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Category Archives: Posts of Interest

Will 2013 Be The Year to Read Your Bible (Again)?

Happy 2013! Each new year offers a great time of refreshing: setting goals for our lives, and choosing to make positive changes. It’s also the perfect time for getting back into the Bible, or even for getting into it for the first time.

YouVersion’s ready to help you lock in that daily habit of time in God’s Word, offering several plans — some new, some proven favorites. Find the one that’s right for you:

New Plans Just Added:

NIV Once-A-Day With six new devotionals, make the Bible a daily habit as you read short devotionals that fit into the pace of life. From Zondervan. various lengths
Made to Crave: 21 Day Challenge Bridge the gap between your desire to live a healthy lifestyle and the spiritual strength you need for lasting change. >From Lysa TerKeurst. 21 days
God’s Glory and Your Purpose: Devotions with John Piper In this five-day video devotional, John Piper explains what the Bible teaches about the glory of God, and how it impacts our daily lives. From Desiring God. 5 days

Browse even more new plans…

Tried and True Plans:

The One Year® Bible The most popular plan on YouVersion, experience the joy of reading the entire Bible with as little as 15 minutes of reading each day. From Tyndale. 1 year
The Essential 100 A favorite around the world, the E100 guides you through 50 Old Testament and 50 New Testament passages, helping you see the big picture of God’s Word. From Scripture Union. 100 days
Soul Detox Use this plan to identify what’s been chipping away at your soul, and to cleanse your spirit, as you step into the person God created you to be. From LifeChurch.tv. 35 days

Browse all plans…

Christmas Music, Part 27-31 ~ Johnny Marks

29 Dec

Who? You might say.

Johnny Marks (November 10, 1909 – September 3, 1985) was an American songwriter. Although he was Jewish, he specialized in Christmas songs and wrote many holiday standards, including

“Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (a hit for Gene Autry and others)

“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (a hit for Brenda Lee)

“A Holly Jolly Christmas” (recorded by the Quinto Sisters and later by Burl Ives)

“Silver and Gold” (for Burl Ives)

“Run Rudolph Run” (recorded by Chuck Berry)

On December 31, 2012 there will be a full listing of all the Christmas music in this year’s series.

Enjoy!

2 Comments

Posted by MaryO on December 29, 2012 in Christmas Music, Posts of Interest

Tags: A Holly Jolly Christmas, Brenda Lee, Burl Ives, Christmas Music, Chuck Berry, Gene Autry, holiday, Jewish, Johnny Marks, Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, Rudolph, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Run Rudolph Run, Silver and Gold, song

Christmas Music, Part 26 – Good King Wenceslas

26 Dec

“Good King Wenceslas” is a popular Christmas carol that tells a story of Good King Wenceslas braving harsh winter weather to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen (the second day of Christmas, December 26). During the journey, his page is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather, but is enabled to continue by following the king’s footprints, step for step, through the deep snow. The legend is based on the life of the historical Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia or Svatý Václav in Czech (907–935).

In 1853, English hymnwriter John Mason Neale wrote the “Wenceslas” lyrics, in collaboration with his music editor Thomas Helmore, and the carol first appeared in Carols for Christmas-Tide, 1853. Neales’ lyrics were set to a tune based on a 13th century spring carol “Tempus adest floridum” (“The time is near for flowering”) first published in the 1582 Finnish song collection Piae Cantiones.

Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath’ring winter fuel

“Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know’st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?”
“Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes’ fountain.”

“Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither.”
Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind’s wild lament
And the bitter weather

“Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer.”
“Mark my foteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter’s rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.”

In his master’s steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing

The Mannheim Steamroller version:

2 Comments

Posted by MaryO on December 26, 2012 in Christmas Music, Posts of Interest, Videos

Tags: Christmas, Christmas Music, Good King Wenceslas, John Mason Neale, Mannheim Steamroller, Snow

Have a Blessed Christmas!

25 Dec

The Pastors and Staff of Pender wish you and your family the most blessed of Christmases.

May the peace of that night, the news of the angels, the joy of the shepherds and the love of the Christ Child be yours as you make room for the Christ Child all year long.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Music, Part 25 – Hallelujah Chorus

25 Dec

Messiah (HWV 56) is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible, and from the Psalms. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742, and received its London premiere nearly a year later. After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio gained in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music.

Part II of the Messiah covers the Passion, death, resurrection, ascension, and the later spreading of the Gospel, concluded by the “Hallelujah Chorus”.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings the classical and beloved Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah.

And also on Nov.13 2010 unsuspecting shoppers got a big surprise while enjoying their lunch. Over 100 participants in this awesome Christmas Flash Mob.