Epiphany: 3/1/08

Sunday, March 30, 2008

For Home Viewing April 2008

THE KID

The Kid (Charles Chaplin, 1921) is an assigned film for home viewing. (The spring break allows more time to do this, though you may choose to wait until the break is over.)
    It was directed by, and stars, Charlie Chaplin, who also wrote and produced the film and (later) added a musical score. The Kid is famous for Chaplin's blending of comedy and pathos along with social commentary.
    Every film student should know Chaplin's cinema. For he is, without doubt, one of the great artists of the twentieth century, and, with director D. W. Griffith, one of the first great artists of the cinema.
    We study this film from many points of view, but our focus will be on traditional presentational acting technique, different from today's "naturalistic" and representational acting styles (see study pictures).
    Chaplin had no equal as a mime artist and was one of the early cinema's great directors. His stories (staged by himself) were well plotted; his cinematography, while not fancy, was functional (it captured each key moment).
    Chaplin summed up camera scale with the motto, "Long shot for comedy, close-up for tragedy." This is not exactly true, but as a general principle it holds true.
    Born in England, Chaplin migrated to America and helped make Hollywood the world center of the new cinema. As much as any one person, he can be credited with making cinema the great art form of the twentieth century. Only D. W. Griffith, as director, was his equal in forming the basic grammar of film.
    At one time Chaplin was the most famous man in the world. Even his music became famous. "Smile" (from Modern Times) is one of the most recorded songs of all time, while "Eternally" (from Limelight) and "This Is My Song" (from Countess from Hong Kong) are close behind. (Click on the links to hear these famous songs.)
    The longest standing ovation in the history of the Academy Awards (Oscars) was for Charles Spencer Chaplin when he was presented with an honorary Oscar near the end of his long life (he never won a regular Oscar). View this classic clip from the 1971 Oscar broadcast here.
    Attached are study pictures for each of the seven segments of the film on the internet. Click on the link at the top of the page to get started viewing The Kid. Once there you can find the next six segments yourself.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Tchaikovsky (Click to ENLARGE)

Thursday, March 27, 2008

12 Minor Prophets (2): Week of 15 April 2008

12 Minor Prophets (2)
Week of 15 April 2008

Nahum
An attack on Ninevah (capital of Assyria), soon to fall to the Babylonians; the city Jonah is asked to reform. Study the strong images.
1

1: The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

1: Woe to the bloody city, full of lies and robbery;
2: The noise of a whip and rattling wheels and horses and chariots.
3: The horseman lifts up the bright sword and the shining spear: there are many corpses:
12: Your strongholds shall be like fig trees with the first ripe figs: if shaken, they'll fall into the mouth of the eater.
17: Your crowned are like the locusts, and your captains great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun arises, they flee and their place is not known.
The following may be an ironic reference to the great Trust Psalm, 121: "He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep" (121:4).
18: Your shepherds sleep, O king of Assyria: your nobles shall dwell in the dust.

Habakkuk
1

Similar to Job, and Jeremiah's question, "Why do the wicked prosper?"

2: O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you not hear?
3: Why do you make me see wrongs and look upon trouble?
4: So the law is slacked and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous, so justice goes forth perverted.
13: Why do you look on faithless men, and are silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?
14: For you make men like the fish of the sea, like crawling things with no ruler.
15: He drags them out with his net; so he rejoices.
16: And he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to it; by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich.
17: Is he then to empty his net, and cruelly slay nations forever?
Should the evil benefit from their crimes?

2: And the LORD said: "Write the vision; make it plain upon tablets, so he may run who reads it.
3: For still the vision awaits its time; it hastens to the end -- it will not lie. If it seem slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.
Because of Romans 1:17, the following has become one of the key verses in the Bible: "the righteous shall live by faith." This is the text that inspired Martin Luther, that started the Reformation, which split the church.
4: Behold, he whose soul is not upright in him shall fail, but the righteous shall live by his faith.
This is an unusual biblical argument by "prudence" (foresight) rather than "morals": that is, one should act because of the feared consequences, not because it is wrong in itself. It applies even today: neglected social groups cause social problems (crime, drugs, etc.):
7: Will not your debtors suddenly arise, and those awake who will make you tremble? Then you will be booty for them.
8: Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you.
9: Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm!
A common saying, which is probably independent of the Bible: "What goes around comes around":
16: The cup in the LORD's right hand will come around to you, and shame will come upon your glory!

I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us.
This is one of the clearest statements of faith in the Bible:
17: Though the fig tree do not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,
18: yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Zephaniah
1

14: The great day of the LORD is near.
The following is the source of the Dies Irae ("Day of Wrath" or "Day of Anger") of the Requiem Mass (the mass for the dead). It's a theodicy too, since it says that Judah's fall is punishment by God for social wrongs:
15: A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16: a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements.
18: Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the LORD.

Haggai
1

The house refers to the temple, after the Jews returned from the Babylonian Captivity (539 BCE). The temple was finished in 515.

1: In the second year of Darius the king, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the high priest.
9: "You have looked for much, and it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? Because of my house that lies in ruins, while you busy yourselves each with his own house."
12: Then Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest, with the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet.
14: and they came and worked on the house of the LORD.

20: The word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai,
The Jews hope for a change in the world's powers, so they can be at peace again.
21: "Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth,
22: and to overthrow the kingdoms.
23: On that day, says the LORD, I will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you, says the LORD."

Zechariah
1

Both Haggai and Zechariah are dated about 520, and are concerned about the rebuilding of the (Second) Temple (completed 515 BCE). Zechariah is commonly divided into two parts (1-8, 9-12) with the last part seemingly from another prophet (Zechariah's name is not mentioned after chapter 8, among other clues). Note that an angel comes between ("mediates") the prophet's vision, whereas before prophets had first-hand experience of their message. This is the beginning of "angelology," as in Daniel, which (for the first time) mentions names of angels (Michael and Gabriel). Gabriel appears to the Virgin Mary 500 years later.

7: The word of the LORD came to Zechariah the prophet; Zechariah said,
18: And I lifted my eyes and saw four horns!
The four horns represent four countries, as in Daniel:
19: And the angel said, "These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."
20: Then the LORD showed me four smiths.
21: And I said, "What are these coming to do?" He answered, "These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man raised his head; and these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it."
The smiths suggest God's power to change the "horns" by his hands; the "4" continues the symbolism of the 4 horses and horns.

The "Branch" (below) refers to Jeremiah's "messianic" prophecy: "The days are coming when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch" (23:5). The "stone" refers to the building stone of the Second Temple. For the reference to the "fig tree," see Micah, 4:4: "Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree and no one will make him afraid."
8: Hear now, O Joshua, the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men of good omen: I will bring my servant the Branch.
9: For behold, upon the stone which I have set before Joshua, upon a single stone with seven sides, I will write on it, says the LORD, and remove the guilt of this land.
10: In that day, says the LORD of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor under his vine and under his fig tree."

1: And the angel who talked with me came again, and waked me, like out of my sleep.
2: And he said, "What do you see?" I said, "I see a lampstand of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps.
3: And there are two olive trees by it, on the right of the bowl and its left."
10: "These seven are the eyes of the LORD, which range through the whole earth."
12: And a second time I said to him, "What are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the oil is poured out?"
14: He said, "These are the two anointed who stand by the Lord of the whole earth."
The above says that the two olive trees (source of oil) are the two anointed, Zerubbabel and Joshua, who represent secular (worldly) and sacred power from God.

8: And the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying,
The call for social justice that is common in the prophets:
9: "Thus says the LORD of hosts, Give true judgments, show kindness and mercy,
10: do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the alien, or the poor; don't devise evil against your brother in your heart."
"Let the punishment fit the crime":
13: "As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear," says the LORD of hosts,
14: "and I scattered them among nations they had not known."

This second part, to the end, seems to have been written by another prophet. The following verse is one of the most famous and is fulfilled when Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey (symbol of peace, instead of a horse). Therefore, this verse (9) is a messianic prophecy:

9: Rejoice, daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, daughter of Jerusalem! Your king comes to you; victorious, humble and riding on an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass.
10: I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

A symbolic action. The prophet will play the role of the good and evil shepherd. Note how people thank God for their unjust profits!

4: Thus said the LORD my God: "Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter.
5: Those who buy them slay them and go unpunished; and those who sell them say, `Blessed be the LORD, I have become rich'; and their own shepherds have no pity on them.
6: For I will no longer have pity on the people of this land, says the LORD. I will cause men to fall each into the hand of his shepherd, and each into the hand of his king."
7: So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slain for those who trafficked in the sheep. And I took two staffs; one I named Grace, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep.
8: But I became impatient with them, and they detested me.
10: And I took my staff Grace, and I broke it, annulling the covenant which I had made with all the peoples.
11: So it was annulled on that day, and the traffickers in the sheep, who were watching me, knew it was the word of the LORD.
12: Then I said to them, "If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them." And they weighed out as my wages thirty shekels of silver.
The shepherd gets so little respect, they pay him slave wages (see Exodus 21:32): "If a bull gores a slave, the owner must pay 30 shekels." Compare Judas' betrayal of Jesus for 30 coins: "'What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?' So they counted out 30 coins" (Matthew 25:14).
14: Then I broke my second staff Union, breaking the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
In another symbolic action, the prophet must play the part of a bad shepherd:
15: Then the LORD said to me, "Take once more the tools of a worthless shepherd.
16: For I am raising up a shepherd who does not care for the dying, or seek the wandering, or heal the maimed, or feed the healthy.
17: Woe to my worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock!"

The reference to "whom they have pierced" is probably the Good Shepherd, whom the prophet played (11:7) but Christians use it to refer to Jesus:.
10: "And I will pour out on the house of David and the people of Jerusalem a spirit of compassion and supplication, so that, when they look on him whom they have pierced, they shall weep bitterly over him.

The following verse is believed to be misplaced, and should follow the action of the false shepherd (11:17: "Woe to the worthless shepherd who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye!" The next verse should follow:
7: "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me," says the LORD of hosts. "Strike the shepherd, that the sheep may be scattered."
Though this is supposed to be the false shepherd, Jesus quotes it from his own point of view as the good shepherd):
"Then Jesus told them, 'Tonight you will fall away because of me, as is written: "I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter"'" (Matthew 26:31).

Note this is close to Jesus' cleansing of the temple, a symbolic action in the Gospels.
21: And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day.

Malachi
1

Malachi ends the Christian Old Testament, but 2 Chronicles ends the Hebrew Bible. The logic is that, for the Jews, the temple is the most important idea of God; and 2 Chronicles ends on restoring the temple. But Christians put Malachi last (before the New Testament) because of the reference to Elijah coming as a prophet, an idea taken up by John the Baptist, then Jesus. Note that Malachi ends on the word "curse," ideal for Christians; since if the Old Testament ends on a curse, then there is no cure but someone like Jesus.

8: "When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that no evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that no evil? Present that to your governor; will he be pleased with you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts.

The following text refers to the practice of the Hebrew men divorcing their old wives for younger women, especially aliens.
13: You cover the LORD's altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor at your hand.
14: You ask, "Why does he not?" Because the LORD was witness to the covenant between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
15: Has not the one God made and sustained for us the spirit of life? And what does he desire? Godly offspring. [That is, Jewish offspring, not mixed children of Jews and pagans.] So take heed to yourselves, and let none be faithless to the wife of his youth.

3
Part of a Messianic prophecy, sometimes applied to Jesus:

1: "Behold, I send my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming.
2: But who can endure his coming?
3: he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the LORD.
5: "Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the worker in his wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who push aside the alien, and do not fear me.
Compare, James' reference to "the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (JAMES 1:17). Note too the constant question why the evil prosper:
6: "For I the LORD do not change.
7: Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts.
14: You have said, `It is vain to serve God.
15: evildoers not only prosper but when they put God to the test they escape.'"
Another reference to the Book of the Lord ("book of remembrance"):
16: Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another; the LORD heeded and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and thought on his name.
17: "They shall be mine, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.
18: Then once more you shall distinguish between the righteous and the wicked.

1: "For the day comes, burning like an oven, when evildoers will be stubble; the day shall burn them up.
The following is one of the reasons for choosing 25 December for Jesus' birthday (25 December is the birth of the sun; here reference is made to "the sun of righteousness"):
2: But for you who fear my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go forth leaping like calves from the stall.
5: "I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes.
The following might refer to Micah 7:6: "For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother." Note the Christian OT ends in a "curse," which makes Jesus' coming more necessary.
6: And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse."

12 Minor Prophets (1): Week of 8 April 2008

THE 12 MINOR PROPHETS
8 April 2008

The 12 minor prophets are one book in the Hebrew Bible but divided into 12 books in the Christian Bibles. The main thing to know about the "minor" prophets is that "minor" does not mean lesser, but shorter. On the literary level, the style in these books is equal to the Three Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel).

Hosea

This is the first of the minor (shorter) prophets, with one of the most famous symbolic actions in the Bible: To show God's willingness to forgive his adulterous people, Hosea marries a prostitute (whore), like God, who will remarry his people, though they are whores (that is, worshipping other gods). Hosea is the only book prophet from the North (others include the "former prophets," Elijah and Elisha, but they don't have books named after them).

1: Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.
2: So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver.
3: And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.
5: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.

4: O Ephraim [the north: Israel], what shall I do unto you? O Judah [the south], what shall I do unto you? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it disappears.
These are common themes amaong the prophets.
6: I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

5: Thy calf, O Samaria [Israel], has cast you off; my anger is kindled against them.
See 1 Kings 12:28: "the king made two golden calves."
6: For from Israel was it also: the workman made it; it is not God: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.
One of the more famous lines in the Bible; cf. Blowing in the Wind by Bob Dylan:
7: For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.

This metaphor was later used literally by gospel writers of the Nativity story, where the infant Jesus is called out of Egypt after being hidden there by Mary and Joseph:

1: When Israel was a child, I loved him and called my son [Israel] out of Egypt.

2b: It is said of these people, "They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calf-idols."

3: Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

Memorable metaphor: "the calves of our lips"; in other words, don't sacrifice animals, but use your lips (prayer) as a real sacrifice; let your lips be your cows/sacrifices. This metaphor, however, does not survive many translations.

2: Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: so will we render the calves of our lips.

Joel
2

The "Day of the Lord" appears most famously in Joel and Zephaniah. This became part of the Christian mass known as "Dies Irae" ("Day of Wrath"). (English words: diet, irate.) The "Dies Irae" is one of the most famous Gregorian chants, often quoted in classical music and movies. The "Dies Irae" as part of musical Requiems is especially famous because of its sound and fury. The main point is that the royal prophets used the "Day of the Lord" to warn Israel's enemies; but these prophets use it against Israel herself:

1: Blow the trumpet in Zion, for the day of the LORD comes;
2: A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness.
9: They shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.
10: The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:
A great revival text (religious revival), referred to in Luke's book of Acts. This preaches total equality of men and women, young and old, and all classes, an ideal that remains the basis of all democracies. Note another reference to the "remnant," which Christians later read to refer to themselves, as the "true Israel," a point made by Jesus to the Jews in the Gospels: "[Y]ou do not believe because you are not my sheep" (JOHN 10:26).
13: Tear your heart, not your clothes;
28: it shall come to pass afterward, I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
31: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
32: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

Note the ironic reversal of the famous text in Isaiah; now instruments of peace are used for war.
10: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.
11: Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen.
12: Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
13: Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.
14: Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
20: But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
21: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.

Amos

If Hosea is beloved for its metaphor of Israel as Bride, Amos is beloved for its strong stand on social justice. In fact, Martin Luther King quoted from Amos in his famous speeches.

6: Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;

3
A reminder that Israel is special to God but is at conflict with him:

2: You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.
3: Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

As usual, people don't like to be told their faults. Amos came from the south, but preached in the north, and was finally forced to return to the south! The "gate" refers to the public place where rulings were made:

10: They hate him that rebukes people in the gate, and abhor him who speaks justly.
11: Because you step on the poor, and take from him wheat: you have built houses of carved stone, but you shall not live in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.
12: For I know your many sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.
The "gate" is a common reference in the Bible, because judgment was made near the gate of the city. Amos mocks the Day of the Lord, which people think will save them. Amos says it will punish them instead!
18: Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.
One of the most famous texts repeating the idea that social justice is more important than mere forms of worship:
21: I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
23: Take away from me the noise of your songs.
Martin Luther King quotes the following text at least twice:
24: But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

1: Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!
This contradicts the Psalms of Zion: Zion is the place of doom, not safety, because people have forgotten God. Famous images (such as "at ease in Zion"), with neat irony: you pretend evil is far away, but you're bringing it near by your conduct.
3: You that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;
The theme of the evil shepherd, as in Ezekiel 34 and John 10:
4: That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall. . . .

Another symbolic action. The Lord will not "pass by" (meaning "ignore") Israel's sins any more:
8: And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline [measuring ruler]. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:

Another symbolic action. The sins of the people have produced bitter "fruit":
2: And the Lord said, Amos, what do you see? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the LORD, The end is come upon my people of Israel.
Like today, all people care about is buying and selling:
4: Hear this, who swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,
5: Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah [unit of weight] small, and the shekel [unit of weight] great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
6: That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes?
11: Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
12: And they shall seek the word of the LORD and shall not find it.

Obadiah
1
Remember the battle of the siblings Jacob and Esau (Genesis), which continued in history. Here Edom (Esau) took pleasure in the defeat of Israel so is punished by God. Edom can be a metaphor for anyone who enjoys the suffering of another ("Roman holiday"; in German: "Schadenfreude").

1: The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord GOD of Edom;
3: Your pride has fooled you.
4: Though you raise yourself as the eagle, and nest among the stars, I will bring you down, saith the LORD.
10: For your violence against your brother Jacob [that is, Judah] shame shall cover you.
12: You should not have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction.
21: And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD's.

Jonah
1

This is an odd book of prophecy, more like a fable; in fact one of the most famous tales in the Bible. It is also the clearest book of universalism in the Bible. God tells the Hebrew prophet to help a non-Hebrew people, and an evil power at that! Jonah selfishly refuses. God shows his love for all mankind. The comedy is obvious: Jews don't listen to their prophets, but these non-Jews (even the animals) promptly obey! Remember Ruth, the most righteous gentile; or Uriah the Hittite, more righteous than King David, who had him killed to hide his adultery.

1: The word of the LORD came to Jonah, saying,
2: Go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is great.
3: But Jonah hid from the LORD on a ship.
4: But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was almost lost.
5: Then the mariners were afraid and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it. But Jonah was fast asleep.
6: So the shipmaster came to him, and said, What do you mean, sleeper? arise, call your God that we don't die."
There's great humor here. First, the sinner sleeps well. Second, the non-Jews have more faith in God than the Jew!
12: And he said, "Throw me into the sea; so shall the sea be calm for you: for I know that for my sake this storm is upon you.
15: So they threw Jonah into the sea: and the sea ceased raging.
17: Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jesus refers to the "sign of Jonah": as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for 3 days, so will Jesus be in the belly of the earth for 3 days.

1: Then Jonah prayed to the LORD out of the fish's belly,
10: And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

1: And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
2: Go and preach to Nineveh what I ask you to.
4: And Jonah preached, "In forty days Nineveh shall be overthrown."
5: So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
6: For word came unto the king of Nineveh.
7: And he caused it to be proclaimed through Nineveh saying,
8: let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry unto God: let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
10: And God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

1: But Jonah was angry.
4: Then said the LORD, Is it well to be angry?
5: So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.
6: And the LORD God prepared a gourd [plant], and made it to come up over Jonah, as a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was glad.
7: But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it died.
8: And it came to pass, when the sun rose, that God prepared a strong east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted and wished to die.
9: And God said to Jonah, Is it well to be angry for the gourd?
10: You had pity on the gourd, which you did not make grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:
11: And should I not spare Nineveh, that great city, with more than 120,000 thousand people that do not know between their right hand and their left hand?

Micah

2
Same social message: there was no Heaven for the Jews; Heaven had to be made on earth, through social justice. Note the reference to "rest": "this is not your rest." "Rest" must follow social justice, the meaning of the Sabbath. Micah mocks royal prophets too who prophesy what people want to hear:

1: Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds!
2: And they covet [desire] fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.
9: The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever.
10: Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it [the land] is polluted, it shall destroy you.
11: If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall be the prophet of this people.

1: But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
Verse 1 (above) is another message of universalsim. Below, also in Isaiah 2:2-4:
3: And the LORD shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
4: But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid.

Messianic prophecy, popular with Christians: The King born in Bethlehem:

2: Bethlehem, though small in Judah, out of you shall come a ruler in Israel; whose goings have been from everlasting.
3: Then the remnant shall return to Israel.
4: And he shall be great to the ends of the earth.

One of the most quoted texts in the Bible:
8: He has showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Cagney and WHITE HEAT

WHITE HEAT

THE

PART of Cody Jarrett in White Heat (Raoul Walsh, 1949) was one of James Cagney's most famous roles. As Jarrett, Cagney plays a psychotic killer and Mama's Boy, whose final words, "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" became one of the most famous lines in movie history (you can hear the line spoken in this clip).
Though Cagney's star image was based on his gangster roles, this was Cagney's first gangster part in nearly ten years. It was to be one of his most memorable screen performances.
Among many other references to this film, Madonna included dialogue from its soundtrack on a track from her True Blue album.

For Thursday 27 March 2008

Thursday 27 March 2008

CLICK ON Demi Moore, view the video, study the vocabulary below and, taking any approach you wish, team up with a classmate and discuss the issues covered in the interview. Definitions (in parentheses) are basic; words can only be learned in context.

VOCABULARY

Diamond heist (complicated theft)
"The heist was pulled of with three men."

New thriller (exciting movie or book)
"The latest thriller, with Harrison Ford, is exciting."

Price to exact (consequences)
"There's a certain price exacted for drinking or smoking too much."

Panic (sudden fear)
"When my husband goes away on business, I suffer panic attacks."

Things creeping in (visible signs)
"I see new things creeping into my face every morning."

Focused (concentrated)
"No matter what my problems, I try to stay focused."

Stepping back (see a bigger view)
"You have to step back sometimes to see what's going on."

Proportion (perspective)
"Though I'm making a lot of money now, I try to keep a sense of proportion in life."

The big picture (the main idea)
"The small details in life don't matter as much as the big picture."

That little line (in the face)
"Every year I count more lines in my face."

Missing out (losing)
"She's shy so misses out on a lot of fun."

In the course of one's life or marriage (during)
"In the course of the conversation I learned he was in the hospital for two years."

Relatively unfortunate (unhappy event)
"My illness at the time of my exams was relatively unfortunate."

Depth of understanding (real knowledge)
"In a long-term relationship one develops a depth of understanding impossible in a fling (short-term relationship)."

Take your partner for granted (get used to)
"If you take your partner for granted someone may take your partner away."

Demise of your passion (end of an affair)
"The demise of my passion for him started when I realized he was cheating on me."

Lose sight of (don't see)
"I don't want to lose sight of the good things in life."

Appreciation (care for)
"She has no appreciation of the finer things in life."

As if it's a brand new day (new beginning)
"I live each day as if it's a brand new day."

Consciousness of (awareness)
"I am always conscious of my family's love for me."

Flawless (without fault)
"That was a flawless performance you gave."

Brittle woman (vulnerable, sensitive)
"She's a very brittle woman and even a slight criticism can hurt her feelings."

Rigid (unchanging)
"My mother has a rigid personality and is not willing to try new things."

Heroic pioneering things (new things)
"Nancy was a pioneer in wearing the latest fashions and she was heroic in wearing them no matter how much scorn she received from the guys in the class."

And crash! (suddenly!)
"We were doing well and--crash! For some reason, our relationship ended!"

Considered the norm (average)
"Cheating on your girlfriend is considered the norm for him."

Similar grievances (same complaints)
"We share similar grievances against our parents."

Quite a team (pair)
"Larry and Lucy made quite a team at the party, in the same orange-colored pants."

Ten seconds flat (quickly, on time, soon)
"I'll be there in ten seconds flat."

Calculating (scheming)
"She has a very calculating personality and is always figuring out an advantage in the relationship."

Fifteen-second intervals (breaks)
"The alarm rings at ten-second intervals."

Vault (safe chamber/room)
"My mother never allows us to go down into the vault, where the family jewels are kept."

End of the corridor (aisle)
"You'll find the closet at the end of the corridor."

With all due respect (meaning no offense)
"With all due respect, you don't look like a teenager anymore and you can't expect men to pay attention as soon as you walk into the pub."

Twists and turns (changes in plot)
"The movie had a lot of twists and turns, like he leaves her and then she leaves him and they go to school in different countries but finally bump into each other accidentally in Paris."

Heart pounding (very nervous)
"My heart was pounding when the monster came into the room."

Biggest flaw (fault)
"My biggest flaw is my lack of patience."

How much to allow fear to dictate (control me)
"I know there have been a lot of attacks on campus lately, but I refuse to allow fear to dictate how I live."

Constant overcoming (disregarding)
"Life is a constant overcoming of one's fears."

Complicated issues (matters, problems)
"There are complicated issues in our relationship that I can't talk about right now."

Sunday, March 23, 2008

DANIEL: In-Class Listening, Week of 25 March 2008

DANIEL
Songs Week of 25 March 2008

DANIEL IN THE LION'S DEN
A Christian reading of Daniel in the Lion's Den,
with Jesus appearing to save Daniel:

Daniel in the lion's den. O Daniel in the lion's den. O Daniel in the lion's den. Lion's den, my Lord, now. Daniel in the lion's den, Daniel in the lion's den, Daniel in the lion's den. He said, Lord have mercy on me." Well he said, "Now is the needed time." And then Jesus locked the lion's jaw. Then God, he sent an angel down.

OH WHAT A TIME
In Afro-American Gospel, Bible characters are commonplaces to advance theological ideas, as here.

Oh what a time when we are gathered round! Oh, what a time, shouting and praising the Lord. We'll shout and sing and praise his Holy Name, Oh, my Lord, what a time! Oh my Lord what a time. Oh my Lord what a time! This world shall cease to be, this gonna live eternally, oh, my Lord what a time! Gonna meet my God who is gone to the glory, a little Hebrew boy hiding in the fiery furnace. Gonna meet old Daniel in the lion's den, gonna meet King David with his shield and buckle. Gonna meet King Solomon by the Rose of Sharon. I'm singing low, oh, oh, my Lord, I'm singing low, oh, oh, my Lord, I'm singing low, oh, oh, my Lord, Yes, I'm singing oh my Lord what a time! Oh my Lord what a time, oh my Lord what a time. This world shall cease to be, this gonna live eternally, oh my Lord what a time!

DANIEL
This field shout touches on the abstract. As usual in Afro-Amercian traditions, Bible characters are treated as commonplaces for themes such as faith, hope, endurance:

Walk, I tell you walk, O Daniel! Shout, believer, shout, O Daniel! Shout the other way, O Daniel. Gimme the knee bone bend, O Daniel! On the eagle wing, O Daniel! Fly, I tell you, fly, O Daniel! Fly the other way, O Daniel! Fly, believer, fly O Daniel! Rock, believer, rock, O Daniel. Shout, believer, shout, O Daniel! Shout, I tell you shout O Daniel! Shout the other way, Daniel! Gimme the knee bone bend, O Daniel!

THE VERY SAME GOD
"Reel and rock" later became a Rock 'n' Roll phrase for dancing but here it means the Last Judgment. The song tells of the sameness of God through the ages:

Very same, very same, very same Lord went in the lion's den. Stop, O Andy, don't you run, very same Lord went in the lion's den. My God made this world himself, very same Lord went in the lion's den. One of these days 'bout twelve o'clock, very same Lord went in the lion's den, this old world's gonna reel and rock, very same Lord went in the lion's den. When I get to heaven going sing and shout very same Lord went in the Lion's den, there's nobody to turn me out, very same Lord went in the lion's den. Hush, hush, what noise I hear? Very same Lord went in the lion's den, hear John preaching in the wilderness, very same Lord went in the lion's den.

DANIEL WAS A PRAYING MAN
One of the reasons the book of Daniel is so popular is its confidence in God and prayer. Jewish and Christian ideas are blended here (the reference to "the Father and the Son [Jesus]"):

Daniel was a praying man (2) three times a day he would always pray. Daniel was a praying man. Daniel was a praying man (2) three times a day he would always pray. Daniel was a praying man. Always face the east, he always faced the east, he always faced the sun when he prayed to the Holy One. Yeah. Daniel was a praying man. He prayed that "Thy will be done (3), I believe in the Father and the Son, yeah! Daniel was a praying man. Daniel was a praying man (2) three times a day he would always pray. Daniel was a praying man.

THEY CAME OUT SHOUTING
The story of the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace is blended with the idea of Jesus, though Jesus came hundreds of years later. The faith in final victory has sustained Jews and Christians through ages of persecution:
Oh, they came, they came out shouting (they came), the fire don't bother me. (2) Let me tell you, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, into the fire burning they did surely go! They went in hand in hand came out in Jesus' hands. They came out shouting. I say, they came out shouting, the fire don't bother me. Let me tell you Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, into the fire burning they did surely go, they went hand in hand, came out in Jesus' name, they came out shouting, the fire don't bother me. They came out shouting! (3).
DANIEL SAW THE STONE

This gospel song refers to Daniel's explaining the rock cut from the mountain in Nebuchadnezzar's first dream: "This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands." This is the "kingdom that will never be destroyed" (DANIEL 2:44f.). The image of God as the "Rock" occurs in Psalms and Isaiah, where God is called "the Rock eternal" (26:4); hence in the hymn, "Rock of Ages." Christians view the Rock as Jesus, as in the following gospel song:

Well old Daniel saw the stone that was hewed out the mountain. Daniel saw the stone stone that was rolling down to Babylon, Daniel saw the stone that was hewed out the mountain coming down to redeem a mighty world. (2) Won't you meet me, Jesus, meet me, won't you meet me in the middle of the air? Cause now if these wings should fail me, Lord I want to hitch on another pair. King Jesus was the stone that was hewed out the mountain. King Jesus was the stone that come a-rolling in Babylon. King Jesus was the stone that was hewed out the mountain, coming down to redeem a mighty world. (2) Well the tree ends were bending, way up in the heavenly land. Well my God spoke to the Holy Ghost, he said, "Come on, and let's make plans." I'm looking for the stone that was hewed out the mountain, I'm looking for the stone that came a-rolling in Babylon, I'm looking for the stone that was hewed out the mountain coming down to redeem a mighty world. (2) Well now early in the morning the trumpet's going to sound, the dead in Christ is going to rise. Well if you ain't got good religion, Lord in hell you'll open up your eyes. I found that stone that was hewed out of the mountain, I found that stone that was rolling in Babylon, I found that stone that was hewed out of the mountain, coming down to redeem a mighty world. (2)

ROCK OF AGES

One of the most famous hymns, based on Isaiah 26:4 and Daniel 2:44:

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee; Let the water and the blood, From Thy wounded side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure; Save from wrath and make me pure.

HIDE ME ROCK OF AGES

A country and western arrangement of this theme:

Oh Thou blessed Rock of ages. I am trusting on Thee. Keep me till my journey's ended, till Thy blessed face I see. Hide me always Rock of Ages, till Thy blessed face I see, while the storm cloud rages, Rock of Ages hide Thou me.

DANIEL, SERVANT OF THE LORD
Gospel song based on the lion's den text from DANIEL:

Oh, the King cried, Oh, Daniel, go find the Hebrew Daniel, servant of the Lord. O Daniel, Daniel, Daniel. Among the Hebrew nation, one Hebrew Daniel was found. They put him in the lion's den, he stayed there all night long. Oh, the King cried, Oh, Daniel, go find the Hebrew Daniel, servant of the Lord. O Daniel, Daniel, Daniel. O Daniel, Daniel, Daniel, the Hebrew Daniel, servant of the Lord. Now the king in his sleep was troubled. And then early in the morning he rose to find that God had sent off his angels for to close the lion's jaws. Oh the king cried, O Daniel, Daniel, the Hebrew, Daniel, servant of the Lord. (repeat)

In His Care-O
Daniel became a symbol for those who wished to keep God's laws regardless where they lived, as this gospel song shows:

Well Daniel he was a good man, Lord, he prayed three times a day. Well, the angels raised their windows just to hear what Daniel had to say, say, say. Well Daniel he was a good man, Lord he prayed three times a day. I pray the Lord, I'm in his care-o!

SHADRACK, MESHACH, ABEDNEGO

A Reggae version of the same theme.

Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego, were thrown in the fire and they never get burned. Shadrack was a Dreadlock, Meshach was a Dreadlock*. Also Abednego. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, he was surprised to see what's going on. He called up his guards, "Run come see! There were children in the fire and now there is coal. There were children in the fire and now there is coal." They got to believe the words of Jah, they got to know the words of Jah. Now that they see the words of Jah, there were children in the fire and now there is coal.
*Dreadlock=A Rastafarian (Rasta) wearing dreadlocks. Rastafarianism is a Jamaican version of Bible themes, a main focus of Reggae music, most famously, that of Bob Marley. "Jah" is the Rasta word for "Lord." "Jah" by itself is used once in the KJV (King James Version) of the Bible but is commonly used as part of the word, "HalleluJAH," meaning "Praise the Lord" and in contemporary worship songs.

HANDWRITING ON THE WALL
The story of Belshazzar and his banquet (the book of Daniel) gives English the phrase, "handwriting on the wall":

Well there's a handwriting (on the wall). It's a handwriting (on the wall). I see a handwriting (on the wall). Whoa, whoa! Lord, he writes on the wall. Well you read your Bible, you read it well. You know about the story that I'm about to tell. Belshazzar was sitting at the banquet ball, drinking out of vessels of Israel's God. They tell me that his eyes got red with wine when God come jumping on the wheels of time. He rode on down to the banquet hall, set his handwriting on the wall. Belshazzar looked up on the banquet wall, saw the handwriting of Israel's God. "Go get Daniel!" I heard him yell, "tell him to read that writing, read it well. But I'll make him the ruler of all the land if he could just read the writing that's written by the hand." Then Daniel comes jumping to the power of God, began to read what was written on the wall. Mene, Tekele, Uparson. Great God Almighty, your days are done. But God done got tired of your wicked ways, the angels in the heavens done numbered your days. He said, your evil deeds have done got tried, you got to go to judgment to stand your trial. You got to go to judgment and stand at the bar for drinking out the vessels of Israel's God.

BELSHAZZAR
Country singer, Johnny Cash, wrote this song about the "handwriting on the wall" scene in DANIEL:

Well the Bible tells us about a man who ruled Babylon and all its land. Around the city he built a wall and declared that Babylon would never fall. He had concubines and wives. he called his Babylon, Paradise. On his throne he drank and ate but for Belshazzar it was getting late. For he was weighed in the balance and found wanting. His kingdom was divided, it couldn't stand. He was weighed in the balance and found wanting. His houses were built upon the sand. Well the people feasted and drank their wine and praised the false gods of his time. All holy things they scorned and mocked but suddenly all their mocking stopped. For on the wall there appeared a hand: nothing else, there was no man. In blood the hand began to write and Belshazzar couldn't hide his fright. For he was weighed in the balance and found wanting. His kingdom was divided and couldn't stand. He was weighed in the balance and found wanting. His houses Well no one around but couldn't understand what was written by the mystic hand. Belshazzar tried but couldn't find a man who could give him peace of mind. But Daniel, the prophet, a man of God, he saw the writing on the wall in blood. Belshazzar asked him what it said and Daniel turned to the wall and read: , "My friend you're weighed in the balanced and found wanting. Your kingdom is divided, it can't stand, You're weighed in the balance and found wanting. Your houses are built upon the sand.

SHADRACK
The most famous Gospel song based on the Fiery Furnace text from DANIEL:

Well there were 3 children from the land of Israel. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. They took a little trip to the land of Babylon. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. Well old Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. Well he took a lot of gold and he made him an idol. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego.
     Well he told everybody when they heard the music of the cornet. Well they told everybody when they heard the music of the flute. And they told everybody when they heard the music of the horn. Great God says, You must bow down and worship the idol. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego.
     But the children of Israel would not bow down. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. You couldn't fool them with a golden idol. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. I said, you couldn't fool them with a golden idol. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego.
     So the king put the children in a fiery furnace. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. He heaped on coals and red-hot brimstone. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. Made it seven times hotter: hotter than it ought to be. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. It even burned up the soldiers that the king had put there. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. Then the Lord God sent them an angel. And he gave them a couple of wings. So they moved them on down to the fiery furnace and began to cool the flames. Those children they got so happy, they were strutting right through the fire, just laughing and singing about the power of the gospel. Shadrack, Meshach, Abednego. Well, Shadrack, Meshach, Abednego. Little old Nebuchadezzer said, "Hey, now!" when he saw the power of the Lord. "Have a good time in the land of Babylon." Shadrack, Meshach, Abednego. Oh, Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego.

DANIEL: Songs Week of 25 March 2008 (FOR HOME LISTENING)

DANIEL
Songs Week of 24 March 2008

SHADRACK
This famous Gospel song is based on the Fiery Furnace text from DANIEL (chapter 3). There are countless versions of this song. To hear The Larks sing it, go here . For a version by Soul singer, Brook Benton, go here. Note how concisely the entire Bible story is retold as song.

Well there were three children from the land of Israel. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. They took a little trip to the land of Babylon. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. Well old Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. Well he took a lot of gold and he made him an idol. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego.
     Well he told everybody when they hear the music of the cornet. Well they told everybody when they hear the music of the flute. And they told everybody when they hear the music of the horn. Great God says, You must bow down and worship the idol. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego.
     But the children of Israel would not bow down. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. You couldn't fool them with a golden idol. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. I said, you couldn't fool them with a golden idol. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego.
     So the king put the children in a fiery furnace. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. He heaped on coals and red-hot brimstone. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. Made it seven times hotter: hotter than it ought to be. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. It even burned up the soldiers that the king had put there. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. Then the Lord God sent them an angel. And he gave them a couple of wings. So they moved them on down to the fiery furnace and began to cool the flames. Those children they got so happy, they were strutting right through the fire, just laughing and singing about the power of the gospel. Shadrack, Meshach, Abednego. Well, Shadrack, Meshach, Abednego. Little old Nebuchadezzer said, "Hey, now!" when he saw the power of the Lord. "Have a good time in the land of Babylon." Shadrack, Meshach, Abednego. Oh, Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego.

ROCK OF AGES
This famous hymn is based on Daniel 2:44-45. For Christians, the "Rock" is Jesus.To hear the hymn, go here.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee; let the water and the blood, from thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure. Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law's commands; could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone; thou must save, and thou alone. Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling; naked, come to thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace; foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die. While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyes shall close in death, when I soar to worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgment throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee.

ROCK OF AGES
(Hide Thou Me)

To hear this song sung by Elvis in a non-studio recording, click Elvis.

O Rock of Ages I bow to thee. There is no other refuge can save one but thee. Through this old world I wander so far far from thee and I cry to Rock of Ages, I cry to hide thou, hide thou me.

HANDWRITING ON THE WALL
The story of Belshazzar and his banquet (the book of Daniel, chapter 5) gives English the phrase, "handwriting on the wall." To hear the song, click here.

A king made a feast for a banquet. He invited all his men to come and play. They didn't know the king's time was over. That the kingdom that he held would pass away. Soon the crowd began to roar in drunken slumber. A worried look soon took his smile away. As he looked to say, "Behold I see a finger and it's writing something on the wall today." The handwriting's on the wall, can't you see it? The message tells the story begins today. Don't be weighed in the balance and found wanting, don't turn down the truth for today. I sent you warning and now I send yo judgment on a nation that's forgotten how to pray and there's no way to erase it, the handwriting's on the wall here today.
Now the world's getting closer to destruction, as we walk the streets we hear the word Doomsday. Now we all know that something's soon to happen if we refuse to stop and pray. Soon the laughter will one day turn to mourning and the crowds will be far away and like the king we'll finally got the message who didn't realize he had feet of clay.
The handwriting's on the wall, can't you see it? Don't be weighed in the balance and found wanting don't turn down the truth for today. I send you warning now I send you judgemnt on a nation that's forgotten how to pray and there's no way to erase it, the handwriting's on the wall here today. And there's no way to erase it, the handwriting's on the wall here today.

BELSHAZZAR
With a narrative economy typical of the finest Gospel songs, Country singer, Johnny Cash, wrote this song about the "handwriting on the wall" scene in DANIEL. To hear an amateur version of this song, go here. A bluegrass version is here.