Many
of the songs featured at Tuesday's Musical Notes are from bands with
great longevity. These artists began their careers in the late '60s and
early 70's and continue to tour and make records today. Artists like
Steve Winwood (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "While You See A Chance"), Stevie Wonder (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Sir Duke"), as well as bands like Earth, Wind, and Fire (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Spinning Wheel") and Chicago (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Alive Again")
have all received the Tuesday's Musical Notes treatment. All of these
acts have experienced over 40 years of making music and having hit
singles. They have been lauded with countless awards and sold millions
of albums.
Today's
Notes are no exception as we feature the band Rush. This Candadian
rock band was formed in 1968. They self produced their eponymous debut
album in 1974 with original lineup of Geddy Lee (Vocals, keyboards and
bass), Alex Lifeson (backing vocals and guitar), and John Rutsey
(drums). That's right. Drummer Neal Peart did not join the band until 2
weeks prior to the inaugural US tour, due to Rutsey's lack of desire to
tour and his battle with diabetes. Rush released their 20th studio
album, Clockwork Angels, in June of 2012. It joins a discography
that includes 24 gold, 11 platinum, and 3 multiplatinum albums. This
body of work formed the foundation for Rush to be inducted into the
Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
One
of the reasons for Rush's fame is the 1981 hit, "Tom Sawyer". It was
loosely inspired by the book of the same name by Mark Twain. Upon its
release as a single it only went as high as #44 on Billboard's Hot 100.
It has since become a staple at Rock radio and in 2009 was named #19
on VH1's list of greatest hard rock songs. "Tom Sawyer" would be the
song that brought Rush an entire new group of fans as its mainstream
appeal would put on display their incredible musicality. Instrumental
magazines continue to feature each of the band members of Rush as top
players for their particular instruments. Yep, all of that music from
three guys from Canada.
It's
been 34 years since "Tom Sawyer" was released. Geddy Lee and Alex
Lifeson are both 61. Neal Peart is 62. They have spent their lives
crafting their art to be exactly what they wanted it to be. Innumerable
hours of rehearsal have been the prepatory playground for the skill they
exhibit each time they hit the stage. They have inspired musicians
the world over with their exquisite form of Rock and continue to push
the envelope as they experiment with new sounds, time signatures, and
riffs that make players marvel and attempt to "catch the mystery, catch
the myth".
It
has taken over 40 years for Rush to reach this pinnacle. There would
naturally be the assumption that each of them have matured significantly
in various areas of their life. The songs of Clockwork Angels are significantly different from the songs of Rush. The maturation process is very evident in the skill of each of the band members playing and the lyrical content of the songs.
This is the way things were designed and because of the time they have
invested in their creativity, they are equipped to handle this stage of
success. "...always hopeful, yet discontent, he knows changes aren't
permanent..."
Followers
of Jesus should be crafting their skills in much the same way. We need
to about utilizing every day to mature in the talents, gifts and
abilities with which we have been blessed. When the time comes for us
to do the good work to which we are called, we are expertly prepared to
do it in the best, most God honoring way possible.
The
Bible has story after story of how God allowed heroes of the faith to
"grow up" before He challenged them to the task of their lives. Abraham
and Sarah spent 25 years maturing from the time they were promised
Isaac until he was born. Noah spent from 50-75 years "gaining wisdom"
to be the patriarch of the whole world while building the ark. David
spent from 10-15 years honing his leadership skills to become King over
Israel. Moses spent 40 years hanging out with sheep before God called
him to shepherd the Israelites out of Egypt. With each of these
examples, you can see that the time spent is different depending on the
person and the responsibility for which they will be responsible. God
knows exactly what we need to meet the challenges that we will face. He
uses our entire environment (family, friends, acquaintances,
experiences) to encounter the works that He has planned for us to do.
Ephesians 2 is a great passage that details where God found us, how He
is maturing us, and those things He has outlined just for us to do. Ephesians 2 New King James Version/The Message parallel
Our challenge is to make everyday a practice session for that good
work. Bible study, prayer, fellowship with and mentoring by other
Christians, as well as being a disciple and making disciples are some of
the tools in the wheelhouse at our disposal to prepare us for what lies
ahead. We have to put those tools into our hands and practice...every
day to reach the pinnacle of our ability in using them and to prepare to
"get right on to the friction of the day".
Friend,
how have you allowed God to grow you? What have you done to partner
with Him to prepare you for the challenges and good works He has planned
for you? How have you become more like Jesus today? What have you
consistently practiced over the last, 5, 10, 20, 30, or more years that
has prepared you for a moment you may face today? Are you ready?
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving you,
Randy
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