“You only have to solve two problems when going to the moon: first, how to get there; and second, how to get back. The key is don’t leave until you have solved both problems.” – Neil Armstrong
The Difference Between Hymns and Praise Choruses
An old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended the big city church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was. “Well,” said the farmer, “it was good. They did something different, however. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns.” “Praise choruses?” said his wife. “What are those?” “Oh, they’re OK. They are sort of like hymns, only different,” said the farmer. “Well, what’s the difference?” asked his wife.
The farmer said, “Well, it’s like this – If I were to say to you: “Martha, the cows are in the corn”‘ – well, that would be a hymn. If on the other hand, I were to say to you: ‘Martha, Martha, Martha, Oh Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA, the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows the white cows, the black and white cows, the COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, the CORN, CORN, CORN.’ Then, if I were to repeat the whole thing two or three times, well, that would be a praise chorus.”
The next weekend, his nephew, a young, new Christian from the city came to visit and attended the local church of the small town. He went home and his mother asked him how it was. “Well,” said the young man, “it was good. They did something different however. They sang hymns instead of regular songs.” “Hymns?” asked his mother. “What are those?” “Oh, they’re OK. They are sort of like regular songs, only different,” said the young man. “Well, what’s the difference?” asked his mother.
The young man said, “Well, it’s like this – If I were to say to you: ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn’ – well, that would be a regular song. If on the other hand, I were to say to you: ‘Oh Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry, Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth, Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by, To the righteous, inimitable, glorious truth. For the way of the animals who can explain, There in their heads is no shadow of sense, Hearkenest they in God’s sun or His rain, Unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced. Yea those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight, Have broke free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed, Then goaded by minions of darkness and night, They all my mild Chilliwack sweet corn have chewed. So look to the bright shining day by and by, Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn, Where no vicious animals make my soul cry, And I no longer see those foul cows in the corn.’ Then if I were to do only verses one, three and four and do a key change on the last verse, well that would be a hymn.”
Self Image and Helpfulness
“People with a positive self-image tend to be genuinely helpful to others. In fact, the two tendencies go together so well that it is hard to tell which produces the other. It is probably a little bit of both. Those who feel good about themselves long to help others feel good about themselves. The more they reach out to help others, the better they feel about themselves. Only the insecure, the frightened, or those with low self-esteem approach life with an attitude that says “It’s every person for himself or herself!” Sadly, they find only more insecurity and lower self-esteem.” – Nido Qubein