The Red Arrow

By Kenneth D. MacHarg

Just what was the Red Arrow? A radio or television program? A weapon used by indigenous people? A sign along the highway?

I’m sorry, none of those apply. The Red Arrow was a train operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad between Detroit and New York. The train’s history dated back to the 1920s although it came of age during the streamliner era when the Pennsy revamped its entire fleet offering accommodations typical of the railroad’s trains during that period. 

When rail travel was still at its height in this country and Detroit a booming and vital commercial metropolis many railroads, from both the east and west, offered premier trains to the Motor City. 

The New York Central had its fast, luxurious Detroiter and the railroad spared no expense in making sure it ran with top equipment, marketing it as “All Pullman.”  Additionally, the Baltimore & Ohio had its Ambassador, a fine train that served the Detroit to Baltimore/D.C. market very well.

In most cases the PRR offered services in every market it served between New York and Chicago.  However, Detroit was a different story and while the Red Arrow was indeed a fine train it struggled against the NYC and B&O. 

When rail travel was still at its height in this country, and Detroit a booming and vital commercial metropolis many railroads, from both the east and west, offered premier trains to the Motor City. The train made its final run on July 26, 1960.The train began as an eastbound-only train, from Detroit to Pittsburgh in 1925. In the next year it went in both directions, #69, westbound, #68 eastbound. By 1938 the train was extended to New York and Washington, with the route split at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Detroit terminus was the Fort Street Union Depot in downtown Detroit.

Going south from Detroit, the route went through Toledo, Ohio, joined the PRR main line at Mansfield, Ohio, and continued east. In the easterly direction the train made a stop in Canton, Ohio. In the westbound direction the train made no stops between Pittsburgh and Mansfield.

Between April 29, 1956 and July 26, 1959 the route was shrunk in steps, eventually to a local train between Detroit and Toledo. It had its last run on July 26, 1960.

The train’s history dated back to the 1920s although it came of age during the streamliner era when the Pennsy revamped its entire fleet offering accommodations typical of the railroad’s distinguished trains during that period. 

As the public left trains for other modes of transportation after World War II the PRR was forced to downsize its massive fleet, the largest in the nation, during the 1950s.  The Red Arrow was an early victim of these initiatives.

The Red Arrow, trains #158 and #159, first joined the PRR’s timetable during the early fall of 1925 originally running only between Pittsburgh and Detroit with first-class, extra-fare accommodations while through cars were provided into New York on other trains. 

However, that soon changed within a few months and according to the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society service was extended directly to New York on December 20th that year.  The train was also given a new number, 68, although it a remained an eastbound-only operation for nearly a year until westbound #69 was finally added on September 26, 1926. 

With the onset of the Great Depression the Arrow lost some of its top services as the PRR looked to economize during these lean years; extra-fare was dropped and the first coaches appeared in the consist.

As those tough times gradually subsided and the Pennsy entered the streamliner era in 1938 the Red Arrow became the railroad’s preeminent service between Detroit and New York with a connection available to Washington, D.C. 

Unfortunately, as Harry Stegmaier, Jr.’s points out in his book, “Pennsylvania Railroad: Passenger Trains, Consists & Cars – 1952 Volume I,” even though the PRR often gave the train very good equipment (although it never featured an entire consist of lightweight cars) the strategy to serve both eastern markets via one train proved rather ineffective against the competition.  

The New York Central had its fast, luxurious Detroiter and the railroad spared no expense in making sure it ran with top equipment, marketing it as “All Pullman.”  Additionally, the Baltimore & Ohio had its Ambassador, a fine train that served the Detroit to Baltimore/D.C. market very well.

In most cases the PRR offered one of, if not the best, services in every market it served between New York and Chicago.  However, Detroit was a different story and while the Red Arrow was indeed a fine train it did struggle against the NYC and B&O. 

When rail travel was still at its height in this country, and Detroit a booming and vital commercial metropolis many railroads, from both the east and west, offered premier trains to the Motor City. 

Following World War II the Arrow began fielding evermore lightweight cars, usually in the form of sleepers ranging in accommodations from roomettes and duplexes to sections and double-bedrooms.  The train’s other amenities included a lounge, dormitory car, reclining seat coaches, and a rebuilt, modernized heavyweight diner from the D78dR Class.

While the NYC nearly always provided the Pennsy serious competition in any market it is somewhat surprising that the B&O did too in this case.  The B&O was a first-class, high-service eastern trunk line as well although the road was neither as financially strong nor offered the direct, high-speed routes of its counterparts. 

Nevertheless, its top trains, ranging from the Capitol Limited to National Limited, were just as prestigious.  The Ambassador offered travelers such accommodations as lounge service, reclining seat coaches, and sleepers ranging from duplex roomettes to the popular bedroom-observation-lounge. 

Through the early 1950s the train was well-patronized thanks to these fine amenities along with the B&O’s legendary customer service.  The Red Arrow was noteworthy as being the first PRR train after World War II to receive new diesel power albeit as the 1950s dawned the signs were already showing the trains’ future was likely in doubt. 

The Red Arrow Timetable

Read Down Time/Leave (Train #69)MilepostLocationRead Up
Time/Arrive (Train #68)
5:10 PM (Dp)0.0New York, NY (Pennsylvania Station) (ET)8:55 AM (Ar)
5:25 PM10.0Newark, NJ8:40 AM
6:10 PM58.1Trenton, NJ7:50 AM
6:38 PM85.9Philadelphia, PA (North Philadelphia Station)7:20 AM
7:06 PM111.4Paoli, PA6:55 AM
7:50 PM159.3Lancaster, PA6:04 AM
8:27 PM (Ar)194.6Harrisburg, PA5:30 AM (Dp)
Time/Leave (Washington Section)MilepostLocationTime/Arrive (Washington Section)
5:20 PM (Dp)0.0Washington, D.C. (Union Station)8:25 AM (Ar)
6:05 PM40.1Baltimore, MD (Pennsylvania Station)7:38 AM
7:35 PM96.3York, PA5:52 AM
8:16 PM (Ar)123.4Harrisburg, PA5:15 AM (Dp)
Time/Leave (Train #69)MilepostLocationTime/Arrive (Train #68)
8:27 PM (Dp)194.6Harrisburg, PA5:00 AM (Ar)
10:56 PM325.4Altoona, PA2:38 AM
11:57 PM362.9Johnstown, PA
1:30 AM439.3Pittsburgh, PA11:56 PM
541.0Canton, OH9:59 PM
5:00 AM614.6Mansfield, OH8:42 PM
5:51 AM657.9Tiffin, OH7:45 PM
6:48 AM700.1Toledo, OH (Summit Street Station)6:50 PM
7:19 AM720.9Monroe, MI6:16 PM
8:05 AM (Ar)756.6Detroit, MI (Fort Street Union Station) (ET)5:30 PM (Dp)

The Pennsy operated the largest passenger service in the country and soon felt the pinch of declining ridership.  The railroad was well-aware of the Arrow’s struggles and, as Mr. Stegmaier notes, the train was living on borrowed time. 

Beginning on April 29, 1956 it was combined east of Pittsburgh; #68 ran east with the Liberty Limited to Washington while westbound #69 was included with the Cincinnati Limited (New York – Cincinnati). 

Later that October service was restored to Philadelphia but by February of 1958 it was combined permanently east of the Steel City with the Cincinnati Limited.  Naturally, ridership shrank even more and on July 26, 1959 the Red Arrow was little more than a dismal local serving Detroit and Toledo.  The train made its final run on July 26, 1960.

(I have some neat photos for this article, but unfortunately I could not transfer them. If you want to see them, drop me a note.)

What’s In A Name?

I ran across some names in the Wall Street Journal that make the various MacHarg misspellings appear to be easy in comparison. It was a story about Giannis Antetokounmpo who is engaged to Mariah Riddlesprigger.

I have found the name MacHarg to be difficult for others to spell correctly, pronounce properly and remember. McHarg along with its variations is an uncommon name, apparently Gaelic in origin though sources differ on the meaning. Traditionally it has been found in Scotland and Ireland but was more numerous in Scotland.

 Today, McHargs are found in Scotland, Ireland, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. We have received variations such as McHarg, McHargue (very common in Eastern Kentucky) and once my mother received a piece of mail addressed to Mrs. NoCharge.

We ended up with the MacHarg spelling because someone made a mistake on our father’s birth certificate in England. If it had been correct on his certificate, our name today would be McHarg, not MacHarg.

Do you think this couple will adopt the common current practice of combining their names so that they will become Mr. and Mrs. Antetokounmpo-Riddlesprigger?

I wish them well!

Countdown: Three Reasons to Quit

Jonah 4: 1-10

Jonah’s Anger at the Lord’s Compassion

But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

But the Lord replied, “Have you any right to be angry?”

Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Then the Lord God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine. But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?”

“I do,” he said. “I am angry enough to die.”

 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?”

1 Kings 19: 1-4

Elijah Flees to Horeb

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.

Numbers 11: 10-15

Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled.  He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?  Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers?  Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’  I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.  If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now —if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”

I’m sure we have all gone through this. Maybe not to the despair of these three men, but we have each and every one experienced those moments.

Maybe not enough to say

  • Jonah: Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.
  • Elijah: Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.
  • Moses: Put me to death right and do not let me face my own ruin.

But we have all been at that edge, that point of breaking down, that place where we just want to throw in the towel. We lament, what’s the use, I’m so tired, I don’t see any results; this really isn’t that important, the burden is too heavy, nobody responds, nobody cares.

We cry out as did David in Psalm 142:

I cry aloud to the Lord;
    I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. 
I pour out my complaint before him;
    before him I tell my trouble.

When my spirit grows faint within me,
    it is you who know my way.
In the path where I walk
    men have hidden a snare for me.
Look to my right and see;
    no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge; 
    no one cares for my life.

Let us be aware that the Bible allows complaining, venting, unloading ourselves to the Lord in prayer. That’s not necessarily meaning whining, whimpering and constantly complaining, but certainly unburdening ourselves to the Lord seeking his blessing.

Now, let’s look at Jonah: The plot centers on a conflict between Jonah and God. God calls Jonah to proclaim judgment to Nineveh, but Jonah resists and attempts to flee. He goes to Joppa and boards a ship bound for Tarshish. God calls up a great storm at sea, and the ship’s crew cast Jonah overboard in an attempt to appease God. A great sea creature sent by God, swallows Jonah.

For three days and three nights Jonah languishes inside the fish’s belly. He prays in which he repents for his disobedience and thanks God for His mercy. God speaks to the fish, which vomits out Jonah safely on dry land. After his rescue, Jonah obeys the call to prophesy against Nineveh, and they repent and God forgives them. Jonah is furious, however, and angrily tells God that this is the reason he tried to flee from Him, as he knew Him to be a just and merciful God. He then beseeches God to kill him, a request which is denied when God causes a tree to grow over him, giving him shade.

Let’s look at it:

 Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Then the Lord God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine. But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?” “I do,” he said. “I am angry enough to die.”

But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?”

At this point in the story: Jonah didn’t have the heart of God—he didn’t get the picture. Jonah didn’t love the people enough. He didn’t have the right priorities. Jonah was fed up with criticism. He didn’t have the heart for the people or the country. He wanted to die.

In verses 10-11:  But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?”

Why do we want to die? To quit? Do we care about the people with whom we work? Do we care about the city, the country? Do we not see the beauty in those who know and love the Lord and in comparison the guilt and lostness of those who do not know him? Do we share God’s heart for the people we have been sent to serve? Do we not care that the vast majority of the city does not know their right hand from their left? The true God from the false?

Let’s look at Elijah

  1. Kings19: 1-4

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.

Jezebel, enraged that Elijah had ordered the deaths of her priests, threatens to kill Elijah (1 Kings 19:1–13). This was Elijah’s first encounter with Jezebel, and not the last.

Later Elijah would prophesy about Jezebel’s death, because of her sin. Even later, Elijah flees to Beersheba in Judah, continues alone into the wilderness, and finally sits down under a juniper tree, praying for death. He falls asleep under the tree; an angel touches him and tells him to wake and eat. When he wakes he finds bread and a jar of water. He eats, drinks, and goes back to sleep. The angel comes a second time and tells him to eat and drink because he has a long journey ahead of him.

Elijah is just plain worn out. He scored a victory at Mt. Carmel but the people were antagonistic and were worshipping idols.

Jezebal wants to kill him. He is depressed, He has lost his perspective, He has been overwhelmed by the day-to-day tasks, he has been worn down by everything that has happened, he doubts, he has lost his perspective.

When we are most tired we lose our perspective. Or better, when we are most tired we lose God’s perspective.

Have we allowed ourselves to become tired and worn out? Have we lost our enthusiasm? Have we depended on ourselves and not on God Have we lost our perspective that it’s all about what God wants us to do, not what we think we should do?

And then there is Moses. Listen to him:

Numbers 11: 10-15

 Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled.  He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?  Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers?  Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’  I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.  If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now —if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”

Oh man, do you hear him? He is just plain tired and burned out. He has had it. Why me Lord? Why me? He is packing and will be on the next airplane out. He is chucking the whole deal and going back home. This is it. The burden is too heavy. In fact, he has too much responsibility, he has not learned how to delegate, he has not learned how to say no, he has not learned how to set priorities

And now the tough questions. Do you hear yourself in any of these men? Have you lost your love for those God called you to serve? Have you lost your perspective about whose work you are here to do? Have you allowed yourself to burn out? Do you just want to die—or at least to give up?

Jonah needs a new heart, Elijah needs a new perspective, and Moses needs to lighten the load.

Maybe you and I need a heart tune up. A reminder of who we came to serve, our motivation, our call from the Lord.

Strength Quotes For Encouragement

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18  So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,  as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Psalm 23:4  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 55:22  Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

Matthew 11:28-29 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Romans 8:6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

Quotes for Encouragement

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Mother’s calling and phone booths–or–I must be getting older.

Of course we know that time is passing and things change. Certainly I am getting older—you can hear me creak as I pass by and it takes both legs and hands to stand up (more or less).

I was born during the radio age—we all listened to the radio. In fact, we had to hush while eating dinner so our parents could hear the news which was broadcast only two or three times– in the morning, at noon, at 6 p.m., and perhaps again at 11 p.m. None of these hourly newscasts or 24 hour all-news radio and television outlets that we have now.

Not only that, back in “the good old days” everybody, and I do mean every household, received the daily newspaper. It was mandatory reading. (An interesting anecdote, I remember the Detroit Free Press being delivered one evening around 8—tomorrow’s paper today—and my father announcing that North Korea had invaded South Korea and there was a war. We had not heard that earlier since we generally listened only to the noon news.)

Those were the days in which we walked to school (no buses except in rural areas), played in the streets (people didn’t speed through residential neighborhoods) and couldn’t wait for the milk-man to home- deliver our milk and give us kids a sliver of ice. We also fervently waited for the ice cream man to pass by each afternoon during the summer. With his arrival we could occasionally purchase an ice cream cone since we never bought it in the grocery stores because the refrigerators couldn’t handle it.

Speaking of grocery stores, the big “super-stores” such as A & P were about the size of today’s big Dollar General Stores.

A typical corner grocery store fit into the size of a large living room. Canned goods lined the walls, while a small number of vegetables may have been available behind the counter. Instead of putting groceries into your own cart, you’d ask the shopkeeper to retrieve them for you — and those items didn’t include bread or meat, which would have required a separate trip to the baker and the butcher. Most kitchens staples — things like flour and sugar and wheat — were kept in large barrels and then measured out by the grocer himself.

“You’d ask for a certain weight of cheese, you’d ask for vinegar,” says economic historian Marc Levinson. “The vinegar was not bottled; it was in a barrel and the shopkeeper would pump it out into a small jar for you. If you wanted some pickles, they’d be in a barrel, too. A lot of things would be in bulk, and the shopkeeper was responsible for giving you the quantity you wanted — or the quantity he’d feel like giving you. Because every store had a scale and the scale might or might not be accurate.

That train of thought leads to two distinct memories that never happen anymore to my knowledge.

One is how we were called from the neighborhood when it was time to eat or just time to go home. Our parents, particularly our mother, would stand on the front porch and just yell “Kenny, Kenny, Kenny” until I heard her and automatically went home—after all, who wants to miss dinner?

So, throughout the day, we would hear parents standing on the porch calling their children home. It was as common noise as horns or sirens are today. And, it worked.

The other long-gone item/custom we had was to go to a neighborhood phone booth to make a call or await an expected call from someone. My father worked at a Chrysler automobile manufacturing plant and would usually call us mid-day just to check in and see if everything was OK. It was scheduled because we had to walk to the booth in whatever kind of weather to receive the call.

By the way, all phones were dial phones in those days—after you had to make all calls through an operator. No pushing buttons you just used the dial to obtain the call. 

We all used shouting out loud from the front porch and phone booths because nobody had a phone in the house. They just didn’t exist.

Were those days better? Not necessarily. But they do bring up fond memories of how things “used to be!”

If you are interested in reading more about A& P you can do so here:

https://www.npr.org/2011/08/23/139761274/how-the-a-p-changed-the-way-we-shop

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%26P

https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/46/The-Great-Atlantic-Pacific-Tea-Company-Inc.html

Four Letter Words

Wait! Don’t let the headline of this article scare you off. I’m not about to send out a piece filled with profanity. (The term “four-letter words” serves as a euphemism for words that are often considered profane or offensive.) I pride myself in never having picked up the habit of swearing or using cuss words.

That doesn’t mean that I’m an angel or a saint—just ask my family!  Like any human, I “have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23). I have failed and have, indeed, fallen short of the absolute, perfect glory of almighty God.

There is, however, a “four letter” word that we often use and, I would suggest, is as “obscene” as some of the other swear words that might come to mind.

 Quite often we use the word luck to describe many occurrences in our life and society and world, or as an off-hand way of saying goodbye. However, I would suggest that luck is not a Christian concept nor is it found in the Bible (except in the paraphrase The Message which uses it (wrongly) as slang or to mean “blessing”).

 We shouldn’t use luck because as Christians, we have the maker and upholder of all things in the universe watching over us and living inside of us! He knew us before we were born and He “knows the plans He has for us.” Christians believe that the world is not a big game of chance. We also know that while this world is guided and sustained by God, he has also allowed for human freedom, which means that things can go wrong when we go wrong.

For every passage in the Bible that seems to imply that our lives are controlled by chance, there are numerous others that affirm that God is directly in control of the events of our lives.

Proverbs 16:33 reads, “The Lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” Casting a lot may seem random but even that outcome is from the Lord.

Psalm 139:16 talks about a God who has a book with all the days of our lives written in it before any of them came to pass.

And so, according to the Bible, events in our lives don’t happen randomly. They are all part of God’s plan. We don’t need luck, we don’t need some coincidental thing to happen. We are taught in Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.”

Luck can be defined as having success or failure that happens by chance. The problem with believing in luck is that it leaves God out of the picture. For some it may not seem like such a big deal, but for Christians to say and believe that things happen to them by chance without God’s hand being involved, contradicts what the Bible says.

The Bible reminds us:

  • Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17
  • And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28
  • The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Psalm 37:23
  • The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. Proverbs 16:33

The Bible lets us know all good things come from God above, in all things God works for the good for those who love him, and that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. This leaves no room to say that the good things that happen in our lives is because of random chance, especially for God’s people.

With God, nothing is left to chance. What is the price of two sparrows–one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. Mathew 10:29-30

 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. Ephesians 1:11

We serve a God who keeps tabs on every sparrow, knows to the very number of hairs we do or don’t have on our heads. Even when God’s people cast lots in the Bible (which would be our version of flipping a coin), the outcome was from the Lord.

All of the above Scriptures reassure us that through the good and the bad, God is always in control. The verse most often quoted during tough times and certainly worth repeating is Romans 8:28, In all things God works for the good of those who love him.

What are you saying when you tell someone “good luck”? As innocent as it may seem to many people, it’s the same thing as saying, “I hope by random chance things go well for you”. It would be much better to say, “I’ll be praying all goes well for you!” After all, God is the one in control, not good or bad luck.

Something to think about the next time you say good luck to someone.

Where do I begin to tell the story of….how a popular song changed the way that pastors presided over wedding ceremonies.

It has been many years since I last officiated at a wedding ceremony, but I well remember how the song from a 1970 movie affected how I and dozens of other pastors had to change the way to officiate at weddings.

The movie was Love Story, a 1970 American romantic drama film written by Erich Segal, and starred Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal, alongside John Marley, Ray Milland, and Tommy Lee Jones.

The film is considered one of the most romantic by the American Film Institute and is one of the highest-grossing films of all time adjusted for inflation.

In the movie Oliver Barrett IV, heir of an American upper-class East Coast family, attends Harvard College where he plays ice hockey. He meets Jennifer “Jenny” Cavilleri, a quick-witted, working-class Radcliffe College student of classical music; they fall in love despite their differences. Oliver is upset that he does not figure in Jenny’s plans to study in Paris. She accepts his marriage proposal and he takes her to the Barrett mansion to meet his parents, who are judgmental and unimpressed. Oliver’s father says he will cut him off financially if he marries Jenny, but after graduation they marry, nonetheless.

Jenny works as a teacher while Oliver graduates third in his class and takes a position at a respectable New York City law firm. They are ready to start a family but fail to conceive. After Jenny undergoes three blood tests, Oliver is told that she is terminally ill.

Oliver attempts to continue as normal without telling Jenny of her condition, but she confronts her doctor and finds out the truth. Oliver buys tickets to Paris, but she declines to go, wanting only to spend time with him. Oliver seeks money from his estranged father to pay for Jenny’s cancer therapy. His father asks if he has “gotten a girl in trouble”. Oliver says yes, and his father writes a check.

Jenny makes funeral arrangements with her father from her hospital bed. She tells Oliver to not blame himself, insisting that he never held her back from music and it was worth it for the love they shared. Jenny’s last wish is for Oliver to embrace her tightly as she dies.

A grief-stricken Oliver leaves the hospital and he sees his father outside, who has rushed to New York City from Massachusetts to offer his help after learning about Jenny’s condition. Oliver tells him, “Jenny’s dead,” and his father says “I’m sorry,” to which Oliver responds, “Love – Love means never having to say you’re sorry“, something that Jenny had said to him earlier. Oliver walks alone to the open air ice rink, where Jenny had watched him skate the day she was hospitalized.

Love Story was an instant box office smash and people found themselves humming or whistling the tune throughout the day.
In the film the couple did a “do it yourself” wedding ceremony. While a member of the clergy officiated, the couple themselves spoke just about everything to each other. The pastor, who officiated said very little, just coached and nudged them forward without saying too much.

For a decade or so after the film’s release, many of the marriage ceremonies at which we pastors followed its example—i.e., the couples did most of the speaking and the pastor just stood with them, helping them as they struggled to get through the ceremony.

We stood with them, of course, coaching them as they forgot what they should do next, and then finally proclaiming that “Forasmuch as you (man’s name) and you, (woman’s name), have consented together in Holy matrimony and have pledged your faith to each other in the sight of God and in the presence of these witnesses; now, therefore in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, I pronounce you husband and wife.

“Whom God hath joined together let not man put asunder.”

Skip several more decades (in which I did not pastor nor officiate at weddings) to the marriage of our grandson a year or so ago. I was interested to see how such ceremonies are carried out today. So I took my Minister’s Marriage Manual with me and followed it through.

Evidently Love Story is a movie of the past and do-it-yourself weddings don’t happen. At his wedding, the pastor followed the text that I had used many decades ago.

At least at my advanced age, some things are back to normal!

Where do I begin
To tell the story of how great a love can be
The sweet love story that is older than the sea
The simple truth about the love she brings to me
Where do I start

With her first hello
She gave new meaning to this empty world of mine
There’d never be another love, another time
She came into my life and made the living fine
She fills my heart

She fills my heart with very special things
With angels’ songs, with wild imaginings
She fills my soul with so much love
That anywhere I go I’m never lonely
With her around, who could be lonely
I reach for her hand, it’s always there

How long does it last
Can love be measured by the hours in a day
I have no answers now but this much I can say
I know I’ll need her ’til the stars all burn away
And she’ll be there

How long does it last
Can love be measured by the hours in a day
I have no answers now but this much I can say
I know I’ll need her ’til the stars all burn away
And she’ll be there

“And that’s the way it is”

From the 1960s until the early 1980s, Walter Cronkite was often cited as “the most trusted man in America.” For almost nineteen years he anchored the CBS Evening News and grew a reputation for straight reporting, incisive interviews and journalistic integrity. Along with Chet Huntly and David Brinkley on NBC and Peter Jennings on ABC as well as others, Cronkite presided over an era when people turned to broadcast television news for a fair, objective and honest presentation of daily events including politics. When Walter said “that’s the way it is” people accepted that as a fair and unbiased statement.

In those years, editorial opinions were largely absent on broadcast news services and confined to the editorial pages in newspapers. Yes, there were liberal newspapers and conservative newspapers, but those opinion options were primarily limited to the prescribed editorial page of the publications.

Not anymore. Many of our media outlets are defined by their political leanings—i.e. Fox news is conservative, CNN is liberal and the traditional networks are all biased–at least in the minds of those who are highly politicized and deep into political wrangling.

In spite of those opinions, we each have our favorite channels that we watch faithfully every night and depend on to let us know what is happening in the world. But, still, some people are a little edgy and try to find a source which represents their viewpoint and opinion.

What many people don’t realize is that NBC, CNN, FOX, ABC and CBS plus our newspapers and other online news sources all get the majority of their news from the wire services which present a wide plethora of news stories without a political bias. And, the wire services do it with little fanfare or a desire for recognition other than to be listed as a source.

The folks at your favorite news outlet draw primarily on the following historic news services for their information: the Associated Press and Reuters, along with lesser known AFP and EFE. Here is some basic information on these four news services

The Associated Press (https://apnews.com) was formed in May 1846 by five daily newspapers in New York City to share the cost of transmitting news of the Mexican–American War. It is a not-for-profit news agency and operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association that produces news reports that are distributed to its members, i.e. newspapers and broadcasters. Over the years, AP has earned 58 Pulitzer Prizes, including 35 for photography. It is also known for publishing the widely used AP Stylebook.

The news collected by the AP is published and republished by more than 1,300 newspapers and broadcasters in English, Spanish, and Arabic. The AP operates 248 news bureaus in 99 countries. It also operates the AP Radio Network (https://apnews.com/hub/news-radio), which provides newscasts twice hourly for broadcast and satellite radio and television stations. As part of their cooperative agreement with the AP, most member news organizations grant automatic permission for the AP to distribute their local news reports.

Reuters (https://www.reuters.com) was founded in London in 1851, by Paul Julius Reuter, who immigrated to the United Kingdom from the German city of Aachen. Reuter opened the agency’s first office to transmit stock news to Paris using a new telegraph cable. Before that, he used carrier pigeons.

From 1858 the Reuter Agency became the main supplier of information to all the major London newspapers, including the Times. The credibility and timeliness of the information conveyed contributed to Reuter’s growing authority and popularity. Today the Reuters agency has over 14 thousand employees in 91 countries around the world, including about 2.5 thousand journalists, photojournalists, and videographers.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) (https://www.facebook.com/AFPnewsenglish) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris. AFP has regional headquarters in Nicosia, Montevideo, Hong Kong and Washington, D.C., and news bureaus in 151 countries in 201 locations.

Agencia EFE, S.A. (https://efe.com/en) is a Spanish international news agency, the major multimedia news agency in the Spanish language and the world’s fourth largest wire service. EFE distributes around three million news items per year, thanks to its 3,000 journalists from 60 nationalities, operating 24 hours per day from more than 180 cities in 120 countries.

So, the next time you watch the evening news or peruse your local newspaper, be aware that thousands of reporters around the world are supplying much of the content through the various wire services often without a mention or attribution. And, if you want news updates throughout the day and night, those links operate 24 hours a day and don’t require you to wait for the newspaper to be delivered or the evening news to take to the air.

PLEASE NOTE: All of the links listed in this article are to English-language sites.

A True Confession

By Kenneth D. MacHarg

I am an addict.

That’s right, an addict that is hooked on something that I go to great lengths to obtain, even when we are traveling anywhere in the world. I will connect with it almost the first thing when I get up in the morning and it is the last thing I check when I go to bed.

You see, I am a news junkie.

Yes, one of those who has an insatiable appetite for news—in any form: newspapers, news broadcasts on radio and TV, online news sites, especially the wire services (Associated Press, Reuters, AFP—the French press service, EFE—the Spanish press service, the BBC, Al Jazeera). You name it, I have it bookmarked it on my computer or have a link to it in my phone.

I check in early and then frequently catch up during the rest of the day. In the car if I’m not listening to a CD I have the radio tuned to a newscast. And, I read four, (count ‘em), four newspapers per day that are delivered to our home—plus a weekly news magazine.

I’m hooked. When we travel if I can’t find a decent newspaper to purchase I start to get fidgety and restless. Our recycling box is crammed full of newspapers every Monday when I struggle to carry it to the curb.

How did I get this way. Well, I attribute it to my parents and where I grew up.

You see, my father was born in England, so not only did we get the Detroit Free Press newspaper and listen to the news on the radio (and later on television), we also received the weekly international edition of the paper from his home town, Barrow-In-Furness. (We also received the Northeast Detroiter, a weekly publication covering just our area of the Motor City. The first article I ever published was a report about our eighth grade school trip to the Detroit city hall. It didn’t win a Pulitzer prize but it did get me on the long path of writing and broadcasting the news).

Not only that, listening to the noon or six p.m. 15-minute newscast on the radio commanded silence from us while my parents listened with great interest to what was happening in the world. And, as a way for my father to hear news from the BBC regularly, my parents purchased a Zenith Transoceanic shortwave radio which I eventually inherited.

Remember, this was in the era before all-news radio or TV network stations or even hourly newscasts. Listening to the news was “appointment” listening, you had to be there at six, seven or eight a.m., noon or six p.m. if you wanted to hear the lastest. (There were no “top of the hour” newscasts every hour in those days.).

The “breaking news” concept, which is vastly overdone on today’s network television programs, consisted of a sudden interruption to your radio or television program with an announcement, “We interrupt this regularly scheduled program to bring you this news bulletin.”

Later, when TV stations were able to utilize filmed (i.e. movie film, not tape nor live feeds) reports, we witnessed bulleting on live TV accompanied by the phrase “film at 11” to indicate that out-of-studio reports had been “filmed” and would be delivered to the station and developed before being shown on a later program.

 

When I went away to college in Maryville, Tennessee one of my first actions was to subscribe to the Knoxville News-Sentinel and have it delivered to my dorm room.

Still, today, here in Carrollton, Georgia, I receive the Times-Georgian from Carrollton plus the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the weekly Guardian from England.

Out of all of this, I felt drawn to journalistic/media work as well as to the ministry. (Eventually, I combined those two fields of service.)

In high school, I took a “radio speech” course,  chose a journalism class as one of my electives and ended up working for the school newspaper as the “headline editor”—a specialized and important position in a day and age when you had to be very precise about the length of a head if it was going to fit in.

I was very fortunate in the 1980s to be a part of a ministerial association in Jeffersonville, Indiana (Louisville market) which initiated a weekly call-in radio program on WXVW featuring local pastors responding to calls from listeners seeking advice or information. From that experience I was eventually offered a part-time on-air position as a DJ  and for a while I also hosted  the  weekly public affairs program, Byline 1450, a program similar to the daily Community Voice program here in Carrollton on WLBB.

From there, through some connections, I was offered the opportunity to do fill-in program hosting for a Sunday night talk show on WHAS, the 50,000 watt, clear channel station in Louisville.

(Those clear channel stations are the most powerful AM voices in North America—the majority of them can be heard in at least 40 states as well as in Canada and the Caribbean. Close to where we live, WSB in Atlanta is one of the heritage, 50,000 watt, clear channel stations.)  

When we went to Ecuador to work at the Christian international shortwave radio station, HCJB, The Voice of the Andes, one of my responsibilities was delivering daily news bulletins on the shortwave and FM outlets. Plus I did a lot of freelance work from there for the Mutual Radio Network, ABC Radio Network, USA Radio Network and Monitor Radio (the broadcast outreach of the Christian Science Monitor).

My most active newspaper work was with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, just north of Miami. I got into that by submitting an individual article related to our work with Latin America Mission but involving folks from a church in Fort Lauderdale.

Surprisingly, I received a call from one of their editors inquiring if I would be interested in doing some free-lance reporting and writing for them. Was I interested? Of course!

That began a several year relationship with the SS in which I wrote not only features for their three-times a week neighborhoods editions, but also reported for the business section and occasionally wrote articles used in the first section of the daily  paper.

In fact, my first story for them was a contribution to their lead article on the September 11, 2001 attack on the Twin Towers in New York City. What a dramatic way to start!

Since then, most of my news writing has been for my blog, Ken’s Introspect (kensintrospect.wordpress.com), although I have also had articles published in the Carrollton Times-Georgian, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Wall Street Journal and other outlets.

So, if you call in the middle of the day and I don’t answer the phone, don’t worry. I’m probably busy reading a newspaper or writing another article for publication somewhere.

It’s an addiction I can’t give up!

Kenneth D. MacHarg is retired and lives in Carrollton.

From a small town in Georgia to a massive global impact–One of the most famous and fascinating persons I have ever met

He was tall and lanky and had to sleep diagonally across the double bed in our guest room.

He had a deep southern accent that would make some northerners cringe in the face of their stereotypes.

He was known around the world but got down on the floor to play with our then-young children every time he visited us.

He moved with ease among the rich and famous, including a former president yet dedicated his life to serving the poor and homeless around the world.

His humble background in a small Georgia town still surprises people today when they realize the impact that he had on poverty and how what he started has changed life for millions and improved the world in so many ways.

He was Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity, a project to build affordable, comfortable, quality houses for people across the USA and around the world.

Millard also was the founder and president of The Fuller Center for Housing a similar organization with the same goal. He was widely regarded as the leader of the modern-day movement for affordable housing and was honored for his work in the United States and abroad.

A successful businessman and lawyer, Fuller became a self-made millionaire by age 29. In 1968, after giving up their wealth to refocus their lives on Christian service, Millard and his wife, Linda, moved with their children to an interracial farming community in southwest Georgia. Koinonia Farm, founded by Clarence Jordan in 1942, became home to the family for five years until they moved to Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) as missionaries in 1973 with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Upon returning to the United States, the Fullers began a Christian ministry at Koinonia Farm building simple, decent houses for low-income families in their community using volunteer labor and donations, and requiring repayment only of the cost of the materials used. No interest was charged, as it is with traditional mortgages, and no profit was made. These same principles guided the Fullers in expanding this ministry, called Partnership Housing, into a larger scale ministry known as Habitat for Humanity International. That vision was expanded in 2005 in the founding of a new non-profit housing organization, The Fuller Center for Housing.

In early 1984, Millard courted the man who would become Habitat’s most famous volunteer, President Jimmy Carter. A native of Plains, Georgia, just a few miles from Habitat’s headquarters in Americus, Georgia, Carter gave not only his reputation to the new non-profit, but his own resources as well. President Carter and his wife Rosalynn would make financial contributions regularly, but most significantly to the organization, they would develop the Jimmy Carter Work Project, an annual week-long effort of building Habitat homes all over the world. The Carters participated for the full week at these events which came to attract thousands of volunteers each year.The Carters’ involvement with Habitat propelled the organization to even faster growth.

Fuller continued his work in the housing movement with the establishment of the Fuller Center for Housing in April 2005. He expanded on the foundation of Habitat by encouraging communities to create “collaborative and innovative partnerships” to address the housing needs of the most needy in communities. He continued to travel extensively, speaking at Habitat affiliates and Fuller Center Covenant Partnerships to raise awareness, funds and volunteers in his effort to eradicate poverty housing from the face of the earth.

Millard was the recipient of numerous awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. In September 1996, President Bill Clinton awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, and said, “Millard Fuller has done as much to make the dream of homeownership a reality in our country and throughout the world as any living person. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Millard Fuller has literally revolutionized the concept of philanthropy.”

In 1998, Millard received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. In 1999, he received the Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged, an award given out annually by Jefferson Awards. In October 2005, the Fullers were honored by former President George H. W. Bush and the Points of Light Foundation with a bronze medallion embedded in The Extra Mile national monument in Washington, DC.

Millard had a simple burial and is buried on the grounds of Koinonia Farm in Georgia.

It was truly a blessing to know and work with such a dedicated man.

(I was privileged and honored to be the founding president of the Louisville, Kentucky chapter of Habitat for Humanity)

https://www.habitat.org

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(Thanks to several online resources for biographical information included in this article).

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A New Coronation–Something To Watch And Remember

I’m looking forward to the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, May 6th and I encourage everyone, whether you have British heritage or not, to watch it. It is a thrilling event that, depending on your age, you may never see again.

Of course, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953 when she was 25 and she lived to be 96 years old. King Charles is 74, so his reign, no matter how long he lives, won’t be as long and young folks may have the chance to witness more than one such event.

Here in the United States, we celebrate a presidental inauguration every four years, and the establishment of a new presidency every eight years at the least. Not so with British royalty who reign until they die (or resign), making the celebration something to be watched and remembered.

It is an event full of pomp and circumstance, history and tradition, best wishes and hopes for a fruitful future.

Kings and Queens aren’t elected, they inherit the position. So, there are no politics, just a celebration of royalty, pomp and circumstance, excitement, national pride and festivity.

Unfortunately for us, the actual event will begin at 2 a.m. Eastern Time so, unless we are nightowls, we will watch it delayed on the morning show.

There was no live watching of the Queen’s coronation at whatever hour since there was no satellite transmission in those days. We in the Western Hemisphere had to wait until the airplanes carrying film (yes film) of the event flew across the ocean and delivered the programs to the various U.S. TV networks. That film was developed on the planes during the transit and rushed from the airport in New York City to the network’s headquarters to be aired as soon as the engineers could get it on the machines to broadcast.

Multiple flights were required. First, each network (NBC, CBS, ABC—there was no PBS or CNN or Fox News at that time) flew their own film thus each outlet began their coverage when it arrived depending on the speed of their planes. At some points the second or third reel of film did not arrive before the end of the first reel, so viewers had to wait a bit until the next part of the event could be broadcast.

Of course, radio stations fed by the networks (NBC, CBS, ABC and Mutual and the CBC in Canada—which we heard in Detroit) carried the coronation live, receiving their feed via shortwave radio, complete with fading, static and other interference. At least listeners were able to follow the events on radio as they occurred and not wait until the evening television broadcasts to know what happened.

I remember getting up very early on that historic day to tune in the broadcast on a Canadian radio station. I listened until my mother pushed us out of the door to begin our treck to school.

That evening we joined a friend of the family to watch the films as they were processed and aired by the various television networks.

I still have a copy of the official program that was published at the time. Maybe I will be able to get a copy of the new one when it is issued.

Here is a guide to what you can expect to see: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-65342840.