Spend Tonight On Bald Mountain

Modest Mussorgsky's composition Night on Bald Mountain was originally titled St. John’s Night on the Bare Mountain. The first version appeared in 1867 and was revised around 1872 and again in 1880.

In this last version he added a hauntingly beautiful quiet ending; in which a church bell announces the dawn, and daybreak chases away the evil spirit. As the sun rises, Church bells ring, Chernabog and his minions are banished. Ave Maria begins to play, symbolizing the triumph of Good over Evil.

1.     

2.     “Night on Bald Mountain” (1867) The piece was inspired by a short story by Gogol in which St. John witnesses a witches' sabbath on the Bald Mountain near Kiev. After Mussorgsky's death, his colleague, Rimsky-Korsakov rearranged the piece.

Night on Bald Mountain has remained an audience favorite ever since its appearance in Walt Disney’s landmark movie, Fantasia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLCuL-K39eQ

Big Bad Voodoo Tonight!

How To Celebrate St. John's Eve Today - Do You Voodoo?

United States  Historically, this date has been venerated in the practice of Louisiana Voodoo. The famous Voodoo priestess Marie Laveau was said to have held ceremonies on the Bayou St. John, in New Orleans, commemorating St John's Eve.  Many New Orleans residents still keep the tradition alive.

England  The feast of St. John the Baptist, is one of the quarter days in England. The town of Midsomer Norton, in Somerset, England, is said to be named after the Feast Day of St John the Baptist, which is also the parish church.

France  In France, the "Fête de la Saint-Jean" (feast of St John), traditionally celebrated with bonfires (le feu de la Saint-Jean) that are reminiscent of Midsummer's pagan rituals, is a Catholic festivity in celebration of Saint John the Baptist. It takes place on June 24, on Midsummer day (St John's day). In certain French towns, a tall bonfire is built by the inhabitants in order to be lit on St John's Eve. In the Vosges region and in the Southern part of Meurthe-et-Moselle, this huge bonfire is named "chavande".

Ireland  In some rural parts of Ireland, particularly in the north-west, Bonfire Night is held on St. John's Eve, when bonfires are lit on hilltops.   Many towns and cities have "Midsummer Carnivals", with fairs, concerts and fireworks, around the same time.

Italy  The feast of Saint John the Baptist has been celebrated in Florence from medieval times, and certainly in the Renaissance, with festivals sometimes lasting three days from 21 to 24 June. Such celebrations are held nowadays in Cesena from June 21 to 24, also with a special street market. Saint John the Baptist is the patron saint of Genoa, Florence and Turin where a fireworks display takes place during the celebration on the river. In Turin Saint John's cult is also diffused since medieval times when the city stops to work for two days and people from the surroundings comes to dance around the bonfire in the central square.

Puerto Rico  On the island of Puerto Rico, originally named San Juan Batista, after the saint, by Christopher Columbus, a night-long celebration is held. After sunset, people travel to a beach or any accessible body of water (e.g. river, lake or even bathtub) and, at midnight, fall backwards into it seven or twelve times. This is done to cleanse the body from sin and give good luck for the following year.

Scandinavia  In the Scandinavian countries, in which the evening is called Sankt Hans or Jonsok, short for Saint Johannes or Saint John's Wake, the tradition is to gather around a large fire. In some countries (Denmark) a witch burning is included. The witch is represented by a doll, often made by the children, wearing old clothes and having an evil look. This evening is a large celebration, often enjoyed together with drinking, dancing and festiveness for the whole town. In Sweden the celebration is called midsummer and takes place on a Friday close to the actual date. Swedish historian Olaus Magnus in 1555 recorded this traditional outdoor celebration including numerous bonfires, dancing and singing of traditional songs.

In Other Countries  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_John's_Eve

Burn A Bonfire Tonight

The evening of 23 June, St. John's Eve, is the eve of celebration before the Feast Day of Saint John the Baptist. 

The Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:36, 56–57) states that John was born about six months before Jesus; therefore, the feast of John the Baptist was fixed on 24 June, six months before Christmas Eve. 

This feast day is one of the very few saints' days which commemorates the anniversary of the birth, rather than the death, of the saint being honored.  

The Feast of St. John closely coincides with the June solstice, also referred to as Midsummer in the Northern hemisphere. 

The Christian holy day is fixed at 24 June; but in most countries festivities are mostly held the night before, on St. John's Eve.

Does Your Church Have Security?

Training 'gatekeepers' for churches

Chuck Chadwick heads the National Organization of Church Security and Safety Management, an organization that is specifically designed to help churches avoid deadly church attacks like the one this week in Charleston, South Carolina, that claimed the lives of nine people. Chadwick suggests one aspect of vigilance is for churches to have gatekeepers who are armed and prepared to respond to potential or real acts of violence.

Our Founding Scripture - 1 Chronicles 9:21-24

21 And later Zechariah son of Meshelemiah had been responsible for guarding the entrance of the tabernacle.

22 In all, there were 212 Gatekeepers in those days, and they were listed by genealogies in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed their ancestors because they were reliable men.

23 These gatekeepers and their descendants, by their divisions, were responsible for guarding the entrance to the house of the LORD, the house that was formerly a tent.

24 The gatekeepers were stationed on all four sides—east, west, north, and south.

http://www.gopusa.com/freshink/2015/06/20/training-gatekeepers-for-churches/?subscriber=1

Church Ladies With Typewriters

They're Back! Those wonderful Church Bulletins! Thank God for the church ladies with typewriters. These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced at church services:  

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.   
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Scouts         are saving aluminium cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.  
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The sermon this morning:    'Jesus Walks on the Water.'    The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.'  
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Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.  
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Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.        
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Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again,' giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.   
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For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.   
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Next Thursday there will be try-outs for the choir. They need all the help they can get.   
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Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.  
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A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.   
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At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.   
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Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
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Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered..
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The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.  
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Pot-luck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.
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The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.  
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This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.  
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The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.   
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Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM . Please use the back door.  
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The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM .. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
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Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.  
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And this one just about sums them all up
The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new campaign slogan last Sunday:
'I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours.'
 

Funniest Act On Britain's Got Talent

UNBELIEVABLE !!!!!!!!!!!! 

For Dog Lovers!

   

Funniest Act On Britain's Got Talent

 

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/xU7FdD1SpHc?rel=0

 

You don't stop laughing because you grow old,

You grow old because you stop laughing.

How Does All This End?

"In 1945, after some 60 million had perished in World War II, the Western democracies blamed themselves for having appeased and empowered fascist empires.

That sadder but wiser generation taught us two lessons:

-       Small sacrifices now can avoid catastrophic ones later on.

-       Dictatorial regimes on a roll never voluntarily quit playing geostrategic poker.

If the present trajectories continue:

-       A reconfigured Middle East will be bookended by radical Islamic empires — the Islamic State caliphate and a new Persian empire.

-       China will control most of the Pacific and adjudicate trade, commerce and politics west of Hawaii and to the south and east of India.

-       The client states of a new Russian empire will border central Europe and be under constant pressure to leave the EU, NATO or both.

How does all this end? One of two ways:

-       America and its allies can reawaken, gradually restore deterrence and re-establish the old postwar order without a global war.

-       Or the United States will not be bothered — at least until this new generation of dictators bothers us at home."

Victor Davis Hanson