Have Yourself a Merry (or Blessed) Little Christmas

 Composer Hugh Martin co-wrote "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" for the 1944 movie, "Meet Me in St. Louis," that starred Judy Garland.  But the song went through several revisions before the movie came out and then several more revisions across the decades.
Production of movies is always a collaborative venture, and the early versions of this song were just too negative to suit Ms Garland and the producers.
Much of the  movie is a downer: A family anticipates being uprooted from the home where they have lived for years and having to move to big, scary New York City.  This will separate them from longtime friends.
The song as sung in the movie reflects this discouragement and uncertainty.  They hope for the day when "Faithful friends who were dear to us/Will be near to us once more .  .  .   if the Fates allow."  But until things are back to normal, they feel they will "have to muddle through somehow." So, with
all that in mind, the song ends, "have yourself a merry little Christmas now."
In later decades, the song enjoyed new popularity when the song was recorded by a string of pop singers, led off by Frank Sinatra. He wanted to sing it in an album called "A Jolly Christmas," and muddling through the season didn't sound very jolly.  So, Mr. Martin replaced muddling with hanging a star on the highest bough of the tree in order to have a merry little Christmas.
One more highly significant revision came many years later.  Mr. Martin became a Christian and wrote a specifically Christian version called "Have Yourself a Blessed Little Christmas." The lyrics proudly announce: "Christ the King is born," and the listener is urged to sing "hosannas, hymns, and hallelujahs .  .  . and have yourself a blessed little Christmas now."

P. S. I plan to reactivate this Christmas Potpourri Blog for the 2014 season with the goal of helping myself and others have a Blessed Little Christmas along with the traditional Merry Little Christmas.

Beginning January 1, 1892, 12 million immigrants went through Ellis Island in hopes of a new start in a new land

A fifteen-year-old Irish girl, Annie Moore, was the very first immigrant to be processed at Ellis Island, exactly 121 years ago today, January 1, 1892.    She was accompanied by her two brothers.   Their parents had come to New York City ahead of them.

Those young people were the vanguard of 12 million for whom this center, off the southern tip of Manhattan Island, would be the first stop in the country where they hoped to make a new beginning.

On that first day, some 700 immigrants passed through Ellis Island.  The first year saw 450,000 immigrants come through on their way to new life in the United States.

Hundreds of suitcases, trunks, and other luggage are stacked high in a large room at Ellis Island. Bags made of wood, metal, leather, cloth, and wicker are on display in what is appropriately known as “the Baggage Room.” 

The bags provide a lasting physical reminder of thousands of immigrants who crowded into this room daily to check their baggage before climbing the steps to the Registry Room.

While many ostensibly came with little more than the luggage in their hands and the clothes on their backs, most of these would-be new Americans brought a great deal more: They had hope in their hearts as they turned their backs on the lands of their birth and staked everything on the chance to make a new beginning in an adopted country.

A Wall of Honor on the island bears the names of half a million immigrants. In addition to those who were processed into the United States through Ellis Island, the number includes early colonial settlers and slaves. 

An estimated 100 million living Americans---40 percent of the population---can trace their roots to ancestors who came through Ellis Island. 

New Year’s Day is often called a time for “turning over a new leaf.” It’s a new leaf on the calendar as a new month and new year begin. Along with that, the new year is often a time for making resolutions and making a new start---thus, turning over a new leaf.

The leaf turned slowly for some whose entrance into the new land was delayed. They were placed in quarantine to face health problems or legal difficulties. Just so, the new leaf on a new year for us may be slow in turning. 

We may be quarantined on our own individual versions of Ellis Island, with our own emotional or family baggage weighing us down, not sure when a breakthrough will come that will enable us to move ahead to a new job, new relationships, new promises, new hope.

Yet this day---the first of the year---can be special as we look back on where we have been and look ahead with prayerful determination to make the most of each day the new year affords.

Verses for Today

“Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind, and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. Only let us hold fast to what we have attained” (Philippians 3:12-16).

Each day from Thanksgiving through today, New Year’s Day, January 1, 2013, I have shared inspirational thoughts, in keeping with Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.  These are from my book, Reflections for the Festive Seasons.  © 2002.  All rights reserved.

Now, I offer this prayer from the biblical book of Numbers, 6:24-26, for every day of 2013:

“The LORD bless you and keep you:

The LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you:

The LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace." Amen.

John Wycliffe was determined to make the Old and New Testaments available in the language of the people instead of just in Latin

If you read the Bible in English, you are indebted to a man who set out more than six centuries ago to make Scripture available in the language of the people.  In the time of John Wycliffe, the Bible was available only in Latin. 

Leaders of the Protestant Reformation focused on Holy Scriptures alone (The Latin phrase was sola scriptura) as the rule for faith, and they were sharply critical of the Roman Catholic Church’s additional acceptance of tradition (teachings of the Church after the New Testament period) and the authority of the pope. 

Martin Luther in the 16th Century is considered by many as the father of the Reformation, but  Wycliffe in the 14th Century was a pre-Luther reformer. 

Wycliffe, an Englishman, was in the Roman Church, but he was displeased with many aspects of its teachings. He wrote books attacking the bishops for their wealth and worldliness. He called the pope the Antichrist. 

Wycliffe said of the Bible: “The New Testament is of full authority, and open to the understanding of simple men, as to the points that be most needful for salvation.”  So, more than a century before Luther, Wycliffe strongly believed in sola scriptura. 

In 1380, Wycliffe recruited several fellow scholars to join him in translating the Bible into English. We do not know how much of the translation Wycliffe did. He died on this date, December 31, in 1384, before completion of the translation which bears his name. This was the first English translation of the entire Bible.

Regretfully, Wycliffe’s translation did not readily reach large numbers of English readers. Gutenberg’s printing press was not introduced until the middle of the 15th Century, more than half a century after Wycliffe died. So copies of the English Bible had to be made by hand. This makes Wycliffe’s work all the more remarkable.

How often and how carefully do we read our copies of the Bible in language we understand? As the year is ending, give thanks for the Bible, and resolve to read it more often and thoughtfully in the new year.

Verses for Today

“I treasure your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you: The unfolding of your word gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. With open mouth I pant, because I long for your commandments” (Psalm 119:11, 130-131).

Each day through tomorrow, New Year’s Day, January 1, 2013, inspirational thoughts will appear, in keeping with the seasons.  These are from my book, Reflections for the Festive Seasons.  © 2002.  All rights reserved.

Paul of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame was born on this day in 1937 and reborn 31 years later

Paul in the New Testament had a dramatic conversion that set him on a new path as an ardent advocate for Jesus.

Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame had a dramatic conversion that set him on a new path as a Christian solo act.

There was no blinding light at noonday, and Paul the folk singer was not persecuting Christians. His turn-around came one night in 1968 in Abilene, Texas, following a concert by the popular trio.

A brash young fan slipped past security during intermission and asked Paul if they could talk after the show. When the college-age boy came back with the crowd of autograph seekers, Paul asked what the boy wanted to talk about. The young man said, “I want to talk with you about the Lord.” That had to be put on hold while Peter, Paul, and Mary signed programs and albums, but the simple appeal struck a chord with Paul whose mother was a lapsed church member. So he took the youth and two of his friends to his motel room where they had a prayer meeting that resulted in Paul’s placing his faith in Jesus Christ.

About two years later, the three singers stopped their extensive touring and recording, for the most part going their separate ways. Paul’s wife Elizabeth was a longtime chaplain at a prep school.  Together, Paul and Elizabeth  committed themselves to a stable home life for their three daughters.  He has continued to perform, mainly as a solo act, writing songs with deep social concern, reflecting his Christian compassion.

He said, “Ultimately we’re all responsible for putting our belief into action.”  This conviction has led him to help political refugees in Central America.  Also, a foundation guided by one of his daughters has donated nearly two million dollars to charities in countries around the world.

In an interview several years ago, he said this:

“My discovery and ultimate thankfulness for the patience of a Creator who would be involved in my life as I allowed, obviously altered my motivations tremendously. And most of the songs I’ve written since the late ‘60’s, though they may be really quite wide contextually, are from the ‘forgiven and Loved’ perspective that one inherits as a gift of the Spirit. I’m just hopeful that I can be an encouragement; a challenge to other folks to reach for peace on earth by starting within their own hearts”  (http://www.peterpaulandmary.com/people/nps.htm).

The full name of the singer, who was born on this date, December 30, in 1937, is Noel Paul Stookey. He continues to use his talents as a composer and performer to entertain and to share with faith. Lyrics for some of his songs are available on his web site: http://www.noelpaulstookey.com. The site also carries detailed autobiographical information and access to on-line ordering of recordings by Paul and other performers.

He has recorded his own songs and songs written by others which reflect his faith.  For example, he arranged a setting of Psalm 23.  Michael Blanchard’s “Be Ye Glad” has the refrain: “Every debt that you ever had has been paid up in full by the Grace of the Lord.”

Bill K. Hughes’ song “Blessed” reminds us, if we ever lose our way or have no place to stand, “Then it’s time to remember .  .  .  Blessed are those who wait upon the Lord.”  

Year’s end is traditionally a time to reflect on the need for change and to resolve to make those changes. Paul Stookey’s active commitment as a Christian is a challenge to each of us on the brink of a new year.

A Verse for Today:

“Therefore, anyone who is in Christ is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17 Paraphrased).

Each day through New Year’s Day, January 1, 2013, inspirational thoughts will appear, in keeping with Christmas and New Year’s Day.  These are from my book, Reflections for the Festive Seasons.  © 2002.  All rights reserved.

"C" for "Christian" was the primary concern in starting the YMCA

Among the millions of people who work out on treadmills and in swimming pools each day at their local YMCAs, most probably do not realize the central focus was on Bible study and prayer when the Young Men’s Christian Association began in London in 1844.

The “C” of YMCA was George Williams’s main concern when he left a farm in rural England and moved to London to begin a sales career at the age of 21. He rallied other young men who wanted Christian fortification against the temptations and threats they faced in the big city.

As a Christian organization for young men, YMCA caught on in Great Britain and in North America as well. In 1851, branches were established in Montreal in November and in Boston on today’s date, December 29.

YMCA work began among white Protestant men, but it crossed barriers of denomination, gender, and race to include women and children, as well as men, of all races, religions, and nationalities.

After the Civil War, Y work focused on evangelistic work, with preaching in saloons and street corners. In the 1880s, YMCAs began hiring full-time staffs and putting up buildings. Those buildings included gyms and swimming pools, auditoriums and bowling alleys, and college dormitory type rooms with baths on the hall.

In World War I, YMCA ran military canteens, known today as post exchanges, in the United States and in France, as well as relief work for refugees and prisoners of war on both sides. 

YMCA became a social welfare agency, doing much of the work that federal government agencies later would adopt. For example, Y’s did relief work for the poor in the Great Depression of the late 1920s and early 1930s.

The contemporary logo features a large “Y,” as the organization is popularly known, but “YMCA” is there in little letters.

On the athletic front, YMCA claims credit for inventing various games, including volleyball, softball, and basketball.

Recognitions of the broad social impact of YMCA came as founder George Williams was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1894, and a later YMCA leader, John Mott, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1946. 

Athletics is a major factor in attracting 17.9 million people in the U. S. and 30 million worldwide, but leadership is determined to re-focus on the sometimes less conspicuous “Christian” in Young Men’s Christian Association.

Taking the historic look at YMCA and its varied emphases across the years, we are reminded that broader aspects of Christ’s coming include the physical, mental, and social along with the spiritual dimensions of life.

Verses for Today

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in divine and human favor” (Luke 2:52).

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27).

Each day through New Year’s Day, January 1, 2013, inspirational thoughts will appear, in keeping with Christmas and New Year’s Day.  These are from my book, Reflections for the Festive Seasons.  © 2002.  All rights reserved.

Two contrasting, conflicting festivals came in the wake of December 25

Two dramatically different feasts found their way into this date, December 28, on the historic Roman Catholic liturgical calendar: the Feast of Holy Innocents and the Feast of Fools. Church leaders have high regard for the first, but they generally choose to look the other way when the second is mentioned.

Holy Innocents memorializes the baby boys King Herod killed in his effort to destroy the King of the Jews, whom the Wise Men sought out. The narrative in Matthew 2 gives no details as to how this slaughter was to be carried out or the number of babies involved. Medieval authors projected 144,000 deaths. Others lowered the number to 64,000 or 14,000. Because Bethlehem was a small town, modern writers have drastically reduced the estimate to 20 or 10 or even 6. Whatever the number in this incident, ancient and religious writers describe Herod as a ruler who committed many atrocities.

Augustine called these innocent boys the first buds of the Church, killed by the frost of persecution.Their day is placed near Christmas Day because they are perceived as giving their life for the newborn King. This is one of many days throughout the liturgical year honoring saints and martyrs.

The on-line Catholic Encyclopedia describes the Feast of Fools as “marked by much license and buffoonery . . . during the later middle ages” in England, France, and other European countries (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06132a.htm). A carry-over from pagan revels, it found sanctification for a time in the Catholic church, with lower-level church leaders replacing the bishops and priests for a day. Sometimes a “boy bishop” wore the bishop’s garb and sat in the bishop’s chair during services. The event is said to have tottered “on the brink of burlesque, if not of the profane.”

While Holy Innocents is on a set date, the Feast of Fools was on various days between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, rather than always being on December 28.

These two divergent feasts as part of historic Christmas season remind us of the constant struggle we face in keeping Christmas Christian in our individual lives, our families, our churches. The secular, unredeemed, even pagan, elements confront us at every turn: using the holidays to justify excesses in gift buying, eating, drinking, and debauchery. The increasing darkness which comes day by day with the shorter hours of daylight as Christmas approaches can serve as a parable of the Feast of Fools when the unspiritual aspects can so readily gain the upper hand over the affirmation of Christ being new born in us.

Verses for Today

“. . . In him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. [John] himself was not that light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:4-9).

Each day through New Year’s Day, January 1, 2013, inspirational thoughts will appear, in keeping with Christmas and New Year’s Day.  These are from my book, Reflections for the Festive Seasons.  © 2002.  All rights reserved.

Carry Nation's misguided motives led to violence

Whether you're a teetotaler, a casual drinker, or a tippler, you probably agree that marching into a saloon with a hatchet and destroying the inventory is not the best strategy for ridding a community of strong drink.

Carry A. Nation believed strongly in the hatchet approach. At the end of the 19th Century and beginning of the 20th Century, that was her literal plan of attack. 

Her newsletter was called “The Smasher's Mail.” Her first husband, a physician, was an alcoholic who died two years after they married. She was living in Kansas in the small town of Medicine Lodge near the Oklahoma line when she began her crusade. She started in Medicine Lodge, but she went on to the cities of Wichita and Topeka and then on to other states.

Nation initially used softer approaches, including personal persuasion with saloon owners. When this was not effective, she escalated her efforts by conducting unasked-for prayer meetings on the premises. When prayer did not stop the flow of liquor, she used such implements as stones and bricks wrapped in newspaper and an iron rod strapped to her cane. She sold pewter hatchet pins to pay her way out of jail where she was frequently sent.

“Mother Nation,” as she came to be known, rallied many women to her cause through the Women’s Christian Temperance League, though not all members of the national WCTU endorsed her violence. She led local WCTU members in closing seven saloons, using non-violent actions before she resorted to more drastic measures.

Her second husband, David Nation, was a lawyer, minister, and editor. They lived together 14 years, but they divorced after her crusades turned violent. 

Nation also rallied women in the interest of voting rights. With women in the state, she lobbied the Kansas legislature, telling them, "You refused me the vote and I had to use a rock." They responded by passing the first significant temperance legislation in almost 15 years. 

The exact date when Nation started her hatchet work is in debate, along with the town where she trashed the first saloon. One source places it in Medicine Lodge on this date, December 27, in 1889; another exactly a year later in Wichita. Even so, there is no debate about her actions.

We admire Nation’s spunk, but her actions are Exhibit A in showing that the end does not justify the means. In the season of the birth of the Prince of Peace, we know he rarely used physical force, usually preferring a reasoned, loving approach.

A Verse for Today

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of ll” (Romans 12:17).

Each day through New Year’s Day, January 1, 2013, inspirational thoughts will appear, in keeping with Christmas and New Year’s Day.  These are from my book, Reflections for the Festive Seasons.  © 2002.  All rights reserved.