Welcome to Tuesday and Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!
“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”
― Albert Einstein
“Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
― Steve Jobs
"Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it." - Henry Ford
"No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking." - Voltaire
"Think, think, think..." - Winnie the Pooh
"You better think about what you sayin', you better think about the consequences of your actions..." - Mrs. Matt "Guitar" Murphy
(aka Aretha Franklin)
"Yeah, think (think, think), let your mind go, let yourself be free..."
- Aretha Franklin
Most of the music listening world has heard the voice if not the name of Aretha Franklin. I confess, being raised on Country/Western and the Southern Gospel style of Christian music, I rarely had the occasion to be exposed to her incredible voice. I do however remember hearing "Respect" (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Respect") and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" on the radio.
I quickly became a fan of her music when, in the fall of 1982 as a freshmen in college, I was exposed to the wonder that was Aretha Franklin and "Think" was solidified as my favorite Aretha song.
Freshman Marching Razorback band members were required to be on campus prior to the start of the actual school semester. During our "off" hours from rehearsal, The Razorback Band service fraternity/sorority, Kappa/Kappa/Psi and Tau Beta Sigma, showed a series of musical films during the twilight hours that enabled us to socialize and bond as a group as well as be recruited by their respective organizations. This was the time before VHS so I'm not sure how they got the prints, but one of the films was the Belushi/Ackroyd ode to the blues band, The Blues Brothers. (The Notes can't recommend the movie for a family movie night, due to language issues, but if you love music, this movie is quite entertaining. Music lovers should get the soundtrack on vinyl if it isn't already a part of your collection!!!)
Part of the charm of The Blues Brothers is all of the great guest appearances by R&B icons. Ray Charles, James Brown, John Lee Hooker all played roles in assisting Jake and Elwood the opportunity to fulfill their mission from God. But when Aretha hit the screen...
She was born in Memphis Tennessee, but eventually settled in Detroit as her father was a pastor of the New Bethel Baptist Church. At her father's guidance she began singing at the church and became a part of his circuit preaching throughout the week. Her father was also a compatriot of Martin Luther King Jr. Their relationship with Dr. King was so close, that Aretha was asked to sing at Dr. King's funeral. Her selection: "Precious Lord" (originally recorded on Songs of Faith, the 1956 debut album by Aretha Franklin)
Aretha never abandoned her gospel roots. Throughout her career she would return to record the music upon which she was raised. We've mentioned her first record, 1956' Songs of Faith. She won the 1973 Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance for her collaboration with James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir simply titled Amazing Grace. In 1987 and 1999 she would see the releases One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism and Gospel Greats respectively. This body of work would propel her to being inducted into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012. For more about Aretha's faith: Aretha Franklin’s Life Shows She Put God First - August 16, 2019 by Tess Farrand, Staff Writer at movieguide.org
Aretha Franklin was not only a gospel music legend, but because of her R&B prowess, she was given the title Queen of Soul. In 1987 she was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She continues to reign at the top of Rolling Stones' list of Greatest Singers of All-Time. Her accolades and honors have continued as with each decade she would record relatable and good music for the radio listening public. She even sang the opera aria "Nessun Dorma" in place of Luciano Pavarotti at the Grammy Awards in 1998 bringing her additional international acclaim.
For me, however, Aretha Franklin will always be telling Matt "Guitar" Murphy, that he better be thinking about the consequences of his actions. I may be overthinking this a bit, but for me, Aretha inspired a generation to consider what they were going to do, BEFORE they did it. For a college kid in the '80s that was sage advice that reminded me of something I had heard in Sunday School once.
In the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John's accounts of Jesus' earthly ministry) we hear Jesus continually asking folks what they think about specific things? (New International Version of the Bible: The Gospel of Jesus according to the disciple Matthew, chapter 17, verse 25 New International Version of the Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible, English Standard Version of the Bible parallel, Matthew 18:12 NIV/The Message/ESV, Matthew 22:41-42 NIV/The Message/ESV, et al) As God in human form, Jesus already knew what they thought so why would He ask them? Jesus wanted them to consider all the applications and implications of what their notions were on the topics in which He was asking. In essence, He was trying to get them to "think" more deeply than the cursory knowledge they may have already had. He was transforming His followers into His likeness by engaging them in conversation and allowing their answers to lead Him into a deeper explanation than what their backgrounds would have allowed them to think. For those who weren't followers Jesus' was attempting to show them the way by gettting through their own sanctimony and self worth.
Perhaps you have found that EVERYONE has an opinion on any given subject. Sometimes these opinions are well thought out, other times...not so much. The question becomes, if one were to consider more deeply the question, could they come up with a more informed, non-emotional answer? I really think this deeper contemplation, pondering, or just plain ol thinking about things is something that our "media" (let's face it they aren't "news" outlets anymore) agencies could find benefit, but I digress...
So friend, do you take the time to think before you answer a query? I know that I don't! Most of the time to my own dismay. Isn't it easy with our self consumption to blurt out some diatribe that is not very well thought out, just so we can have our voice rise above the clamor?
For those who have not yet come to belief in Jesus, there is much to contemplate, much in which to think on, much to ponder. For those who have not yet come to belief in Jesus, please consider these thing found in the Bible. God created a perfect world. He even called it "good". God created humans (just 1 race, the human race) to interact with him and have relationship. God as the Creator had some ground rules for humans, which they violated (this is called "sin") thus breaking the relationship between God and humans and as a cost for that violation, humans were cast out of perfection. God however, had a plan for the relationship between Himself and humans to be restored. It would take much sacrifice on His part, but He was willing to do it. To accomplish this, God, the Creator, the Father, sent Jesus, the Son to be the sacrifice into the "not good" world in which humans now existed. Jesus asked humans to think about their relationship with God. He proclaimed Himself to be the Son of God which was something that humans in their rebellion to God could not understand. This disconnect was so palpable that humans took Jesus, who had never done ANYTHING wrong, and killed Him in a manner so heinous that it is no longer used as a form of capital punishment in "civilized" society. Jesus endure unimaginable pain and anguish so that you and I can be restored to God. Jesus was then placed in a tomb, physically dead. 3 days later He came back to life, a physical life and was seen by over 500 of His contemporaries. After coming back to life, He spent some time training His disciples what to do, how to live, and how to think deeper as He would eventually ascend to be with God. He then sent Holy Spirit to be His presence in all those who believe in Him assisting in the process of becoming more like Jesus as they lived their lives. Jesus is currently sitting beside God asking for mercy and grace for those who do not believe this. Believing these things about Jesus is a life and death decision. One that requires much more than a glancing thought.
Dear friend, THIS is the most important thing in your life that you will ever think about. What you decide about Jesus will determine your eternity future. What you think has consequences!!! You better think...
For those who have come to belief in Jesus. What we should think upon is simple and laid out for us in Paul's letter to the Philipian church, chapter 4, verse 8 NIV/The Message/ESV. True, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, and gracious are the characteristics where our attention is to be focused. Thinking on the best things not worst, thinking on the beautiful not the ugly, thinking about things to praise, not things to curse. Thinking on these things is not easy, but it is doable through the power of Holy Spirit. Thinking on these things makes us an attractively peculiar people. Thinking on these things encourages us to tell our story of redemption and restoration. Ultimately thinking these things launch us down the pathways to... freedom (freedom), freedom (freedom), freedom, yeah freedom!!! (ba dump bump be dump...that's a horn lick...just in case you didn't know!)
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving You,
randy
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