Yes, it is still winter, but Tuesday's Musical Notes is comin' atcha with the sound that will start a Summertime thaw on any old wintery heart. Grab your flip flops Moondoggy, cause we're headed to the beach with the kings of ridin' the waves! Don't forget your sunscreen!!! Featuring a Musical Note email reprint from May of 2011, here is our ode to things that are sure to melt the harshness of the winter blues...Cue Flashback Music...NOW!
1964. What a Great Year!! The Beatles bring the British Invasion to the shores of the United States music industry by appearing on the "Ed Sullivan Show". Ed Sullivan Show - The Beatles Later that year, they have all of the top 5 singles in the US at one time. In March, Ford Motor Company introduces a new car model....The Mustang. 50 Years of the Ford Mustang - New York Times Magazine President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act in July. Civil Rights Act of 1964 The cartoon "Underdog" debuts on CBS. Underdog Opening Theme Brian Wilson suffers a nervous breakdown on a flight from Los Angeles to Houston. You may not know Brian Wilson, but I feel sure you know his band.....just a bunch of surfer dudes known as The Beach Boys.
"Round, Round, Get Around, I Get Around".... okay, the falsetto really doesn't come over as effective via digital typing, so I'll leave the rest to the ones known best for that sound:
The very first vinyl, (over 40's code for "record", the forefather of the cd, and mp3!) I ever owned was one of those TV offers in the '80s. It was for a double album set of "The Beach Boys' Greatest Hits". I saved and saved, and finally had the $29.99 plus shipping and handling to send to the company that was producing it. I was very concerned that mom or dad would notice the mailbox flag up and start asking questions. Then the whole, "You shouldn't spend your money on ...." conversation would start. Eerily, that's the same conversation I have with my kids now. But I digress. You can imagine my panic when arriving home and my double album of surfin' goodness was rubber banded to our rural mailbox!!! You could see it the minute you topped the hill!! Luckily, I was driving at the time and arrived home before mom did. It really wound up not being as big a deal as I made it out to be because both mom and dad took delight in hearing me enjoy "good" music. I think it brought back memories for them.
Along
with Jan and Dean, The Beach Boys set the tone for vocal beach-inspired
musical groups in the 60s. "I Get Around" would be one of their many
hits in the '60s. Rolling Stone listed it at #316 in its 2004 listing
of 500 Greatest Songs of All Times - Rolling Stone Magazine 2004. You can still see The Beach Boys on tour after over 50 years of making hits together. As has happened with many bands that have longevity, the lineup of the band has transitioned over time since its inception in 1961, (even Full House star John Stamos sat in on drums during one tour). The
surviving original members of Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, Mike Love,
Bruce Johnston, and David Marks got together in 2012 for a "reunion"
tour and to make an album. That's Why God Made The Radio debuted
at #3 on the charts, making The Beach Boys the group with the longest
top 10 chart span in rock and roll history at 49 years and 1 week,
surpassing The Beatles' previous record of 47 years. You might just
say that The Beach Boys definitely "Get Around".
When reading the Gospel account of Jesus' life, it may appear that He didn't "Get Around". The article "The Basic Geography Of Jesus' Ministry" by J.C. Laney details the area in Israel where Jesus ministered. Israel as a nation is only 8,019 square miles. With that in mind, you can see that Jesus spent the vast majority of His time in a geographic area that was smaller than the state of Vermont. (9623 square miles). Regardless of His traveling miles, the impact that Jesus had on the world is something Christians celebrate today. It is rare that you find someone who hasn't at least heard the name, Jesus. Here is an example of the impact Jesus can have on a life:
Many ridiculed the pastor who predicted the world's end in May of 2011. I felt sort of sorry for him. He had allowed something to deceive him into believing falsehoods. Some say he was used by the ultimate deceiver to make Christians and Christianity look foolish. But, what the enemy designed for evil, God turned to good.
Imagine an environment in which you have been instructed to leave your religious beliefs at the door. In short, you are suffering a mild form of persecution from a non-believing educational institution. Then the media gets abuzz over a pastor's prediction of the end of the world. Imagine your surprise when that media event ignites a hunger for the truth about how the world will end. A "religious free" zone immediately becomes an environment of discussion about beliefs and convictions. You are asked questions about your beliefs and why you believe them and you are allowed to clearly elaborate on those beliefs and convictions in an atmosphere that was once cold to the truth. This happened to our middle daughter as she attended cosmetology school. Folks who had ridiculed the name of Jesus were given an articulate, and precise reality of what the presence of Holy Spirit can be in one's life. What was meant for ridicule, opened doors for discussion.
You see, we all have our circles of influence. We all have those areas in which we "get around". There are times when that circle is larger than others. We certainly need to perceive when those times are and take advantage, in the context that as Christians, our job is not to provide salvation for anyone. The blood of Jesus is the only thing that can provide that. Our job is to teach, preach, and love. Building disciples as we build relationships. Jesus commissioned it this way: The Gospel Of Jesus According to the disciple Matthew 28:16-20 Holman Christan Standard Bible/The Message Paraphrase of the Bible parallel
Jesus may have never physically stepped out of Israel, but the impact of His life is felt through time and geography. Imagine what 2016 holds!! What events will take place that will begin the conversation about Jesus in your "Get Around" arena? What opportunities will you have to show Christ's impact on your life? How will you make disciples when those opportunities present themselves. Will you "'round, 'round, Get Around?"
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving you,
Randy
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