History of Juneteenth - Marc's Music Notables

Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. On June 17, 2021, it officially became a federal holiday.

Confederate General Robert E. Lee had surrendered at Appomattox Court House two months earlier in Virginia, but slavery had remained relatively unaffected in Texas—until U.S. General Gordon Granger stood on Texas soil and read General Orders No. 3: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”

In Texas, slavery had continued as the state experienced no large-scale fighting or significant presence of Union troops. Many enslavers from outside the Lone Star State had moved there, as they viewed it as a safe haven for slavery.

After the war came to a close in the spring of 1865, General Granger’s arrival in Galveston that June signaled freedom for Texas’s 250,000 enslaved people. Although emancipation didn’t happen overnight for everyone—in some cases, enslavers withheld the information until after harvest season—celebrations broke out among newly freed Black people, and Juneteenth was born. That December, slavery in America was formally abolished with the adoption of the 13th Amendment.

The year following 1865, freedmen in Texas organized the first of what became the annual celebration of "Jubilee Day" on June 19. In the ensuing decades, Juneteenth commemorations featured music, barbecues, prayer services and other activities, and as Black people migrated from Texas to other parts of the country the Juneteenth tradition spread.

In 1979, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday; several others followed suit over the years. In June 2021, Congress passed a resolution establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday; President Biden signed it into law on June 17, 2021.

Women of the Bible - Reece's Peace's

We are excited to announce a brand-new sermon series that will be starting June 11th! As we delve into the Scriptures, we will be exploring the remarkable stories of some incredible women of the Bible. This series is titled "Women of the Bible," and it will shed light on the lives of Rahab, Ruth, Esther, and Lydia.

Throughout history, women have played significant roles in God’s plan, and their stories are not only inspiring but also provide valuable lessons for us today. Each of these women exhibited exceptional faith, unwavering dedication, and profound influence in their respective contexts.

Our series will start with the story of Rahab, a Canaanite woman known for her remarkable courage and her pivotal role in the conquest of Jericho. Rahab’s extraordinary faith and her willingness to take risks for God’s people serve as powerful reminders of God’s ability to use anyone who is willing to trust and obey.

Following Rahab, we will examine the life of Ruth, a Moabite woman whose loyalty and commitment to her mother-in-law, Naomi, are an exemplary demonstration of selflessness and devotion. Ruth’s story teaches us about God’s faithfulness and His heart for the marginalized.

In the third sermon of our series, we will focus on Ester, a young Jewish woman who became queen of Persia. Her bravery in standing up for her people and her unwavering trust in God’s providence amidst life-threatening circumstances will encourage us to remain steadfast in our own walks of faith.

Finally, we will conclude on July 2nd, by exploring the life of Lydia, a prominent businesswoman in the city of Philippi. Lydia’s open heart to the message of the Gospel and hospitality provide us with insights into the power of God’s transformative Grace and the importance of extending our faith to others.

Join us every Sunday as we embark on this journey of discovery, celebrating the extraordinary women of the Bible. Through these sermons, we hope to deepen our understanding of God’s love, God’s faithfulness, and the profound impact that women have made throughout history. We encourage you to invite your friends, family, and neighbors to join us for this enlightening series. Let us be inspired, challenged, and motivated by the faith and resilience of these incredible women in this summer series

Be Thou My Vision - Marc's Music Notables

The hymn, “Be Thou My Vision,” has its origins almost fifteen hundred years ago in Ireland. We believe that it was written by the sixth-century Irish poet, Dallán Forgaill, also known as St. Dallán. Monks chanted his poetry, and someone much later used it as the basis for this hymn.

We believe that St. Dallán lost his sight, which inspired the first line, “Be Thou our vision.” Legend has it that he recovered his sight after writing a poem praising St. Colomba. The hymn is a prayer—a prayer that Christ will be our vision—our best thought— our presence—our light.

What would it mean if Christ were our vision? How would it change our lives?

It would mean simply this—that instead of seeing the world through the eyes of a Madison Avenue advertising agent or a Hollywood movie or a television newscaster, we would see the world through Christ’s eyes. It would change our lives, because seeing the world through Christ’s eyes would cause us to love as Christ loved. It would cause us to focus less on getting the things that we want and more on giving what we can to help others. It would cause us to care less about other people’s opinions and more about the direction that God would have our lives to take.

In some ways it would complicate our lives, because we could no longer be as focused on the things that the world considers important—more money, bigger houses, more prestigious cars. But in other ways it would simplify our lives, because it would allow us to stop striving for ever-larger piles of things and would allow us to focus on spiritual values. People who have come to see the world through Christ’s eyes tend to be centered—less troubled than most— strong with a strength that comes from God.

“Be thou my vision.” So, next time we sing it, let’s remember that it is a prayer.

Let us make it our prayer.

Will Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) Replace Preachers?

I saw an interesting seminar a few weeks back talking about the ethics of using artificial intelligence to write a sermon. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the seminar, but I did laugh. Frankly, I thought it was a bit absurd to think that artificial intelligence could ever write a sermon like a pastor.

Ministers spend years studying the Bible and even more time with people. All of the knowledge contained in books doesn’t come close to the knowledge one gains from interacting with individuals. Each moment spent with people in their times of joy and sadness informs every word written in a sermon. Yet, even more than biblical and practical knowledge, I feel the spirit comes into a sermon. You should feel God’s presence in every moment and every word.

I went on the Al website that the seminar was talking about, Chat GPT. I was surprised. I typed in the prompt, “Write a sermon about artificial intelligence based on Romans 1:21-23 and Genesis 1:26,” and the result was surprisingly good. As I read the Al’s short sermon, I found myself unable to tell the difference between the artificially—generated sermon and many sermons I have heard humans preach before.

At first, I thought it was ludicrous to think that any minister could possibly use a sermon written by artificial intelligence without everyone in the congregation immediately knowing it was written by a robot. I assumed that the sermon would be so riddled with inconsistencies and errors that it would be impossible to follow. However, after seeing what this artificial intelligence could produce, I was left unsure. I needed more answers.

This Sunday, April 2, I will hand out two printed copies of two short sermons focusing on the same topic or you can find them by clicking the link on the bottom of this article. One is the sermon written by Al and the other is written by me. The goal is for you to choose which one is which. Then the Sunday after Easter, April 16, we will focus on artificial intelligence and faith, looking not only at how technology affects our spirit but how it affects our lives .

http://hurstbournechrisitanchurch-AI-sermon-docx