One of the staples of our WCS Basketball Camps revolved around the tradition I wrote about in the entry posted below. It is from June 23, 2010.
I have this silly saying stuck in my mind. For the past three weeks of basketball camp, when one team of kids has won a contest, our camp director, Russell Carr, points to the victorious group and yells, WINNER, WINNER! Chicken dinner! The little kids in our morning sessions pick it up and start chanting, WINNER,WINNER! Chicken dinner! It gets very loud! I had never come across that expression before but then I heard someone at our wedding rehearsal meal on Friday say the same thing so I know it must originate somewhere. A Google search yielded several explanations but the most common was this: In the early days of Las Vegas, every casino offered a chicken dinner for about $1.80. So if a customer won the lowest bet payoff, which was $2, the chant rang out, WINNER, WINNER! Chicken Dinner! All I know is that twenty-five little kids chanting those four words can leave you with a rhyme that won't leave your brain under any circumstances! (Also see, Peter, Peter, Pumpkin eater! and Mary, Mary, Quite contrary! I like this one in honor of our assistant camp director: EMMA, EMMA! Big dilemma!)
On Sunday morning after the Saturday night wedding of Ben and Courtney, many from both families worshiped with Courtney's congregation in Henryetta, Oklahoma. We sang what may be my favorite hymn centering around communion, By Christ Redeemed, In Christ Restored. The lyrics were penned by George Rawson in 1857. The tune in this version is Troyte's Chant, written by A.H.D.Troyte, who lived from 1811-1857. I love both the words and the easy to sing chant style. It's my opinion, and I am no expert in the least, that church music written several hundred years ago is superior to what we often sing today in both musical beauty and the depth of the message. Much of my prejudice might revolve around the style of hymns I was raised on which can certainly sway our preferences. Below, I've reprinted By Christ Redeemed, In Christ Restored. Included are verses five and six which I've never seen before. I hope these lines may spark some thoughts of Jesus on the cross with you as they do with me. And, I pray I can someday get WINNER, WINNER! Chicken Dinner! removed from my consciousness!
By Christ redeemed, in Christ restored,
We keep the memory adored,
And show the death of our dear Lord
Until He come.
His body broken in our stead
Is seen in this memorial bread,
And so our feeble love is fed
Until He come.
The drops of His dread agony,
His life-blood shed for us, we see;
The wine shall tell the mystery
Until He come.
And thus that dark betrayal night
With the last advent we unite,
By one blest chain of loving rite,
Until He come.
Until the trump of God be heard,
Until the ancient graves be stirred,
And with the great commanding word
The Lord shall come.
O blessed hope! with this elate;
Let not our heart be desolate,
But, strong in faith, in patience wait
Until He come.
Applicable quote of the day:
"You know when you're young you think you will always be. As you become more fragile, you reflect and you realize how much comfort can come from the past. Hymns can carry you into the future.''
Andy Griffith
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
http://www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
*The chicken dinner picture above is from Carter's Chicken in Cordele, Georgia!*
2 comments:
Loved the poem, excellent words so well written, The message coming across, Thanks for sharing.
Yvonne.
Chanting does have a staying power in the brain doesn't it. I read in Josephus that before there was the written word, messages were passed along through a singing method such as this. It seemed to make sense, I mean, so much unwritten history for thousands of years!
I don't know if this was truly the case, after all- the Lord can touch peoples minds as well!
I get things stuck in my head, too. Making sure it is positive and of good substance is key for me. I want positive things to drop into my heart!
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