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Morning Prayer

by our resident poet, William Baldwin











Add 'em up

Odds and ends

Equating to oblivion.

Oceans rise,

Planets spin

Light goes straight

Then it bends.

Christ, the Master,

Hear this prayer.

Make our day

A world contained

By Vital Love

And Care.

Woke up this Morning

With this tune going through my head.  It's the very beautiful setting of the Twenty-Third Psalm by Howard Goodall.  Below is a video of the music with images of the English countryside.
I was unsure just why this was my morning feast, but then, arrived at school and began my first class (2nd grade this morning).  Our topic of the week is the story of Gideon - the unlikely hero.  Yesterday I created a handout using the acronym FROG (Fully Rely on God).  I told the story and then had the children color the sheet - which had a picture of a frog on it along with the bible verse - "The Lord is my helper.  I will not be afraid." - Heb. 13.6 .  I found myself wishing for some beautiful music they could color to...and there it was.  Perhaps I also needed music for coloring...  or  Whatever the reason, here it is.. Enjoy.

Happy New Year!

May God bless you  in 2011!

Here is a great way to begin the New Year!  Check out this beautiful setting of Ps. 117 by Mozart.



Hat tip Anglican Curmudgeon

Here is the text:

LAUDATE DOMINUM

Laudate Dominum omnes gentes; laudate eum, omnes populi.
Quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus, et veritas
Domini manet in aeternum.

Gloria Patri et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio,
et nunc et semper, et in saecula seculorum. Amen

Here is our prayerbook translation:

Praise the LORD, all you nations;
laud him, all you peoples.

For his loving-kindness toward us is great,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures for ever. Hallelujah!


Wiener Konzerthaus, 13.12.2008
Soprano: Genia Kühmeier
Choir: Wiener Sängerknaben & Chorus Viennensis

Wiener Symphoniker
directed by Karel Mark Chichon

Jesus Christ the Apple Tree"

Sung most often as a Christmas carol but wonderful for any time of the year. The The hymn is composed by Elizabeth Poston and sung here by the Choir of Kings College, Cambridge (1993) ...Here are the words



Jesus Christ the Apple Tree



The tree of life my soul hath seen
Laden with fruit and always green
The tree of life my soul hath seen
Laden with fruit and always green
The trees of nature fruitless be
Compared with Christ the apple tree


His beauty doth all things excel
By faith I know but ne'er can tell
His beauty doth all things excel
By faith I know but ne'er can tell
The glory which I now can see
In Jesus Christ the apple tree.


For happiness I long have sought
And pleasure dearly I have bought
For happiness I long have sought
And pleasure dearly I have bought
I missed of all but now I see
'Tis found in Christ the apple tree.


I'm weary with my former toil
Here I will sit and rest a while
I'm weary with my former toil
Here I will sit and rest a while
Under the shadow I will be
Of Jesus Christ the apple tree.


This fruit does make my soul to thrive
It keeps my dying faith alive
This fruit does make my soul to thrive
It keeps my dying faith alive
Which makes my soul in haste to be
With Jesus Christ the apple tree.

The Christmas Story

told in a slightly different way!

Happy Thanksgiving!

What a wonderful surprise!