The Melchizedek Chronicles - A Timely Reminder for the Christmas Holidays - What happened to spiritual values in America? Is God Dead Yet? - Do Christians, Muslims and Jews share a co-dependence on each other for survival?

The 12 Days of Christmas and Holy Week in America - What Happened to Spiritual Values?

First comes the 12 Days of Christmas and soon after it is Holy Week, a time of reverence in the world when people of all faiths should be focused on the values that helped shape America when the Founding Fathers were debating on the type of Republic America must be to help it overcome the factors that ultimately destroyed all major civilizations in the world, immorality and corruption.



From the first days of the American Revolution it became clear that this was to be the first Republic in world history to fully embrace individual freedom, with guarantees written into the Constitution, and the first Republic to embrace the following concept articulated in the Declaration of Independence.



"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."



Certain unalienable Rights endowed by their Creator. Historic and powerful, yet steeped in spirituality like no other previous form of government. Article 3 of the US Constitution Bill of Rights further clarified the role of spirituality in America with the following statement of religious freedom.



"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."



Beginning with the Founding Fathers the phrase "In God We Trust" was used as an unofficial motto of the USA until it was finally made a law in the 1950's, about the same time the Pledge of Allegiance was modified to include the words "under God" which reads "one nation under God". The linkage between God or the Creator and America is clear.



So, while Christmas and Holy Week are times of revered religious observances it is also a time to rededicate ourselves to our principles and foundation. It matters not whether you are Christian, Islam or Jewish there is significance to this time. More than that, all three trace their roots to the Holy Land and Jerusalem.

Followers of Judaism hold Passover sacred as the time to honor the escape of the Jews from Egypt, when Moses led them to the Promised Land.

The Christian and Islam followers honor Jesus as the Messiah during this time as they represent the beginning and end of his earthly mission. To the Christians he performed the sacrament of the Eucharist at the Last Supper then died and was resurrected as a symbol of everlasting life in the Kingdom of God.



Through the Islam Holy Quran we discover the following:

Many do not know that the true spirit of charity which the Muslim displays, always, towards Jesus and his mother Mary spring from the fountainhead of his faith - the Holy Quran. He does not know that the Muslim does not take the holy name of Jesus, in his own language, without saying Eesa, alaihi assalam ("Jesus, peace be upon him")

We do not know that in the Holy Quran Jesus is mentioned twenty-five times. For example:

"We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear signs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit" (The Holy Quran 2:87)

"O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary..." (3:45)

"...Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an apostle of god..." (4:171)

"...And in their foot steps we sent Jesus the son of Mary..." (5:46)

"And Zakariya and John, and Jesus and Elias: all in the ranks of the righteous." (6:85)

Though Jesus is mentioned by name in twenty-five places in the Holy Quran, he is also addressed with respect as: Ibn Maryam, meaning "The son of Mary"; and as the Maseeh (in Hebrew it is the Messiah), which is translated as "Christ". He is also known as Abdullah, "The servant of Allah"; and as Rasul u Allah, the messenger of Allah.



He is spoken of as "The Word of God", as "The Spirit of God", as a "Sign of God", and numerous other epithets of honor spread over fifteen different chapters. The Holy Quran honors this mighty messenger of God, and the Muslims have not fallen short over the past fourteen hundred years in doing the same.

In eight verses from Holy Quran, verses 42 to 49 we are told:
(a) That Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virtuous woman, and honored above the women of all nations.
(b) That all that was being said was God's own Revelation to mankind.
(c) That Jesus was the "Word" of God.
(d) That he was the Christ that the Jews were waiting for.
(e) That God will empower this Jesus to perform miracles even in infancy.
(f) That Jesus was born miraculously, without any male intervention.
(g) That God will vouchsafe him Revelation.
(h) That he will give life to the dead by God's permission, and that he will heal those born blind and the lepers by God's permission, etc.



About the only difference between Christians and followers of Islam when it comes to Jesus and His mother Mary is He is considered the Son of God to Christians and the Mighty Messenger of God in the Holy Quran. Christians believe He died and was resurrected while in the Holy Quran He was taken by Allah. Is that really so different?



All three faiths agree that we must have faith in God (Allah). All three agree that we must follow the Ten Commandments. All three faiths have Holy Scripture that tell much of the same story.



If we honor all faiths in America then we must show respect for all faiths as a Constitutional responsibility. There can be no hatred, no condemnation of other faiths, no disrespect of the Holy Scriptures of all faiths and there must be a rededication by all people to the truths of these Holy teachings.



America is the great experiment. It was the first nation on Earth to guarantee religious freedom. In proclaiming these certain unalienable rights from the Creator we set ourselves apart from all other nations and civilizations and we must never forget it. If we are true to our Constitution and individual scripture there is no room for immorality and corruption in America.

Christmas and Holy Week would seem to be the right time to remember our roots, to honor our common responsibilities, and defend our sacred duties to our Creator.

.

FOR YE THAT HAVE EARS TO HEAR!!!

Rejoice, Rejoice, a Savior has been Born

Ancient Prophecy is Fulfilled

Jesus Christ now walks among us

 

Jim Putnam

and

Coltons Point Times

Christmas Videos you might have missed along with those forgotten - Remember the Children

For King and Country – Little Drummer Boy

(Double click for full screen)

What Child is This - Lindsey Stirling

(Double click for full screen)

Alabama - Angels Among Us

(Double click for full screen)

An Appalachian Christmas Tour - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem

(Double click for full screen)

   

Yo-Yo Ma, Alison Krauss - The Wexford Carol

(Double click for full screen)

.

The Melchizedek Chronicles - Do you remember the reason we celebrate Christmas?

America sure could use a feel good story about now - God gave us a miracle to help understand why Jesus came to Earth - Ten year old Irish Schoolgirl Kaylee Rogers - listen to her magical song to honor her beloved Jesus

At age six Kaylee could barely talk or communicate because she has autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.  Then she went to Killard House and discovered the magic of music.  Listen as she sings from her heart to your soul.

Kaylee Rogers Video with lyrics

Double click for full screen

The best feel-good story of recent years, in which the highs and lows have cancelled each other out, is the remarkable story of the ten-year old Irish Lass from Northern Ireland, Kaylee Rogers.  It seems the parent of a school friend quietly slipped into the viral world a recording from a Special Needs choir performance at the school last Christmas that stunned the world.

There are so many amazing aspects of this story.

First there is the incredible singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen from Canada who wrote an amazing Jewish song, 'Hallelujah.'   Cohen died a little over two years ago, November 7, 2016, a month before the ten-year old first performed her version of Hallelujah in concert.

Cohen released his song 'Hallelujah' in 1984 and slowly it became popular, until 1991 when the first of 300 other artists released a version of the Cohen sleeper, and it became a monster hit.  The song was voted one of the top 50 songs of the 1960’s and the 20^th Century and Cohen’s YouTube version has logged over 100 million views.

Then the lyrics of the magical Cohen composition were changed from a Jewish to Christian song, and the result was even greater magic.   The altered lyrics were originally devised by a Christian rock band called Cloverton in 2014, who had their video taken down on YouTube due to a copyright infringement claim by Sony. However, the lyrics are now being used to cover the song by the choir and Kaylee, and a good thing too.

Kaylee Rogers, then a ten-year old Special Needs student from Northern Ireland, has autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.  She could barely talk or communicate at age six when she began attending the Killard House Special Needs school in Donaghadee, County Down, Northern Ireland.

She began singing as a way to build her confidence.  In barely a year over 7.2 million people have seen the video though no CD was made, it was just a school concert after all.

As reported at the time:

"When she took to the stage in her Killard House uniform an amazed silence engulfed the room. The next four-and-a-half minutes were pure magic as she sang beautifully to an entranced audience and brought grown men to tears."

We salute Kaylee Rogers for her courage in fighting autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and battling her way back from the silence in the tomb of autism.  What an amazing profile in courage and determination.

To then go and have the strength and courage to sing the lead part in a school Christmas concert last year, which thanks to the Internet and YouTube have been seen by over 7.2 million people, is simply astonishing.

Please listen to her magical performance.  The Kaylee lyrics appear with the song since few people know there is a new version of the song.  Please double click the screen for a full screen version.

Christmas version of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah'

The alternative lyrics were written by the Christian rock band Cloverton

Roisin O'Connor  22 December 2016

A 10-year-old girl from Northern Ireland has gone viral after a video of her singing a variation on Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' for her school choir performance was posted on Facebook.

Kaylee Rodgers, from Donaghadee, County Down, has autism and ADHD, and began singing as a way to build her confidence.

The video of her singing the Killard House school choir's version of 'Hallelujah' has attracted more than 100,000 (now 7.2 million)) views from people around the world.

It was originally posted by parent Nichola Martin, who was proud of her son Blake who also took part in the choir. 

Kaylee told ITV that she was excited just to be singing, but that it was also "amazing" that the video had received so much attention.  "I just loved doing it," she said. 

Colin Millar, head teacher at Killard House, said: "For a child who came in P4 and would really talk, couldn't really read out in class, to stand and perform in front of an audience is amazing.

American Oscar winner Susan Sarandon Kaylee fan 

"It takes a lot of effort on Kaylee's part."

The alternative lyrics sung by Kaylee were written by contemporary Christian rock band Cloverton, who are based in Manhattan, Kansas. 

Their version - which was posted on YouTube in 2014 but muted due to reported copyright issues with Sony Columbia - sparked a debate at the time over whether it was disrespectful to change Cohen's lyrics to suit a Christian message, since Cohen was Jewish.

Cohen's opening lyrics: "Well I heard there was a secret chord/That David played and it pleased the Lord/But you don't really care for music, do you?" were changed by the band to: "I've heard about this baby boy/Who's come to earth to bring us joy/And I just want to sing this song to you," and so on for the duration of the song.

Frontman Lance Stafford told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency at the time that "no disrespect to Leonard Cohen was meant".  "When we rewrote the lyrics, I had no idea Leonard Cohen was Jewish," he said. "We didn't perceive it as a song celebrating Jewish culture or written for Jewish people."

Leonard Cohen died in his sleep aged 82 after a fall in the night on 7 November 2016, after a career spanning five decades. He released his 14th studio album You Want It Darker on 21 October of the same year.

Northern Ireland singing sensation Kaylee wows black tie Boston ball with rendition of Hallelujah

Kaylee Rogers sings at the Boston Winter Ball

By Brett Campbell

February 16 2017

A singing schoolgirl from Co Down has stunned an American audience at the Boston Winter Ball after she stole the show with a live performance of Hallelujah.

Kaylee Rogers (10) received a standing ovation when she reduced those attending the lavish ceremony to tears.

When Kaylee moved to Killard House in primary four, she struggled to talk and read out loud in class because she has autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but it quickly became apparent that she had no problem singing.

The primary seven pupil captured hearts around the world in December when a video of her singing in the school's Christmas concert went viral.

The recording of her adaptation of Hallelujah has been viewed by millions of people online.

Principal of Killard House, Colin Millar, said Kaylee's cover of the Leonard Cohen song evoked a lot of emotion in the grand ballroom of the Fairmont Copley Plaza hotel.

He said: "When she took to the stage in her Killard House uniform an amazed silence engulfed the room. The next four-and-a-half minutes were pure magic as she sang beautifully to an entranced audience and brought grown men to tears."

Mr Millar described the audience's reaction as "the perfect tribute to the angelic voice of this 10-year-old Killard House pupil".

The Boston Winter Ball caters to socially-minded young professionals in the city and has established itself as one of the most anticipated events in its social calendar.

The beneficiary of this year's ninth annual black tie event was the Corey C Griffin Foundation, a charity which supports philanthropic causes, particularly those that serve young people.

Mr Steven Greeley, a friend of the Griffin family, was one of the many people around the world who watched Kaylee's video at Christmas. He believed she represented the guiding principles of the foundation so he quickly contacted the school to arrange for Kaylee to sing live at the ball.

The Corey C Griffin Foundation was launched in the summer of 2014 when 27-year-old Corey Griffin died in a tragic accident in Nantucket - a small isolated island off Cape Cod in Massachusetts - just a day after he had raised $100,000 (£80,300) for his Boston College friend Pete Frates' initiative to raise money for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Pete, who was diagnosed with the disease in March 2012, is credited as the person who started the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and Corey has been referred to as the co-founder of the phenomenon which went viral on social media during the summer in which he died. Boston businessman, Arthur S DeMoulas, was recognised at the event and received an award celebrating his focus on philanthropic work.

Executive director of the Corey C Griffin Foundation, Melissa Bowman, said: "Mr DeMoulas greatly admires Kaylee's courage and perseverance to overcome adversity and sharing the evidence of that through her beautiful voice was one of the highlights of the evening.

"We understand that she hasn't performed publicly outside her school in Northern Ireland and we were delighted to welcome her to the United States to share her talent here."

Kaylee, who is normally very shy, has been growing in confidence through singing and has been praised by her school principal for embodying the ethos of the special needs school in Donaghadee.

Killard House Special School

  

Killard House Special School choir singing Hallelujah

Kaylee Rogers

After coming across this video on Christmas day, I just have to share it.  Kaylee is a special child.  She has autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, but when she sings…be prepared to be touched by an angel!   It brings tears to my eyes every time I listen to her rendition of the song, such was the power of little Kaylee’s voice and interpretation of the lyrics of Hallelujah.

I have a young niece who can’t speak at all, even at 5 years old, but is such sweet and mild-tempered girl and such a joy to all of us.  Seeing the milestones that Kaylee has achieved even with her disorders, I am heartened to know that En En may one day be able to overcome her own disorders, to learn to speak and do things on her own like Kaylee does, and perhaps unleash her special ability.

This Christmas-themed remake of Hallelujah consists of lyrics by American Christian rock band Cloverton.

Welcome to the website for Killard House School in Donaghadee.

Killard House School is a co-educational Controlled School providing for children and young people with additional special educational needs. These include Moderate Learning Difficulties, Speech and Language Difficulties and Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

Here at Killard House we provide education in a friendly, happy, supportive and caring environment with regard for the personal well being of our pupils.

We promote the personal and social development and a feeling of self-worth for all of our children and young people. The school is based upon good relations between children and young people, staff and those with parental responsibility.

Killard House School embraces an inspiring school motto of ‘Together We Can’ and the school prides itself with providing personalised multisensory learning experiences for the pupils in a safe and caring family environment. In fact everyone in the school refers to it as the ‘Killard House family’.

The school was founded over fifty years ago in Newtownards and in 2009, it relocated to the Donaghadee High School site. It provides education for over 200 pupils aged 3 to 18 years as well as providing Outreach Support for 30 pupils, aged between four and 11 years of age, as part of the South-Eastern Region (EA) support for Special Educational Needs in mainstream schools (Speech and Language and Moderate Learning Disability).

The school consists of a Nursery, Primary and Post-Primary Department along with 6 Social Communication Units (P1 - P7) providing a specialised programme for pupils on the Autistic Spectrum. The Primary Department also provides education for pupils with moderate and complex learning profiles in eight MLD classes P1- P7 aged pupils. The Nursery classes are two daily  sessions a morning session and afternoon session  with 4 pupils in each session.