Jack’s Winning Words 10/1/21

“October is a hallelujah!, reverberating in my body year-round.”  (John Nichols)  The word, hallelujah, is from the Hebrew, meaning:  Praise the Lord!  I like the way Leonard Cohen has used the word in his Hallelujah song.  There are many “Praise the Lord” things in October… cooler weather, colored leaves, cider & donuts, football, homecoming, trick or treat…and, religiously speaking, Reformation Day.  Praise the Lord for October!  What causes you to say, Hallelujah?...whether it be in October or at any other time in your life?  ;-)  Jack   

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  some of your WW's evoke this response in me even if i don't actually verbalize it...===JACK:  Praise ye, the Lord!  Do you remember the Halle-lu, Halle-lu, Halle-lu, Halle=lu-jah! song that we used to sing in Sunday School and Church Camp?===SP:  i sure do.  and a lot of other such songs as well.   all good memories.   i also loved,  "We Sailed a Ship With A Man Named Jonah"     and "Blind Man Sits by the Road".  and many others. ===JACK:  How about, "Old Noah, he built an arky, arky?".  ...and how about, "If you're happy and you know it, clap  your hands?"  Maybe you should try one as part of your next sermon?===SP:   also recall singing,  "if you're happy and you know it bump a rump" (of the person next to you)!   it was sort of funny and sort of weird at the same time.  not sure everyone was comfortable with that one.===JACK:  "Bump a rump" is new to me.  I can see that in today's world it might not be acceptable.  I'm glad to have been a part of both worlds. 

FROM WILLMAR REV:  "Praising the Lord!" for how forgiving and gracious our Creator has been found to be, selfishly pertaining to me!! Makes me feel indebted to be that way to others?!  0;-)  “GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS,” O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassion they fail not; As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be . . . Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside!  . . . (Chorus:) “Great is Thy faithfulness!” (2x) Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided “Great is Thy faithfulness Lord unto me.”  ===JACK:  I now wish that I had taken some Hebrew in seminary.  Some knowledge of that language would help me better understand words like, Hallelujah.  BTW< Great Is Thy Faithfulness is one of my favorite hymns.  I'm glad that I can listen to it on YouTube and sing-along.  ===REV:  Remember it well, singing it as a grade school Sunday School kid and leading it often as a youth pastor. 0;-)

FROM SR IN SJ:  the peaceful, quiet rain outside my window    -an invitation to dinner with one of our Latino men who is returning to Mexico    -a Mary Oliver poem    -being able to do a new transfer of information I need to submit to my editor    -thinking of my Mom and Dad's would-be 93rd year anniversary of their wedding one another on October 2nd, 1928===JACK:  There's a song...."Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you, what the Lord has done.  You can YouTube it.

FROM NRF IN NI:  I say “Hallelujah” for Herb’s natal day. October 1, 1930!  He took seriously OSLC’S motto:  “Knowing Jesus, and making Jesus known.”  ‘Way to go, Herb!===JACK:  He deserves Handel's Hallelujah chorus.