Today's edition of Tuesday's Musical Notes is a first of the month flashback, reprint of an email Notes from July 5th, 2011. Has it really been that long? Wow! We hope you enjoy!!!
Happy Day after Independence Day and welcome to Tuesday's Musical Notes!!! I hope your celebrations were filled with fireworks and food, but that you also took a moment to remember the troops who are abroad and those who have given "the final full measure of devotion" so that we may celebrate our freedom 240 years after the signing of our Declaration of Independence. I hope you also took some time to thank God for our country as well as the ultimate freedom we have because of His sacrifice and Jesus' love. Welcome!!!
It is the iconic figure. James Cagney as George M. Cohan dancing and singing around the stage about being "born on the 4th of July!!" Since we planted that earworm and you're singing it now, we may as well watch:
What
many people don't realize is that this song, from one of Cohan's first
musicals, "Little Johnny Jones", is about horse racing.......in
England!!! You really do need to watch the entire movie, "Yankee Doodle
Dandy" to get the whole context of the song and it's author's
patriotism. George M. Cohan was a musical prodigy and the writer of
some our most beloved patriotic songs and many of Broadway's biggest
early musical hits.
One of Cohan's biggest patriotic numbers was "Over There". It was written in 1917 and became very popular with soldiers in both the World Wars. Here's a link:
Remembering WW1 an army recruitment film with soundtrack provided by George M. Cohan's "Over There"
Could you imagine our soldiers singing "Over There" in regards to the current conflicts we are in around the world? I can't. Please don't misunderstand, what I mean by suggesting this is that patriotism has transitioned since the time of the World Wars. Up until the Korean War and Viet Nam conflict, the lines were pretty clear about who were our country's allies and who were the enemy. During the wars of the late 50's, 60's, and 70's those lines became less structured. Today we fight an enemy that is an ideology and the conversation we have about that enemy is more convoluted. Patriotism is seemingly harder to come by in this environment.
Patriotism is a good thing. We should be very proud that we live in a Republic that allows for the freedoms that we enjoy. We should not, however, ever allow our love of country to overcome our worship of our God, that is idolatry. The United States seems to be following an example of another group of people that God allowed a freedom for a season. We should learn from their example.
Psalm 119:45 "I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts."
What a wise saying. As we seek out God and walk in His way, we find ourselves more and more free. I think this is a passage that many of our Founding Fathers embraced as they understood the enormity of what they were achieving. You may notice that according to this passage, freedom doesn't necessarily come until God's precepts are sought out. Until we search for God's wisdom we can't find true freedom.
The Israelites learned this lesson continuously. In Judges, Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles we see how both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms were stuck in a pattern of sin and redemption. In some ways, they allowed their nationalism to become an Idol that God would not allow. Imagine with all of the miracles that their forefathers had seen and all the blessings they had as a nation, they still sinned and followed after idols.
It isn't difficult to see this pattern with the United States as well. Could you envision what would happen if we compared each law that was suggested, to the measuring stick of the Bible? If we sought God's precepts before we made decisions at the Federal, State, County, and City levels. How would our nation be transformed?
If this sounds like something you would like to see, let me challenge you to an experiment. Take the decisions that you make in your household and measure them up with the Bible. Before we can expect our Republic to be more Godly, we ourselves must be more Godly. Before we can ask our legislators to enact laws that are God honoring, we must be God honoring ourselves. We must, as Christ followers, allow Jesus through Holy Spirit's power to renew and transform us more into His likeness. As we become more like Jesus, perhaps we even have the courage to run for public office and manage that office in a God honoring manner?
Our Republic has seen so many miraculous things occur and yet, like ancient Israel, has fallen into worshiping idols. Idols of power, money, influence and notoriety plague our nation and its leaders. While many times we as a nation have paid the tribute to "our Creator", the time has come once again for "My people, who are called by my Name, to humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." This must happen at an individual level before it can EVER happen at a national one.
One of Cohan's biggest patriotic numbers was "Over There". It was written in 1917 and became very popular with soldiers in both the World Wars. Here's a link:
Remembering WW1 an army recruitment film with soundtrack provided by George M. Cohan's "Over There"
Could you imagine our soldiers singing "Over There" in regards to the current conflicts we are in around the world? I can't. Please don't misunderstand, what I mean by suggesting this is that patriotism has transitioned since the time of the World Wars. Up until the Korean War and Viet Nam conflict, the lines were pretty clear about who were our country's allies and who were the enemy. During the wars of the late 50's, 60's, and 70's those lines became less structured. Today we fight an enemy that is an ideology and the conversation we have about that enemy is more convoluted. Patriotism is seemingly harder to come by in this environment.
Patriotism is a good thing. We should be very proud that we live in a Republic that allows for the freedoms that we enjoy. We should not, however, ever allow our love of country to overcome our worship of our God, that is idolatry. The United States seems to be following an example of another group of people that God allowed a freedom for a season. We should learn from their example.
Psalm 119:45 "I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts."
What a wise saying. As we seek out God and walk in His way, we find ourselves more and more free. I think this is a passage that many of our Founding Fathers embraced as they understood the enormity of what they were achieving. You may notice that according to this passage, freedom doesn't necessarily come until God's precepts are sought out. Until we search for God's wisdom we can't find true freedom.
The Israelites learned this lesson continuously. In Judges, Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles we see how both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms were stuck in a pattern of sin and redemption. In some ways, they allowed their nationalism to become an Idol that God would not allow. Imagine with all of the miracles that their forefathers had seen and all the blessings they had as a nation, they still sinned and followed after idols.
It isn't difficult to see this pattern with the United States as well. Could you envision what would happen if we compared each law that was suggested, to the measuring stick of the Bible? If we sought God's precepts before we made decisions at the Federal, State, County, and City levels. How would our nation be transformed?
If this sounds like something you would like to see, let me challenge you to an experiment. Take the decisions that you make in your household and measure them up with the Bible. Before we can expect our Republic to be more Godly, we ourselves must be more Godly. Before we can ask our legislators to enact laws that are God honoring, we must be God honoring ourselves. We must, as Christ followers, allow Jesus through Holy Spirit's power to renew and transform us more into His likeness. As we become more like Jesus, perhaps we even have the courage to run for public office and manage that office in a God honoring manner?
Our Republic has seen so many miraculous things occur and yet, like ancient Israel, has fallen into worshiping idols. Idols of power, money, influence and notoriety plague our nation and its leaders. While many times we as a nation have paid the tribute to "our Creator", the time has come once again for "My people, who are called by my Name, to humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." This must happen at an individual level before it can EVER happen at a national one.
We
live in the best country in the world. There is no denying that
statement. We also are at a crossroads as Christians. We have the
ability to impact the future of the incredible governmental experiment
that 56 leaders in colonial America set into motion. If, as Christians,
we commit to renewing our lives, telling others The Gospel, and living
righteously, God has promised to take care of the rest. So, as we
celebrate this season of freedom and independence, we once again join
our voices with the incredible song written and made famous by Lee
Greenwood (voiced by the acapella group Home Free) and beg...
'TIl Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving you,
Randy
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