Lenten Prayer #19: For Devastated Cities to Be Restored

Isaiah 61:1,4
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners...
They will renew the ruined cities that have been
devastated for generations.

Luke 4:43 He said to them, "I must preach the Kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose."

We pray that the purpose for which Jesus Christ cam will still be fulfilled in our day.  Our neighborhoods are just one small part of your infinite purpose!  Do not overlook a single town or village, ghetto or barrio, neighborhood or network throughout the land.  May the love of your kingdom be displayed and declared everywhere.  Amen

Lenten Prayer # 18 That God Will Be Praised By Those Who Once Were Lost

Isaiah 12:1-3
In that day, you will say:
"I will praise you, LORD.
Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
and you have comforted me.
Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.”
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.

Mark 5:19  Jesus...said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

We pray to you on behalf of those who fear your anger but doubt your love.  We pray for those who are hiding from you, becoming a shadow of what they could be.  Reveal to them the love demonstrated on the cross of Christ.  Find those who are lost and wandering, unsure of their direction, of their source, of their destination.  May the good news of your love and your grace ripple throughout the families and the friendships of our towns and cities.  Give new boldness to those who have walked with you for years, and allow them to tell their stories, once again, with renewed joy.  May your mercy amaze us.  May your love become spectacular, for yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory. Amen

Lenten Prayer # 16: For Desperate People

Psalm 107:4-6, 8-9
Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to an inhabited town;
hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress;
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
For he satisfies the thirsty,
and the hungry he fills with good things.

God, you are the rescuer of humankind.  We dare to ask you that life's circumstances will reveal the emptiness of our self-sufficiency.  May we become sick of arrogance and rudeness and self-centered plans.  May we recall something we have known of your love, and may we turn toward you.  When we do, meet us in those moments of turning, of repentance.  May we see your loving heart.  Summon us home with hope that you can change us, and change our lives into something beautiful.  Amen

(Today's prayer made me think of one of my late mother's favorite songs.)

Lenten Prayer # 6: For Consistency

Luke 18:1  ...at all times they ought to pray and not lose heart...

Lord, it is all too easy for us to lose heart.  Some of us have often berated ourselves for our lack of prayer, blaming our full and busy lives.  But perhaps we have not been overwhelmed by our schedules but have instead lost heart.  Sometimes it is difficult to believe  that you really do hear us.  Help us to sense a renewed urgency to pray with tenacity and determination!  We know that our own resolve is not likely to be enough.  Infuse us with a genuine zeal for what is good, true and right.  Help us to understand that you are pleased with our attempts, feeble though they may sometimes be, to pray with persistence.  We ask that you reveal yourself to the one who has lost hope, encourage the one who is tired, bring clarity and purpose to the one who is lost in confusion.  Teach us, Lord, to pray.  Amen

Lenten Prayer # 4: For Pure Hearts

Oh Lord, how can we ask you to change our area, our city, our country...without first asking you to change us?  Cleanse our hearts and minds, and help us to stop blaming others for the problems around us.  Grant to us enduring spiritual strength and power to serve with integrity and resolve.  We long for the joy of devotion to you, our Holy God.  Amen

Remembering Mary Travers

This video is how I remember Mary Travers--that strong, deep voice belting out the music, tossing that blond hair back out of her eyes...singing for all she was worth and Paul and Peter harmonizing too...amazing harmony.

I am a Peter, Paul and Mary fan from way back. Oh sure, I came of age in the '60s so we all loved folk music to some degree. But Ken and I own every album they made, including one very non-folky one. I know ever word to every song they sang, not just the well-known ones that made the Top 40. We also own Paul Stookey's solo album (love it) which is simply titled "Paul."

Peter, Paul and Mary were singing during many memorable moments of my life. That sentimental song, "Puff the Magic Dragon" brought tears to my eyes as a kid. I was kissed under the stars at the famous Hollywood Bowl while listening to PP&M sing. After another concert a friend remarked, "Listening to those three is almost like they are in your living room giving you a personal concert." It was true. I don't know how they managed it, but with their guitars, voices, lyrics, gentle humor and passion for justice they connected with their audience in a way that was uncanny.

Our kids love them too. Actually, our kids can quote the entire "Paul Talk" track--side two of the "Peter, Paul and Mary in Concert" album. I laughed so hard the first time I heard it that I nearly fell off my sister's couch.

I sang "I'm in Love With a Big Blue Frog" and people thought it was about Ken. My late sister, Darlaine, our friend Rod Turner, and I sang their songs, and others, at a few Valentine's banquets! I recall many evenings when Rod and I sat in my living room singing and singing...PP&M, Ian and Sylvia, and Dylan. I was so very young then!

I am saddened to hear of Mary's passing, and it almost feels as though I lost a personal friend--yet another reminder of the brevity of life in this world.

God Loves People

John 3:16-17 (King James Version)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

God loves us.

You knew that, right? Me too. So why is it so easy to start thinking and acting like God is condemnation, or God is anger, or God is snobbish?

Last weekend we went to one of our favorite "Rendezvous" sites. (That's "rondy voo" as in fur-trade era playing), not a romantic tryst. I've posted about this site before. This is the third time we've been to this one, which is mostly a smallish group (20 lodges or so) of friends and friendly acquaintances. It is the place where I was asked to do something I never expected, the place where I baptized someone I normally wouldn't have, where I met The Mandolin Man, and where I took pictures of musicians in the twilight.

Each year we've been there we have been aware of God's presence in some way, particularly on Sunday in the little church service. This year was no exception. Something had subtly changed in attitudes towards us, not that they were bad before, but this time people were more relaxed. They remembered our names, talked about previous rendezvous there, admired little Trinity (who was with us without Mommy and Daddy and did fine). They also graciously welcomed Kevin, Ken's brother, like a long-lost friend.

This rendezvous was quite enjoyable partly because there were a number of really good musicians. The man who plays the washtub bass like a pro was there again, an old man who literally made music with a pair of spoons, another interesting guy who used a washboard for percussion (Zydeco style), a fiddler, and a couple of guitarists. Ever since the baptism experience, we are asked to have a worship service on Sunday. It's always interesting. This year several of the musicians agreed to play for Sunday worship.

They were a motley crew, I tell you! I wish I had a picture. (I would have except I forgot to put the memory card back the last time I used the camera.) Picture all of the people dressed in 18th Century garb.

The bass player plucked his one string, with facial expressions and body language that eloquently said, "I love making this music." He is extraordinary, and I can hardly believe the music he makes with a washtub, broom handle and one string. It makes me smile just to watch and listen to someone enjoy themselves so much in such a simple way.

The man with the spoons had a long, grizzled beard and his hard life showed in the deep wrinkles of his face. The one with the washboard was white-haired and smiling and wore red suspenders to match his voyageur-style red striped long socks.. The guy with the guitar, who loves Dylan songs, was younger.

They played and sang "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "I'll Fly Away," and "Keep on the Sunny Side." It might seem funny to think of singing those songs at a worship service, but they were very sincere. As they played Trinity smiled and clapped her little hands and bounced on her wooden camp chair. Others sang, smiled, or just nodded in time. Kevin sang from his wheelchair next to Trinity, wearing his late father's Stetson hat that he had flattened out "mountain man" style. A beautiful little girl with long blond hair sang and smiled in the front row, her boot tips peeking out from beneath the hem of her long skirt.

Something happened. I became intensely aware of God's love. Pure, unalloyed, constant--God loved the spoon player with the deep wrinkles who had probably imbibed too much the night before. God loved to see the washboard bass player having so much joy in his music. God loved the beautiful little blond girl, the cute black children who were dressed in fringed buckskin, the grandparents of the little boy who'd been baptized a couple of years ago. God loved the circle of simple worship. And God loved the ones who, in spite of our efforts and our friendly invitation, did not attend but stayed away, as they have each year, for reasons only they knew.

I wanted the simple moment, the simple and sentimental music, the blue sky and sunshine to go on and on. Truly, my spirit seemed to swell with a deep awareness of the boundless love of our Creator God to his fallible and fickle creation, humankind.

A chance jest from the organizer of the rendezvous, "No need to pray for _________, he's going to Hell no matter what" had turned into a sermon idea. I ended up talking about John 3:16-17. Several of the church attenders probably had little to no understanding of God's "good news." So I kept it very simple. I spoke of God's love and how so many of us think God is eager to condemn us--when the opposite is true.

Afterwards, the grandmother of the baptized boy (I don't know how else to identify him) came up to me and softly said, "Thank you so much" as she hugged me hard. I'm not sure what she was thanking me for, but I knew the Holy Spirit was with us in that moment. Her little grandson, now almost four, appears to be autistic and to have other problems.

Her husband, who tends to be bombastic, hugged me as well and joked, "That is the first time I ever hugged a lady preacher. I used to be scared of you. Maybe some of the holy will wear off on me." Another man quietly said, as he shook my hand, "Thanks for helping me think about God in a different way." Another said, "I liked your sermon. The only time I go to church is here or at other rendezvous. Don't misunderstand, I am a Christian man. I just don't like church. Thanks for making us feel welcome.."

Thank you, God for people. Thank you, God for being love--so amazing, so holy, so beyond finding out. And thank you, God, for the chance to share a simple sermon and to be reminded that you did, indeed, call me to preach the word. Send someone to water the seeds planted, to love, to smile, to be you in this world. Have your way in the hearts and life of each person who was with us last weekend. Continue the good things you have begun, I pray, for the sake of the Kingdom. Amen

Kyrie Eleison--Lord, Have Mercy

Just before attending a beautifully done Good Friday community worship service, something occurred that revealed a part of my thoughts and attitude that I did not like to see. I was sad during most of the service. This was partly due to the readings, the sombre atmosphere and the things we remember on the day Jesus died, but it was also partly due to the awareness I had that if it were not for the mercy and grace of our Lord, I could not hope to stand in God's presence. I felt like Isaiah when, standing before God's throne, he cried, "Woe is me. I am undone." There were moments of silence interspersed in the service, and during those times I found myself thinking "Lord, have mercy on me according to your lovingkindness."

The good news is, the gospel is for those who understand that they are not righteous.

From Luke 23
Now...there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near. And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

Nehemiah 9:31
Nevertheless in Your great mercy ,You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them; For You are God, gracious and merciful.

Deuteronomy 7:9
Therefore know that the LORD... He is...the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.

The video today features the unusual music of Isaac Everet. I don't quite like the fish motif, but I find the mournful sound of the Australian digeridu quite fitting as it opens a song that says, "Lord, have mercy! Christ, have mercy!" Thankfully, he does!

Let's wait together in hope for the joy that comes in the morning.




Psalm 30:10
Hear, O LORD, and have mercy on me. LORD, be my helper!”

At the Cross

From Mark 15 (New International Version)

The...Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. "Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate. "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of." But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed..."What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them.

"Crucify him!" they shouted.

"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"

Pilate...had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified. The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace...the whole company of soldiers...put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out..."Hail, king of the Jews!" Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him...

They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull)...and crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. It was the third hour when they crucified him.

The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS...Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!" The...the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe."

At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah." One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said.

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"

When I viewed "The Passion" movie, I expected to be distressed by the scourging and crucifixion scenes, and I was. But the scene which, somewhat inexplicably, moved me the most and caused me to feel not only deeply sad but deeply angry, was of the soldiers mocking Jesus--the crown, robe, bowing down, taunts...these caused a depth of anger in me that was surprising. I felt murderous, even though I knew, of course, that this was a film and these were actors I was watching. I knew quite clearly in that moment that I would likely have been like Peter in the garden, wildly swinging a sword and wanting to kill someone. I understood somehow, in that moment in a darkened theatre, a little more of what it must have meant for Jesus Christ to endure in silence and to say, "Father, forgive them. They know not what they do."

Today's video is of the well-known hymn by Isaac Watts, sung here by the Sharon Singers of Sharon Mennonite Bible Institute. The lovely tune was new to me.

The Basin and the Towel

From John 13

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress...Jesus knew that...he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him...When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them...

When the disciples arrive for their last meal with Jesus, someone has forgotten something important. The servant who is assigned the task of washing the feet of the guests is not present. Can you picture the scene? As each man looks around, each one takes note that no one is there to serve in the accustomed way. And one by one they reject the humble place and choose pride--they each choose to sit down. If they were indeed seated in the Roman way of reclining on couches, might not a pair of dirty feet be much too close to the face of a friend?

And then there is Jesus. Perhaps he waits a moment to see what will happen. And then their holy rabbi, teacher, messiah, their companion from the road...takes up the towel.

I find this song powerful, convicting, amazing...

The words are printed below the video. There is not much to look at (just Michael Card's shiny head--smile) so if you would like, you can read along as you listen to the music of this beautiful song.



In an upstairs room, a parable
is just about to come alive.
And while they bicker about who's best,
with a painful glance, He'll silently rise.

Their Savior Servant must show them how
by the will of the water
and the tenderness of the towel.

And the call is to community,
The impoverished power that sets the soul free.
In humility, to take the vow,
that day after day we must take up the basin and the towel.

In any ordinary place,
on any ordinary day,
the parable can live again
when one will kneel and one will yield.

Our Saviour Servant must show us how
by the will of the water
and the tenderness of the towel.

And the space between ourselves sometimes
is more than the distance between the stars.
By the fragile bridge of the Servant's bow
we take up the basin and the towel.

And the call is to community,
The impoverished power that sets the soul free.
In humility, to take the vow,
that day after day we must take up the basin and the towel.

What Does it Mean to Be Like Jesus?

Luke 5:27-31 New Living Translation
Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him. Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?” Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent

Today I'm posting the song "My Jesus" by Todd Agnew. Sometime I like this song. Sometimes I do not. I love Todd Agnew's music, but this song strikes me as a bit smug. He says Jesus would not be welcome in his church, and perhaps that is true in far too many cases, but I also grow weary, sometimes, of church bashing. So are you wondering, "Well, if you dislike something about the song why are you posting it?"

The song asks some hard questions, pokes at the "American dream," uses some words we might not care for in a "Christian" song. But in my discomfort at some of what I hear, I am challenged to ask myself if I really want to care for the poor, hang out with "thieves and sluts and liars" and in the end perhaps receive evil for good.

If Jesus walked this earth today, where might we find him? What might he be doing and saying? Would he be welcome at my dinner table, my party, my family gathering? My church? Well, if we knew he was Jesus he would have to be--but what if we did not recognize him? Is it true he would choose not to hang out with "the stained glass crowd?"



Ministries like this one are springing up in cities across America. I found it amazing, refreshing, encouraging--and had to seriously ask myself if I would be willing to participate.

Celtic Woman -- A New Journey -- The Prayer

Sometime ago I had the great pleasure of going with a friend to see Celtic Woman. The following video features Chloe singing a song that was part of that evening's performance. I find these words

Need to find a place
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe

particularly poignant. Somewhere in each of us lives a child who longs for a safe place. This is particularly true for those of us who had no safe place in our world, particularly during the years when we formed out opinions about the world and our place in it. We humans look for patterns, for reason and logic and order; it is part of who we are and how we survive in the world.. I suspect that part of the reason for that is our need to feel in control, to feel safe. Yet every day horrible, unjust, painful, unfair, wrong things happen and sometimes they make no sense. The truth is, there is no safe place--except in God.

From Romans 8

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God...he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us...wemust wait patiently and confidently.

I believe the Bible teaches that God's creation was marred by sin. Since we are given freedom to choose God's way or to reject God's way, this world is not a safe place. That is difficult, isn't it? We can, and should, take steps to make places of peace and security, places of love and acceptance and forgivness. But our true and eternal safety is found in the hope that God will one day give us our complete inheiritance as children. God is our safe place!

The words to the song are below the video.



I pray you'll be our eyes
And watch us where we go
And help us to be wise
In times when we don't know
Let this be our prayer
As we go our way
Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace
To a place where we'll be safe

I pray we'll find your light
And hold it in our hearts
When stars go out each night
Remind us where you are
Let this be our prayer
When shadows fill our day
Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe

We ask that life be kind
And watch us from above
We hope each soul will find
Another soul to love
Let this be our prayer
Just like every child
Needs to find a place
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe

Need to find a place
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe

Lead Me to the Cross

Matthew 20:28
"...the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Not to be served
but to serve.

The words sound
good
and holy and right.
We know, Lord,
we followers of yours,
that we are servants.

It sounds simple,
and if
we only could.
Why is it
so hard
this simple thing?

Lead me to the cross
and remind me
Oh Lord,
that my life
is lost
so I may be found.

Lead me to the cross,
and remind me.

D.G.

Hosanna!

John 12:12-13

The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:
“ Hosanna!
‘ Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’
The King of Israel!”

The sound of Phil Driscoll's gravelly yet stirring voice and his amazing trumpet transports me back to a time when my children were small, I was younger, more naive, and in some ways more hopeful about the Church, the world, and my place in it. The society and the world we live in seem fragile--perhaps broken beyond repair.

Oh Lord, may heaven and earth be filled with your glory. As we sing our "hosannas" today, may we be reminded that our praise is but a shadow of what is to come!

The verses that follow are not the words to the song. Those are my words. Be blessed today.



Holy, holy, holy Lord
God of power and might
Will you not rend the heavens
and come down?

Once again we praise You
And we sing and shout
Hosanna
Once again we sing
of victory.

Can you see them
on the road
lifted palms--and hearts and hands?
How the people shouted
even as the darkness gathered

The joy turned soon
to sorrow
as you wept to see Jerusalem
Do you weep to see us now
The lost and lonely?

Hosannah,
hosanna, hosanna
I will praise you on the road
And I will wait.

Holy, holy, holy Lord
God of power and might
Will you not rend the heavens
and come down?

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

This is week four in the OASIS theme. This week we'll consider how God's gift of joy inpacts how we affect the lives of others.

Here is Phil Driscoll with a trumpet rendition of "Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee" to start our week.



And the great acapella group, Take Six, singing a "Joy to the World" medly.

When Love Came Down

Christmas at the OASIS

Devotions for Advent week one focused on the O of OASIS--Offer Hope. Then last week we considered how the theme of PEACE relates to our letter A of OASIS--Advance God's Kingdom.

This week we will light the love candle on our Advent wreath. The S in OASIS is for Share God's Love. Here are two very different videos to start off Advent Week Three here at The Owl's Song.

A Johnny Appleseed Friday Five

I'm hosting the Rev Gals & Pals Friday Five today, so I think I'll write about someone who has interested me since my childhood. Raise your hand if you know that today, September 26th, is Johnny Appleseed Day! September 26, 1774 was his birthday. Johnny Appleseed" (John Chapman) is one of America's great legends. He was a nurseryman who started out planting trees in western New York and Pennsylvania, but he was among the American settlers who were captivated by the movement west across the continent. As Johnny travelled west (at that time, the "West" was places like Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois) he planted apple trees and sold trees to settlers. With every apple tree that was planted, the legend grew. A devout Christian, he was known to preach during his travels. According to legend, Johny Appleseed led a simple life and wanted little. He rarely accepted money and often donated any money he received to churches or charities. He planted hundereds of orchards, considering it his sevice to humankind. There is some link between Johny Appleseed and very early Arbor Day celebrations.

So, in honor of this interesting fellow, let's get on with the questions!

1. What is your favorite apple dish? (BIG BONUS points if you share the recipe.)

This is not my favorite. I mean, there's apple pie, and apple crisp, and apple strudel, and apple bread...but it is really good! It seems an appropriate little recipe to share, this being the home of Cheese Heads.

Cheesy Baked Apples

Ingredients

4 medium apples - peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

In a shallow dish, arrange apple slices. Sprinkle with water and lemon juice. In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Sprinkle over apples. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until apples are tender. Uncover, top with shredded cheese, and bake 5 minutes more or until cheese melts. Great side dish!
Serves: 6.

2. Have you ever planted a tree? If so was there a special reason or occasion you can tell us about?

Yes, I planted a plum tree in the backyard of my childhood home in California, with help from my dad. Never was any tree treated so tenderly, watered, fertilized, and the second year we watched with anticipation to see how many plums we would have. Nothing happened. Finally, late in the summer, one small plum appeared. We were excited, and we watched its purple progress with thoughts of juicy Santa Rosa plums dancing in our heads. We were scheduled to take a vacation to Texas, so we gave the tree a good soaking before we got in the car. We calculated that the plum would be ripe about the time we arrived back home--still the only plum on the tree--but everyone decided that Daddy and I would be the ones to eat the "fruit" of our two years of labor. When we arrived home I ran out back right away--THE PLUM WAS GONE!

I cried. (I was only 8.) Later that day we discovered that a no account, shiftless, bum of a neighbor (I guess it still bugs me) had helped himself to our one and only plum. That poor tree--it never produced another one.

3. Does the idea of roaming around the countryside (preaching or otherwise) appeal to you? Why or why not?

Oh yeah! That's one of the reasons I was fascinated by Johnny Appleseed stories. I liked the wandering idea then, and I still do. Have you read "A Walk Across America?" Well, I think I'd prefer an RV, but I'd love to hit the road. Preaching too? What else could a preacher woman ask for?

4. Who is a favorite "historical legend" of yours?

I know this is cheating, but it's my F.F. and I already picked him. It's Johnny Appleseed, of course. Even the little we know is fascinating. How often does one encounter a truely selfless, kind, singing, tree-planting person, after all? I always wondered just what made him "tick" and why he thought planting trees was so important.

5. Johnny Appleseed was said to sing to keep up his spirits as he travelled the roads of the west. Do you have a song that comes when you are trying to be cheerful, or is there something else that you often do?

I sing. Sometimes I sing the Johnny Appleseed song. Really. Here it is.

God So Loved the World

I just thought this was so lovely that I would share it with you.

Remembering Larry Norman

If you note such things, you have already heard that Larry Norman, the so called "Father of Christian Rock Music," passed away a few days ago. He was sixty. Sixty? How strange.

My maiden name was Norman. Partly for that reason I once found myself sitting on the floor in a California church basement with a bunch of other kids, listening in mild amazement to the hippie-type guitar player. He talked and joked in a soft voice and he sang about wishing we'd all been ready, and about walking backwards down the stairs, and being a servant, and (my favorite) the sweet, sweet song of salvation. I think it was 1968.

I had no idea that I, for good or ill, was watching the first part of a revolution in the Christian music world. But I remember saying to those with me, "I have NEVER heard anything like this."
In my world there was a widening variety of popular music. We had crooners like Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra and Doris Day. We all knew about Elvis, even though he was beginning to be a bit of a joke. Everyone liked the smooth vocalizations of Nat King Cole, and the color line was eroding, as far as music was concerned. The Beatles had changed our ideas of chord progressions and the Beach Boys had brought surfer music, and psychedelic music was growing in popularity. And of course there was classical and "easy listening" (boring elevator) music.

However, "Christian" or "religious" music was still narrowly defined. We had books containing hymns and gospel songs. Mostly "white" churches had pianos and/or organs and sang anthems. Mostly "black" churches sang "gospel" and the music had more of a beat. Still, they had pianos and organs, albeit the organs were played quite differently. I had never heard of a worship team or a praise band. I had never seen a guitar played in church, nor drums. For a change we might listen to a "southern gospel" quartet such as The Blackwood Brothers or The Statesmen.

Larry Norman was fascinating. Partly that was so because I just knew he was some sort of distant cousin. He looked very much like my Norman relations. I bought the record album with the blue cover that you will see below. It was clear in the picture on the album that he had the same "Norman family nose" (slight crease) that my dad and my sister and I had. Cool! Even more interesting and astonishing was his music. The music was unlike anything I'd ever heard. Oh, I had heard guitars and folksy stuff, and rock too. But NEVER with lyrics about God or Jesus or salvation or eternity. That was radical indeed. Not far into the future we had the Second Chapter of Acts, Randy Stonehill, Love Song and Petra. But on that summer night in California listening to Larry, we had no idea of what was coming .

Larry's voice could be sweet and light, as when he sang "I am Your Servant" or low and rough-edged. He was quite versatile. I tried to find a clip of "Sweet Sweet Song of Salvation" or one of his more hard-edged music stylings, but this will have to do. Rest in peace, brother Larry. And thank you for broadening our understanding

A Little Mahalia Jackson

The late great Mahalia Jackson was among my sister Darlaine's favorite singers. I wish I could have found a clip of "Walkin' in Jerusalem" (a song about walking, talking and singing high up in "Jerusalem" after we die) but this one is a good substitute. It takes me back years ago to Sunday mornings at her house as we blasted gospel music and sang or danced along while we got ready for church. One line in this song used to make my sister smile. It's the one about joining the heavenly choir where we can "sing and never get tired."

The clip is rather poor quality--but oh that voice--!