“The strength of a man’s virtue should not be measured by his special exertions, but by his habitual acts.”
― Blaise Pascal
PSALM 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge—
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven: Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.
ART APPRECIATION
As one looks at The Cornfield, which Constable commonly referred to as “The Drinking Boy,” one can imagine themself as the little child taking a drink from the cool stream. 1
John Constable (1776-1837) is considered one of the finest English landscape artists, along with J.M.W. Turner. While many artists of his day traveled throughout Europe to find the most beautiful scenery, Constable never left England. He is best known for his landscapes of the countryside around his boyhood home in Suffolk County. He developed a unique style which combined objective studies of nature with his personal love of the countryside.
2
MUSIC APPRECIATION
“Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin
“Rhapsody in Blue” stands out as one of the great symphonic contributions of 20th century classical music, certifying its author’s place in the history books as one of the most celebrated American composers of his era.
3
George Gershwin (1898-1937) was one of the most significant and popular American composers of all time. He wrote primarily for the Broadway musical theatre, but important as well are his orchestral and piano compositions in which he blended, in varying degrees, the techniques and forms of classical music with the stylistic nuances and techniques of popular music and jazz.4
- Lange, Krista, and Leigh Lowe. First Grade Enrichment: Classical Core Curriculum. Teacher Guide. Memoria Press, 2017. ↩︎
- Ibid. ↩︎
- Linton, Siena, and Classic FM. “Rhapsody in Blue: How Gershwin’s Hastily Composed ‘Jazz Concerto’ Became His Greatest Masterpiece.” Classic FM, Classic FM, 12 Feb. 2024, http://www.classicfm.com/composers/gershwin/how-wrote-rhapsody-in-blue-history/. ↩︎
- “George Gershwin.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 21 Oct. 2024, http://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Gershwin. ↩︎
Providence School of Tifton 