Tuesday's Musical Notes - "I'm Alright" (Kenny Loggins)

Welcome to Tuesday!!!

"I can hear music, sweet, sweet music, the sounds of the city baby, seem to disappear..."

Today's words of wisdom....."When you are the Top Gun and feel a little Over The Top, it is advisable on occasion to get a little Footloose down at the Caddy Shack...."  - Thermopolis W.P. Suey  Welcome to Tuesday!!!  

What is the soundtrack of your life?  Those songs that remind you of specific times and places,  the top 40 of your life? If you happened to have been a moviegoer and one whose proclivity was to listen to the radio in the '80s, then that soundtrack would have to include the music of one Kenneth Clark Loggins or as the DJs referred to him.....Kenny Loggins.      Freeze gopher!!!!

"I'm Alright" by Kenny Loggins from the 1980 album Caddyshack: Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack

In the 1980s Kenny Loggins became the king of the movie soundtrack.  He supplied 3 songs for Caddy Shack (1980), 2 for Footloose (the original not the remake)(1984) and Top Gun(1986), and 1 song for Over The Top(1987).  So you have a golf movie, a dancing movie, an arm wrestling movie, and a movie about fighter pilots.  A typically diverse mix from the man who told us that our "Mama Don't Dance" and then took us to the "House At Pooh Corner".    With his partner Jim Messina, Kenny Loggins has 2 platinum and 5 gold records, and solo he has 4 platinum albums and 3 gold albums, certainly allowing him to say "I'm Alright"

Is it enough to be alright?  What does that even mean?  Dictionary.com states that the word is a shortened form of the phrase "all right", which means a feeling of being safe or unharmed.  Can we have those safe feelings when contemplating the future?  Many times you may hear from a lectern or pulpit the question, "Do you wish to have eternal life?".  While well-intentioned, the question should be, "Where do you wish to spend eternity?"  You see we all have eternal life.  The things that we see, feel, touch, taste, and hear now will one day pass away.  The disciples of Jesus thought that passing away events would occur during their lifetimes.  Reading the paper today, it seems that time could be even nearer.  The apostle John asked for Jesus to come quickly.  That being said, we get to choose where we "go" after what we understand as life stops.  There is no gray area in this choice.  It is either a place where Jesus is (heaven) or a place where he is not (hell).  Heaven is the reward for those who have accepted the gift that Jesus provides and attempt to live by his 2 commands, love God and love man more than you do yourself. 

These 2 commands are the foundation for being disciples.  Becoming a disciple is the process that begins after you have chosen by faith to have your eternity be in the presence of Jesus.  The process of loving God and loving other men like ourselves is never complete.  Jesus was the only one to be able to carry out those commands perfectly.  This makes being a disciple challenging and more than having your name on a church membership document.  You may be asking "what then does being a disciple look like?". 

The Notes finds it reassuring that the first 3 definitions of the word "disciple" at dictionary.com have something to do with Jesus.  The 4th defines a disciple as  "a person who is a pupil or an adherent of the doctrines of another".  Each of the Gospels describes some facet of what being a disciple of Jesus should entail.  In Luke, Jesus tells the crowd they cannot be His disciples unless they are willing to let go of all they hold dear and follow Him.  Read the New International Version translation of that story here: 

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2014:25-34&version=NIV  

The Message paraphrase is an interesting interpretation of that scripture as well:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2014:25-34&version=MSG

In the book of John, Jesus also tells what it means to be His disciple: 

 "As He was saying these things, many believed in Him. So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you really are My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  (John 8:30-32)

Notice that Jesus puts qualifiers on His disciples. Take up your cross (not anyone else's), follow me (be like Jesus), and continue in My word (study scripture, not just read it, STUDY IT).  These are all parts of living the life of a disciple of Jesus.  Jesus even used the analogy of a fruit-bearing vine to get His point across. (John 15:1-8).  He closes the story in John by talking about the complete joy that His disciples will have as they bear fruit and abide in Him. 

     I confess to you that I am terrible at all of the above things that a disciple is supposed to do and be.  I am however hopeful that as I go about in faith and His strength, doing the things of a disciple, I am being transformed into His likeness.  Perhaps this is where you find yourself as well.  I covet your prayers and ask you to hold me accountable for becoming a better disciple and likewise will pray for you in this process of working out our salvation as Paul calls it.  Notice that becoming a disciple is made a little easier when done in community.  Are you a consistent part of a small group in your church?  Maybe that is the first step to becoming a better disciple for you and your family.  You should try it this Sunday!   It might just be the jump start you need to begin the completion of your joy.  Cue the dancing gopher........

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by loving you,

Randy

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