Marilyn's Musings
June 24, 2025
I’ve been sitting here today thinking about what I wanted to share with you this week. I hope everyone had a good weekend celebrating the 4th of July. We had a quiet one. We had Bob’s sister and husband over for a typical July 4th BBQ. We had burgers, dogs, beans and homemade salads. And, of course, ice cream for dessert. It was a nice peaceful time together.
Our church service on Sunday was done very nicely with our guest minister, Don McCracken from River Keepers that shared an amazing sermon with us. It was perfect for the meaning of the Declaration of Independence. “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”, “We are all created equal”; were two of the parts of the declaration that he talked about. If you have time to visit our Facebook page and can listen to his sermon, I believe you will enjoy it as much as I did. Also, much thanks to our organist, Alan, who played so beautifully for us as he always does. There is nothing like hearing patriotic music played on the organ.
During the weekend, if you watched the news, you saw the devastation of the flooding in Texas and the loss of so many lives. I usually try to keep my musings positive and inspirational but today I am finding it difficult to do that. Anytime I turn on the TV or scroll on the computer there is another picture of a young girl that lost her life in the flood that was staying at the Christian camp. So much sadness and unbelief coming across all the media we use, tv, computers and people just talking about it. How did this happen? Why did it happen? Could it have been prevented? So many questions and no answers that will make anyone feel better. We turn to where we can get comfort and those are quotes from the bible. Here are a few:
- "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" (Matthew 5:4)
- "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7)
- "When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles" (Psalm 34:17)
- "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18)
Remember these verses and know that God is with all of us, all the time, loving us and encouraging us.
There was one video I watched that I can’t find the words to describe how I felt – I think it was “hopeful”. It was taken in a bus that was evacuating kids that survived and as the bus drove along the side of the river where all you could see was devastation you could hear the children singing the song “Pass It On”. Those children were learning about God’s love, and they knew He was with them. Because of our faith and the faith of those who had such terrible losses with this storm, we know that God has his arms around all of us. He will get us through this; everyone will get thru this because we are all “passing on His love”.
Let’s sing that song this week and make sure we are passing on God’s love as those children were doing. Keep Texas in your prayers.
Preview YouTube video Pass it on- It only takes a spark (with subtitle)
This week we have another chance to celebrate July 4th, also known as Independence Day. We get to celebrate every year our freedom to be our own country.
“It celebrates the passage of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. This document announced the separation of the 13 North American colonies from Great Britain. In 1870 the U.S. Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal workers, and in 1938 it became a paid federal holiday. Also called the Fourth of July, the holiday is celebrated across the United States with parades, fireworks show, picnics, concerts, and other festivities. Independence Day is also notable for its displays of patriotism, as many Americans commemorate the day by flying the American flag and dressing in the flag’s colors of red, white, and blue.”
The above is a quote about July 4th which we celebrate on Friday this week and continue the celebrations all weekend. We are fortunate to be able to celebrate and be proud of the United States of American.
As you all know, I enjoy doing research on the history of songs. Especially hymns that have been a big part of my worship experience most of my life. I love singing and praising God and wonder, at that time, how the words came to the authors. Why did they write that certain hymn?
There are songs that seem to sing themselves - songs that unite our minds and hearts, and in a matter of minutes can change our moods and bring us to a place from another time. Below is the story of the author of “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”.
“Samuel Francis Smith, age 24, was thrilled as he heard a children's choir at Park Street Church in Boston sing, for the first time in public, a song he had written several months earlier. The presentation was on July 4, 1832.
One afternoon Samuel, a student at Andover Theological Seminary in Andover, Mass., was sitting in his room on the campus. The school was near the church in which the lantern was hung during Paul Revere's famous ride. Lowell Mason, a music publisher, had given young Samuel, who spoke several languages, a number of European music books, asking him to translate some of the songs into English. Mason thought, perhaps, they might be used in a new hymnal being compiled.
As Smith began the task, his eyes fell on a German song entitled "God Bless Our Native Land." The tune had already been used in England for more than 100 years as "God Save the King."
Instead of translating the original lyrics, Samuel decided to compose a new message for the musical setting. Thirty minutes before sundown he began the task. As the sun was setting, he wrote the last line, finishing what was to become one of the most famous of all American songs. He later declared that he had not intentionally tried to write a patriotic song, but it soon took on a life of its own. It served as our unofficial national anthem until the adoption of "The Star-Spangled Banner" in 1931.”
I copied that from an article titled “The Story Behind the Song “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”. When I was young, we used to sing this song every morning in school after we said the Pledge of Allegiance. Now that was just a “few” years ago but maybe some of you have similar memories. Let’s sing it this week to celebrate our nation’s birth. Happy July 4th.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=xnH_OIgNgSY&si=mUniUmSR5MuKcdbY
Preview YouTube video My Country Tis of Thee with Lyrics
