Welcome
to Tuesday! It's time for Tuesday's Musical Notes, where the repartee'
is always snappy and the sentiment is usually happy! Today is the last
Tuesday of August and we find ourselves getting ready for what some are
predicting will be a cooler than normal fall. We also find ourselves
ready for the return of football season and our favorite shows which
should be premiering in September. Less outdoor activity is available
as the weather chills and the time changes (we fall back November 1st
this year...why bother?)
The
occasional indoor retreat may find you perusing the channels and
discovering the classic movies of the 30s-40s. I confess to this being
one of my favorite decades for Hollywood. The icons of that age defined
cool as they were all decked out in tuxedos and formals. High class
dressing was not just relegated to those with money. The
non-millionaires of this decade saved and scrimped so they could have
that one outfit that would be suitable should the need arise or for
special occasions.
The
ballrooms of this decade were the playground of the tuxedo set. This
once classy and elegant place for folks to socialize has virtually
disappeared from the landscape. Even the revival in ballroom dancing
(Dancing With The Stars anyone?) has not been enough to return us to the
time when men and women all over the country glided across the floor to
the tunes of some of popular music's most recognizable melodies. These melodies were promulgated by mini orchestras that were labeled "big bands".
At
the height of the big band age, no one stood taller than Glenn Miller
and his orchestra. His life was chronicled in the 1953 movie, The Glenn Miller Story,
starring Jimmy Stewart. It is an incredible film that shows the
struggles that many of the band leaders of the day went through to see
their music heard by the masses. Today's featured song is given
prominence in the film, which includes many of Miller's greatest hits.
Glenn
Miller went missing in action on December 15, 1944. He held the rank
of major in the Army Air Forces when the airplane he was traveling in
disappeared over the English Channel. His service in the military was
to modernize the Army band and entertain the troops during World War
II. He was awarded the Bronze star posthumously for his leadership of
the Army Air Force band. The service music that he recorded as well as
his success in civilian life, make Glenn Miller one of the most
recognizable names in all of music.
The Bible is replete with stories of the well adorned (Solomon at the apex of his kingdom: 1 Kings 10 - Holman Christian Standard Bible/The Message Paraphrase) as well as those who had nothing (the beggar at the Beautiful Gate: Acts 3:1-10 HCSB/The Message.
In Biblical terms, every man is the same regardless of one's status,
wealth, or the number of tuxedo's in the closet. In Christ's economy,
one's eternal destination is far more important that the clothes on
their back...or lack thereof.
If
you have ever lived or traveled much in the southern United States, you
are sure to have heard the expression, "Sunday go-to-meetin' clothes".
This describes the cultural phenomena (not scriptural mandate) in some
church circles whereby you put on your very best clothes to go to
church. Our worship times together should be held in reverence. God is
certainly worthy of our best. However, we border on idolatry when we
focus on what we or others may be wearing and don't focus on putting on
Jesus. Romans 13 - New International Version/The Message Paraphrase
is an entire chapter on our relationship with our surroundings and how
we should "put on" those things that are emblematic of the fruits of the
spirit. As modern Christians, we must continually evaluate how our
actions or reactions to others may impact the call from Holy Spirit that
is happening in the life of a person without Jesus in their life. We
must never let our "tuxedo" wearing be a stumbling block for those who
are coming with only their heart to give.
Consider this from the middle of Jesus' Sermon On the Mount: Matthew 6 - NIV/The Message
As
we model the behavior of Jesus, we will find ourselves filled with
humility, approaching others with a humble spirit and perhaps helping
them find the right direction for their life as they come to the
crossroad of eternity and find that it is a place full of folks just
like themselves in need of salvation and clutching to the promise of the
Savior, not just another Tuxedo Junction...
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving you,
Randy
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