“Truth carries with it confrontation. Truth demands confrontation; loving confrontation, but confrontation nevertheless.”
― Francis A. Schaeffer, The Great Evangelical Disaster
PSALM 27
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.
4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.
6 And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
9 Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will take me in.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.
COLLECT FOR ADVENT
Blessed Lord, who has caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience, and comfort of the holy word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast the Blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou Hast given us in our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
ART APPRECIATION
Van Gogh was born the son of a preacher in 1853 in Holland. He pursued a career in art for most of his life; he was never considered successful, though he worked tirelessly for days, sometimes without stopping to eat! Even though he painted over 800 works, only one painting sold during his lifetime. Van Gogh’s works are characterized by large, sweeping brush strokes using paints in a VERY THICK amount. Sometimes he would store the paint on with a knife, almost like working with clay. Van Gogh also painted still lifes of fruits (lemons and pears) and of flowers (irises and sunflowers). Today, several of his paintings rank among the most expensive in the world! Other painters that lived during van Gogh’s lifetime were Jean-Francois Millet, Paul Gaugin, Camille Pissarro, and Claude Monet.
1
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) painted several portraits of his good friend Joseph Roulin while he lived in Arles toward the end of his life. Roulin worked at the railroad station, probably sorting mail. Van Gogh also painted portraits of Roulin’s wife and three children.
2
MUSIC APPRECIATION
| “Toy Symphony” (Cassation in G Major for Toys, 2 Oboes, Strings and Continuo) by Leopold Mozart |
This fun piece of music, which calls for toys, a trumpet, ratchet, nightingale, cukoo, and drum, is traditionally played at Christmas time.
3
Leopold Motzart (1719-1787) matriculated at the Salzburg Benedictine University in 1737 but was expelled in September 1739 for poor attendance and a failure to show proper deference to his professors and the university establishment. He then became a valet and musician to Johann Baptist, Count of Thurn-Valsassina and Taxis, Salzburg canon and president of the consistory. In 1743, Leopold joined the Salzburg court orchestra as fourth violinist; by 1758 he had advanced to the post of second violinist and in 1763 he was promoted to deputy Kapellmeister. During these years he composed prolifically; a contemporaneous account of the Salzburg court music, possibly written by Leopold himself ‘(Nachricht von dem gegenwärtigen Zustande der Musik Sr. Hochfürstl. Gnaden des Erzbischoffs zu Salzburg’), mentions a large number of symphonies, more than serenades, concertos for flute, oboe, bassoon, horn and trumpet, ‘countless’ trios and divertimentos for various instruments, ‘hundreds’ of minuets, opera dances and similar works, a dozen oratorios and ‘many contrapuntal and other church items’. References in the family letters show that Leopold Mozart considered himself a ‘modern’ composer and his extant works, both early and late, bear this out. 4
- Lange, Krista, and Leigh Lowe. First Grade Enrichment: Classical Core Curriculum. Teacher Guide. Memoria Press, 2017. ↩︎
- Ibid. ↩︎
- “Music Appreciation I: Memoria Press – Classical Christian Curriculum.” Memoria Press: Classical Education, 12 Aug. 2024, http://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/art-and-music/music-appreciation-book/.
↩︎ - “Mozart &Material Culture.” Mozart, Leopold (1719-1787) | Mozart & Material Culture, mmc.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/entities/person/mozart-leopold/. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024. ↩︎
Providence School of Tifton 