of the poetry, stop here and just savor the lyrics.



According to Robert J. Morgan in Then Sings My Soul, 

In 1907, Henry van Dyke was invited to preach at Williams College in Massachusetts.  At breakfast one morning, he handed the college president a piece of paper saying, "Here is a hymn for you.  Your mountains (the Berkshires) were my inspiration.  It must be sung to the music of Beethoven's 'Hymn of joy'"

Beautiful metaphors and similes create pictures that help us understand God's Grace:  Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee. . .Melt the clouds of sin and sadness. . .Fill us with the light of day.

Alliteration takes us to peaceful places:  Field and Forest, vale and mountain, Flowery meadow, flashing sea, Chanting bird and flowing fountain, Call us to rejoice in Thee.

Repetition makes us focus:  Thou art giving and forgiving, Ever blessing, ever blest.

Rhyming is also there for poetry purists:
Ever singing, march we onward, 
Victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us sunward
In the triumph song of life.

RoMANce

Dancing in Berlin NY Eve

Why are my memories of Germany so vivid?

Was it because that was my first love?

Or because it’s an older memory

recently unlocked.

Was dancing in a ballroom really 

more romantic than dancing

 in a low ceilinged rented room ?

Who am I kidding?

Waltzing in a ballroom with soft lights

is always better than a dark rented room

with bodies standing and swaying to the rhythm.

Dancing in ski lodge

Was skiing in the Alps really

more romantic than Colorado or Michigan?

Who am I kidding?

Skiing in the Alps with lunch in a mountain pub

or our evenings of drinking, dancing and laughing

in a warm wood-lined chalet

is better than a cheap hostel room with flourescent lights .

At 21, the romance was important—-the fulfillment of many teenage dreams.

At 25, the reality of a good partnership was more important 

than any fantasy.

I missed some of the German romance but,

my priorities had changed.

While I loved both men, 

one would have never passed the test of daily life together.

While the other, not colored by the fantasy of romance, 

saw success together

despite several bumps in the road.

And now, this 80 year old woman sees that 

I always needed both: practical realism

with a touch of romance and fantasy. . . .

if it’s not too late.

(P.S.  I don't recall the names of the men in the photos, 1966/7)

The Ties that Bind

 

Monday, July 8, 2013

Blessed Be the Tie that Binds

 Phil Keim said "Blessed Be the Tie that Binds"  was his mother's favorite hymn and has become one of his favorites, too.  For me, I am taken back 50 years to a play in high school:  Our Town.  I had never sung the hymn until this play. (Yes, I am in the photo above) Singing it three times nightly, it became a favorite of mine, too.

1 Blest be the tie that binds
our hearts in Christian love;
the fellowship of kindred minds
is like to that above. 

 

2 Before our Father's throne
we pour our ardent prayers;
our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
our comforts and our cares.

Although most people think of the ties as being Christian ties that bind us together, for Thornton Wilder, the author of Our Town, to have it sung three times during the play, it meant something else to him.  The first time it was sung was when Emily and George met at church in the choir.

3 We share our mutual woes,
our mutual burdens bear,
and often for each other flows
the sympathizing tear. 

 

4 When we are called to part,
it gives us inward pain;
but we shall still be joined in heart,
and hope to meet again. 

 

5 This glorious hope revives
our courage by the way;
while each in expectation lives
and waits to see the day.

The second time it was sung was on their wedding day.  So, "the ties" here were marital ties for a couple beginning their lives together with "mutual woes" "but we shall still be joined in heart."

6 From sorrow, toil, and pain,
and sin, we shall be free;
and perfect love and friendship reign
through all eternity. 

The third time it is sung is after Emily's death.  "The ties" are this time the ones that join the living and the dead.  Emily is seen below in her wedding dress in the cemetery with other townsfolk.  She ponders her life.  With the hymn again being sung at her funeral, the emphasis is on death being a part of life---it is another stage often misunderstood by the living. "We shall be free; and perfect love and friendship reign through all eternity."

Betrayal

 

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Betrayal

The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

47 While Jesus was yet speaking, a crowd came. And he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. 48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”

49 When those who were around Him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.

51 But Jesus said, “This is enough!” And He touched his ear and healed him.

52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, and captains of the temple guard, and the elders who had come for Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as against a rebel? 53 Daily, while I was with you in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!”

Luke 22: 55-62

Betrayal. . . . while I don't recall many incidents of being betrayed, that feeling of having betrayed someone has never gone away---the guilt and the knowledge that I had hurt someone.  I don't think I've intentionally betrayed someone. . . .usually it's a betrayal of not acting. . .of staying in the shadows and watching injustice being done to someone undeserving just like some of the disciples at Jesus's arrest.

But sometimes, the betrayal has been more like Judas-- so focused on a goal that I didn't realize the consequences of my actions: that I had trampled on someone to reach my goal.  Those times are the most gut wrenching.  When Jesus said, "Judas, do you betray the son of Man with a kiss."  I can imagine Judas's eyes getting wider, getting focused with what he had done.  Suddenly he was seeing clearly what the priests had intended to do all along once Jesus was identified. He could clearly see that he had sparked the fire which was going to set the world ablaze.

...And, then when he  saw what the outcome could be, panic set in with that punch in the stomach feeling. . . . 

But, is it any more of a betrayal than those who stood by and didn't defend  Jesus?  Those who stood in the shadows, watched and remained silent as Jesus was arrested. Betrayal is betrayal---whether it's from standing by and watching or from identifying Jesus with a kiss.  And, don't we betray Jesus every time we stand by or let our pursuit of our goals hurt another.

Dear God, open our eyes to the many times we have betrayed Jesus and his teachings with our actions and our inactions.   Open our eyes to injustice, suffering, hunger, strife before it's too late.  Open our eyes when we unintentionally hurt someone on our way to fulfilling a dream.  Open our eyes to the consequences of our actions.  Help us to step out of the shadows and into the light on His path:  being faithful to Jesus's teachings and not betraying Him.  

From Maundy Thursday Worship Service 2017 by J. Morgan

Controversial Hymn

 

Monday, August 19, 2013

Controversial Hymn

While looking for another article on line, I ran across this news item about a hymn that was supposed to be in our new hymnal.  Click here if you want to read the entire article.

Basically, the hymnal committee, according to the article wanted to change one phrase: "The original lyrics say that “on that cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.” The Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song wanted to substitute the words, “the love of God was magnified.”

This reminded me of a time in our Level Green Presbyterian Church when we never sang any hymns that were "too bloodly" or violent.  I had never paid much attention to lyrics until then.  Actually one of my favorite hymns as a child was "Onward Christian Soldier"---I especially loved the "marching into war" because our hymn leaders let us march.

So, at first when I read about this hymn I thought it was "the wrath of God" that the committee objected to, but, no, it was the word "satisfied".  First, that word implies contentment or satisfaction which I don't associate with God very often.  Second, I just like the imagery of "the love of God" over "the wrath of God."  John 3: 16 tells us: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  That just doesn't sound like a wrathful God being satisfied that his son died on the cross.  Third, I don't even know what that means:  Jesus died on the cross and God was happy?



In the article, Scott Sauls tried to explain what "satisfied" meant:

But the Rev. Scott Sauls, pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, disagrees. He said the word “satisfied” means that Jesus paid the whole price for sins. 

“There’s no more work to be done,” said Sauls, whose congregation is part of the more conservative Presbyterian Church in America. “It is finished.”

Click here  for more on Rev. Scott Sauls who actually was once my daughter's pastor here in St. Louis.  Click here for the official Presbyterian statement. So, do you agree with Rev. Sauls on the meaning of "satisfied" or the Presbyterian Committee which omitted the hymn because that phrase would be mis-interpreted?

Church Choir

 

Monday, September 9, 2013

Benefits of Singing in the Choir

When I was a child, I sang in the choir at Bellefontaine Methodist Church.  Before the new sanctuary was built, we worshipped in the old historic church built by slaves.  The choir, at that time, sang in the choir loft, which we were told was where the slaves had sat.  Being out of sight, we had a lot of time and opportunity for hi-jinks, including paper "accidentally" flying out of our hands, over the edge into the congregation.  It was a wonderful, but social occasion. I am still friends with several of my fellow choir members. Occasionally, we had moments of being a part of something big, especially when we marched in with the adults on special Sundays.  I can still sing the alto section to several of our hymns, today, thanks to that wonderful experience.

Proclamation Choir 1980's

St. Mark Cherub Choir 1980's

I have not sung in a church choir since I was a teenager although I encouraged my children to sing through high school.  While none of us are soloists or have particularly good voices, I believed that church choir taught them to follow directions, read music, work as a team to achieve a goal.  But, more importantly, it was one way young people could contribute to the life of the church and to celebrate God.

Several months ago, I read an article in Huffington Post which added a benefit which I hadn't thought of.  It relieves stress!  Click here.  And NPR just wrote a piece also on the health benefits of singing in a choir. Click here.

Won't you or a member of your family, consider joining one of our choirs.  You will benefit in so many ways, while making a contribution to the St. Mark community by glorifying God.  And, you may make a friend or two.

Jaclyn Morgan, 2013 (middle row, middle singer, late 1950's) with my brother-in-law Tom in the bow tie, my cousin with the long banana curl and sister with the braid.  Click here for more information on our music programs.

Tomorrow's Back

 I have my tomorrows back. . . 

I had only lived for today. .. . 

with hesitation.

I hadn’t been alone for a while.

I grieved the loss of tomorrows

with someone I loved being with.

I was a little afraid to take a step by myself:

of breaking out of my safe coccon

You reminded me how much I loved

dancing and singing: 

It re-awakened the joy buried in my heart.

Now I can look forward to  tomorrow

With a spring in my step

a smile on my face

and love in my eyes

To have a companion to dance with and sing with,

To discuss a book with,

To collaborate on songs with

Means everything to me: 

I feel With not Without.

I love that you share your past and let me share mine.

We are what we have been

And can’t be seen without that.

I feel a little bare having revealed so much of myself

But it was necessary for a new beginning.

Shedding my cocoon, I’m fluttering my wings:

Still a little afraid to take flight,

 but soon.

Thank you for sharing your path. . .

helping me find mine.