“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.”
A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
ART APPRECIATION
Observe the bald eagle and the golden eagle. The bald eagle is our national bird. It is not bald, but its white head looks featherless from a distance. The golden eagle is often called the “king of birds.”
1
John James Audubon (1785-1851) was interested in birds, nature, drawing, and music as a young child. Born in what is now Haiti, he lived in France as a child and came to America at age eighteen. At his family’s estate near Philadelphia, he hunted and drew birds. He also conducted the first known bird-banding experiment in North America. He tied strings around the legs of Eastern phoebes and learned that the birds returned to the very same nesting places each year. Audubon struggled off and on as a businessman, and in 1819, he sailed down the Mississippi to add to his portfolio of birds. After several years, Audubon sailed to England, where his drawings and paintings of birds were published as a book. This book called The American Woodsman, was a huge success. He continued throughout his life to study and draw birds and other animals. Today, the name Audubon is still strongly associated with birds and bird conservation.
2
MUSIC APPRECIATION
| “The Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa |
With the possible exception of “The Star Spangled Banner,” no musical composition has done more to arouse the patriotic spirit of America than this, John Philip Sousa’s most beloved composition. … Symbolic of flag-waving in general, it has been used with considerable effectiveness to generate patriotic feeling ever since its introduction in Philadelphia on May 14, 1897, when the staid Public Ledger reported: “It is stirring enough to rouse the American eagle from his crag, and set him to shriek exultantly while he hurls his arrows at the aurora borealis.”
3
John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) was born in Washington, D. C. on November 6, 1854. His father, John Antonio Sousa, was born in Spain of Portuguese parents, and his mother, Marie Elizabeth Trinkaus, was born in Bavaria.
Sousa received his early education in Washington public schools, while simultaneously studying music at a private conservatory. At age 13, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Band as a “boy” (apprentice) musician, but he also continued his private music studies. His most important teacher was George Felix Benkert, with whom he studied violin, harmony, and composition. After serving seven years with the marines, he was discharged. Thereafter, he performed as a violinist and conductor in various theater orchestras in Washington and Philadelphia.
By 1880, his fame as a conductor, composer, and arranger had been established. He was appointed leader of the U. S. Marine Band and held this position for 12 years, eventually molding the band into the finest military band in the world.4
- Lange, Krista, and Leigh Lowe. First Grade Enrichment: Classical Core Curriculum. Teacher Guide. Memoria Press, 2017. ↩︎
- Ibid. ↩︎
- “Unit Home.” United States Marine Band, http://www.marineband.marines.mil/Audio-Resources/The-Complete-Marches-of-John-Philip-Sousa/The-Stars-and-Stripes-Forever-March/. Accessed 10 Jan. 2025.
↩︎ - “John Philip Sousa: Articles and Essays: The March King: John Philip Sousa: Digital Collections: Library of Congress.” The Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/collections/john-philip-sousa/articles-and-essays/biography/. Accessed 10 Jan. 2025. ↩︎
Providence School of Tifton 