Welcome to Tuesday! Have you been searching the blogosphere for a place that has your favorite music, and musicians? Have you ever had your curiosity senses tingle wondering if there was a place on the internetoscape that has thoughts and reflections about that favorite music and those favorite musicians? Perhaps you've pondered... "Hmmm...is there a blog that combines my favorite tunes and troubadours with truth deeper than what the original lyric intended?" Welcome dear friend!!! You have encountered such a place! You have found such a blog!!! It's called (trumpet fanfare, yep there's an app for that!) ...Tuesday's Musical Notes! At the signpost up ahead...no wait that's the wrong intro....sorry. Welcome to Tuesday!!! Let's begin at the beginning...
Peaking at #23 on Billboard's Hot 100, 1978's "Follow You, Follow Me" would be the most successful single for the British band Genesis (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Misunderstanding", Tuesday's Musical Notes - "No Reply at All") since the band's inception in 1967. "Follow You, Follow Me" would launch Genesis into the '80s with a massive appeal for more of the "Pop" sound of today's feature song and less of the "ProgRock" musical reputation that Genesis had built since they released their first single "The Silent Sun" from the 1968 album From Genesis to Revelation, featuring Peter Gabriel (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "In Your Eyes") as the lead vocalist.
After Gabriel's departure in 1975, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "All I Need is a Miracle"), and Phil Collins became the main lineup, as well as becoming the most successful incarnation of Genesis. Collins would depart in 1996 and in 1997 Calling All Stations would be the last studio effort released by remaining founding members Banks and Rutherford. Genesis final tour brought back the trio (Collins, Banks, and Rutherford) in 2007 for the Turn It On Again tour, placing them in the top 20 for highest grossing tours in the 2000's.
With continual airplay at radio and enduring interest in the band, it is easy to see how the fans of Genesis took today's song to heart and keep the 51-year-old band's music relevant. Maybe part of the allure of Genesis is the chemistry behind the three who remained. On the face of it, they seemed to have a bond that many bands only dream of having. One of the factors for that bond could be all the time they spent together.
Do you have friends? I am not talking about the casual, "Hello, how are you today?" acquaintances that you have in your environment. I'm talking about those folks who really know you and yet, still like you. How did those folks come to be your friends, confidants, and surrogate family members? You guessed it! You spend time together!!! Your relationship is strong because you know each other and enjoy being together as often as you possibly can. "Stay with me, my love I hope you'll always be, right here by my side if ever I needed you."
It seems that over the years, this band of folks for my wife and I has changed. Graduation from high school or college, job relocation, and life transitions have all worked against our making lifelong, meaningful relationships with folks who we trust and rely upon. There was a time that we were moving every 9 months. In fact, for the first 10 years of our marriage, we moved 9 times! We made it through that time period, but I don't recommend it.
This vagabond life didn't allow for the seeds of relationships to grow for us. We certainly didn't have the opportunity to find a faith family that we could invest in and be surrounded by. In many ways, I really think this unsettled lifestyle is a tool of the enemy to make us less powerful in our faith. You see we were commanded to make relationships whereby we could have an influence on those around us by telling the Gospel and through that, we can grow to be more like Jesus. This process is called discipleship. "In your arms, I feel so safe and so secure, everyday is such a perfect day to spend, alone with you."
Christians all over the world recently celebrated the fact that Jesus is alive. Even pre-Christians acknowledge the holiday. This celebration sets Christianity apart from other world religions as those religions can point to where their dead leaders are buried. Christianity does not have this. Jesus came back to life and instructed His followers for 40 days after His resurrection. No other world religion can espouse this kind of belief in and for the leader of their particular religion.
During this 40 days, Jesus taught His friends some very specific things and gave them the command, a lifestyle if you will, by which to live their lives. It is known as The Great Commission.
How did the disciples/apostles/friends of Jesus get to the point that they could follow this command? How was their relationship with Jesus so good that they would die to get His story told? (What Happened to the Twelve Apostles? How Do Their Deaths Prove Easter? by Michael Patton, April 10, 2009, credohouse.org) The answer is very simple and something we should apply to our lives today.
THEY SPENT A WHOLE LOT OF TIME TOGETHER
Yes, the disciples were given Holy Spirit to empower them in the circumstances in which they encountered, but they had such a meaningful relationship with Jesus as their mentor and friend, that when Holy Spirit came upon them, their understanding of what they were to do partnered with their desire to do what they had been commanded. The result? The Gospel of Jesus was proclaimed in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the world.
In the last several years, the Church has placed an incredible amount of focus on discipleship. Programs have been developed to emphasize the need of it. Plans have been made to make us better at it. And yet, I think we've overcomplicated something that Jesus meant to be as simple as His Gospel.
Discipleship happens when two or more are gathered together. Jesus promised us that He would be in our midst in this situation. Matthew 18:18-20 NIV/The Message/ESV When Jesus is there, He is teaching, leading, and counseling us in ways to go and tell the simple story of the Gospel. If I may employ logic, wouldn't it stand to reason that discipleship occurs anytime two or more believers are gathered? This means relationships are much more important than any program/book/conference on the newest in discipleship strategem. The point? Hang out with your Christian friends and discipleship will happen.
This begs the question. Who is discipling you? Who do you hang out with? Who are your closest friends? Does Jesus attend your gathering if there are 2 or more of you there? You are influenced by those in which you interact. The more you interact and grow closer, the more of an impact you have on their lives and they on yours. "I will follow you will you follow me, all the days and nights that we know will be. I will stay with you will you stay with me, just one single tear in each passing year..."
Strategies, books, and conferences can have a part in our growth as believers, but they never will replace sit down, being there conversations, with folks. This is when discipleship can really flourish...
"I will follow you, will you follow me?" and we don't mean just on facebook...
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving You,
randy
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