Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "The Sign" (Ace of Base)




 

Headlines for music and entertainment websites and ezines were aflutter with the announcement that Swedish Pop Band ABBA would be releasing their first new album in over 39 years.  Why is this such a big deal?  Between 1970 and 1983, the band would release 48 singles.  13 of those singles would go into the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 and 1976's "Dancing Queen" would go all the way to #1.  To increase exposure and popularity in the next generation most of their hits were featured in the popular Broadway musical and movie "Mama Mia!".  A new ABBA album could be huge if they follow their recipe for success.  

There have been few bands to achieve the magnitude of fandom like the band ABBA, much less rare are the bands that hail from ABBA's native Sweden. There have, however, been bands from Sweden to enter the foray of pop music and achieve success.  Roxette, would come along in the 80s and challenge ABBA's reign as the most popular band from the land that brought us IKEA.  (This nation sure likes to use capital letters a lot too!!!) But Roxette didn't have quite the staying power of ABBA (nor a musical and all-star cast of a movie to promulgate their music...) And then another band from Sweden came along in the 90s to once again challenge ABBA's stronghold from the Ice Hotel of popular music...


Formed in 1990, Ace of Base hit the airwaves with their debut album, Happy Nation in 1992.  While very popular in their homeland, the album wasn't very quick to catch on globally until their single "All That She Wants" began getting airplay.  "All That She Wants" would peak at the #2 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and catapult Ace of Base into the pop music spotlight.  The siblings Berggren and Ulf Ekberg had already begun working on a new album when Clive Davis, founder of Arista Records, who had signed Ace of Base, decided that sales of Happy Nation were lagging behind expectations.  He instructed the band to add their new music to Happy Nation and retitle it The Sign after the next expected single to be released. 

The Sign was released on November 23, 1993.  Upon its release, it remained in the top 3 of the Billboard 200 album chart for the next 26 weeks.  The instantaneous comparisons to ABBA began as Ace of Base were thrust into the ears of most radio listeners around the world. The rest as they say is history, well at least as close as you can get with music... 

The song, as so many of those chronicled here at Tuesday's Musical Notes, is about the inner workings of a relationship.  However, instead of getting back together, "The Sign" shows the lady leaving the relationship after reflection of what she has gone through results in an "A-ha" moment where she realizes this guy is not the right one..."...I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes, I saw the sign.."

"The Sign" was a fantastic follow-up to "All That She Wants" for Ace of Base.  It supplied the continuity of singles in the top 10 for the band that is required for any musical group to stay relevant for very long.  "The Sign" is one of those rare singles that hit the #1 spot on the singles chart at the same time as the album from which it came hit #1 on the album chart.  Not many bands can say they achieved this kind of performance.  It also topped the year-end chart in 1994 as well as received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

As it goes so many times with popular music movies and books, it just so happens that "The Sign" is not critically acclaimed.  Consumable entertainment achieves some modicum of success despite someone who may or may not really know what they are talking about writing a review that describes it as "incessantly catchy" or having "dinky synths, impish dance beats, and miniaturized vocals".  I don't know about you, but I'll take sales in excess of 2,000,000 over critical acclaim any day.  It seems that critics just can't help themselves when someone makes the claim..." I saw the sign..."

Way before Ace of Base began seeing signs, there was a group of men in the Old Testament who received their own share of criticism for the signs they were revealing to the people.  God had called these men to provide specific messages to a people who had given up on their distinct and peculiar relationship with the Creator of the universe.  Many folks know these men as the prophets of the Old Testament.  

Here's where I would normally put a focal passage of Scripture.  Today we suggest that you take a week or so and read from Isaiah through Malachi in a translation of your choosing.  Or you can read it in the order listed below in the same manner.  If you like to read online click on this link and follow the directions to the books of the Prophets in the Old Testament.  Biblegateway.com

The Prophetical books of the Old Testament can be kind of confusing, especially if you are like me and love to read about events in the order by which they happened.  A cursory glance at many Bibles, regardless of translation, will have the books attributed to the prophets in an order that begins with Isaiah and ends with Malachi.  The chronological order looks more like this:


As you can see, many of the prophets were contemporaries in the chronology as well as the message they were conveying to the nations of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and Judah (the Southern Kingdom).  As an aside, we find it very interesting that the book of Jonah is listed as the first book in chronology.  This means that Assyria, the land that would conquer Israel (the Northern Kingdom), had a huge revival and turning to Yahweh, the One True God, about 100 years prior to the devasting invasion that they perpetrated on Israel.  Interesting how quickly a nation can slide from "God we love You and will serve only You" to "Who's God?" 

So what were the messages from God that these prophets were telling Israel and Judah that were so unpopular?  God instructed the Prophets to detail the signs of the destruction of both of these kingdoms due to the breaking of the covenants that had been established with Abraham and Moses only a little more than 900 years prior.  Because of the falling away from God and turning to the idols of the land, Israel and Judah would be taken captive and cease to exist for many years.  The prophets were very blunt regarding the conditions that would exist during the subsequent invasions and carrying away of the people.  To make matters worse, many of the prophets had a direct line to the leadership (kings) of their day.  They weren't prophesying to the man on the street most of the time, they were telling the kings that THE King had gotten His fill of their idolatry and was about to allow actions to be taken to return them back to Himself.  The prophets foretold the captivity of the people for their national sins and the eventual burning of the temple in Jerusalem.  It was too late for a "turn or burn" message for them, judgement was about to fall. 

In the last couple of weeks, we have chronicled some of the kings in which the prophets attempted to get the message across.  If you remember, none of the kings in Israel were good kings, but a few in Judah listened to the prophets of their time and were good kings.  Here is another chart to give you an idea of which prophet went with which king. 


The kings did receive messages that were not all devastation and destruction.  False prophets existed in the time of Jonah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others.  The "happy, happy, joy, joy" messages from these false prophets were much easier for the kings to hear.  So many similarities to the times in which we live that we don't even have time to start...

Within all of this doom and gloom that the prophets spoke about, there was a glimmer of hope that was infused in their messages as well.  The hope of a restoration for a remnant and a new leader that would set them free and sit on the throne of David forever.  In some instances, this hope is all that even the prophets would hold on to as they awaited the captivity, famine, pestilence, and destruction to come.  More on this hope next week.  Same time, same channel!!!

Reading the Old Testament Prophets is difficult, however, there are so many significant lessons that can and will resonate with us if we take the time to read through their messages. If we take the time and see the signs, our eyes will be opened to God's mercy and grace.  If we take the time and see the signs, we will turn from the idolatry that WE perpetrate against God and turn to Him as He waits for us.  If we take the time and see the signs, we no longer are able to hear the false prophets that preach the ultimate in fake news and feed ears that are itching.  Perhaps our lives could even be less demanding as we gain in understanding because with the background of a reggae, Europop backbeat we open up our eyes and see the signs...

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by Serving You,
randy
<><




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Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "A Farewell to Kings" (Rush)

Welcome to Tuesday and another edition of Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!  Ah, Tuesday!  Shall I extol its virtues?  Shall I tell of its grandiose design?  Could I but in one blog, elucidate on the treasure that Tuesday is!  Nay, but we should not speak in such tones as one might begin to think we worship the 3rd day of the week when our adoration belongs to Another!  Shall I just get on with it?  Yup!  Let's Go!!!
Tuesday's Musical Notes is the place where Rock-n-Roll meets religion, where Jazz intersects Jesus, where both kinds of music, Country and Western, interact with the one and only Jesus the Christ.  You get the picture I hope.  This is a blog about music and how it can and should have an impact beyond what may have been intended by its authors.  

Today we venture to a place when they turn the pages of history...  Cue the flashback music...


Tuesday's Musical Notes is proud to have featured three other songs by one of the greatest Rock bands in history.  Click on these links to see the Notes perspectives on these classic songs by the Canadian band:


Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart make up the band Rush (so much music from only 3 guys!!!) and are all credited with writing "Farewell to Kings" a song about how we deal with hypocrisy in our world.   The song also explores the use of introspection as a means to find our way through life.  As you look across the landscape of our world, "A Farewell to Kings" resonates as much today as it did in 1977 as it asks, "When they turn the pages of history. When these days have passed long ago.  Will they read of us with sadness for the seeds that we let grow?"   Equally pertinent to the United States, in particular, is the next verse, "Cities full of hatred, fear, and lies.  Withered hearts and cruel tormented eyes.  Scheming demons dressed in kingly guise.  Beating down the multitude and scoffing at the wise."  Perhaps the adage about history repeating itself has some merit after all.  

The opening acoustic riffs were recorded in the great outdoors by Alex Lifeson.  Geddy Lee says of the recording session,  "the acoustic was recorded out there to get that really crisp sound and I remember Alex was walking around this mic that Terry (coproducer with Rush on the album, Terry Brown) had set up while he was playing.  He was just like a troubadour-he was playing as he walked around and, naturally, every troubadour has his guy trailing behind him playing a Minimoog!"  (Take a deeper dive into the making of A Farewell To Kings by clicking on this link from whence the just referenced quote originated:  "The real story behind how Rush made A Farewell To Kings" By Philip Wilding, November 14, 2017, loudersound.com)

"A Farewell To Kings", the single,  never made the Billboard Hot 100 even though its namesake album peaked at #22 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.  The single, however, has come to some acclaim.  It is ranked #4 at Ultimate Classic Rock's "All 167 Rush Songs Ranked Worst to Best" list ("All 167 Rush Songs Ranked Worst to Best" by Ryan Reed, June 27, 2018, ultimateclassicrock.com) and continues to be a fan favorite from its namesake album. 

Oddly enough, the above video was not uploaded to YouTube until 2018.


And thus, ended the Kings of Israel and Judah.  While we aren't closing this chapter in the Bible's metanarrative, we do come to the Musical Notes' final analysis of the Kingly dynasties of the nation of God's chosen people.  What can we derive from these passages for our personal lives from the history of Israel's kings?  Through our chronological exploration, what can we extract, add to the lessons of our own history, and map out as an outline for our future?  

We must remember these things:   
1) There were no good and righteous kings in Israel (Northern Kingdom)  
2) Some of the kings of Judah (Southern Kingdom) started out bad and repented (Manasseh)
3) Some of the kings of Judah started out bad and turned away.
4) All of the kings of Judah and Israel were men just like us

As we bid a farewell to the kings of the Bible, I want to take one last look at the king who in my opinion (feel free to engage in conversation through the comments...) who was the best and last good king of Judah, Josiah.


Josiah was the king after Amon (bad king, 2 year reign) and before Jehoahaz (bad king, 3 months). Interestingly enough, the good kings of Judah all had the longest dynasties.  (Asa (41 years), Jehoshaphat (25 years), Joash (40 years), Amaziah (29 years), Uzziah (52 years), Jotham (16 years), and Hezekiah (29 years))  Josiah joins this group of good kings with the administration of the kingdom of Judah for 31 years. His ascendancy to the throne came when he was only 8 years old.  His mother, Jedidah, is listed in the opening passages of his reign probably to provide the reader with the idea that an 8-year-old king had some guidance from someone.  Jedidah's father was Adaiah of Bozkath, who in 1 Chronicles 6:41 is listed in the genealogy of Gershom, the Levite.  This means that Josiah would have come from the line of Gershom which included Asaph, the celebrated musician, and writer of some of the Psalms, from King David's time.  No wonder he was a good king...

Josiah was the best king of Israel for a number of reasons.  

First of all, the Bible says that he "Did what was right in the sight of the Lord and walked entirely in the way of his father David..." The Bible continues "...and did not turn aside to the right or to the left." (yes there is a political conjecture we might draw here, but we leave that interpretation to the incredible insights of you our highly discerning readers!) 

Josiah did what was right in the sight of the Lord.  Notice that he did not do things that were right in the sight of his mom, his advisors, or his subjects.  The Lord was his standard of right living.  To borrow from the prophet Micah 6:8 NASB/AMP/KJV, Josiah acted justly, loved mercy, and walked humbly before God.  

Secondly, he revered the temple as the house of God.  Josiah went about releasing resources of money and manpower so that the temple of the One True God could be utilized in the glory to which it deserved.  Now, please don't take this to mean that Josiah revered the building over the One who was to reside there, but he had a healthy respect for the temple and what it represented.  To borrow from the writer of the letter to the Hebrews 10:19-25 NASB/AMP/KJV, Josiah realized the importance of gathering together to worship God.  

Finally, Josiah realized that Scripture and covenants were the most important thing to the people individually and the nation as a whole.  Today's readings about Josiah's life reveal that while the temple was being repaired, a book was discovered.  Many theologians think this would have been a copy of what we now call Deuteronomy.  The reading of this book caused much remorse as Josiah and his leadership realized just how far away from God Judah had drifted.  So what does Josiah do?  He sets about immediately obeying Scripture.  He gets the priestly order in a right relationship with God (sanctified, per the law of God) and brings about the first Passover celebration since the days of Samuel, the judge and prophet.  To borrow from the last book written by Moses Deuteronomy 6 NASB/AMP/KJV  "Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."

Depending on the timeline, there were anywhere from 300-500 years that the land had gone without the Passover, one of its founding celebrations.  No wonder they had lost their way.  They had tossed away the reminder of how God had delivered them.  Don't judge!  We must constantly consider how we may have been casual in remembering how God delivered us!  

Josiah began the reforms necessary for his generation to get right with God.  The Jesus Movement and prolific songwriter Keith Green once said, "This generation of believers is responsible for this generation of souls".  Perhaps Keith Green drew inspiration for this quote by reading the account of how, even though in the long run the nation as a whole was too far gone, Josiah brought about a sense of hope for his contemporaries.  Josiah renewed the covenant with God and went about demolishing all of the pagan worship in the land.  

22 1/2 years and 4 bad kings later the reforms of Josiah were forgotten and the Southern Kingdom of Judah fell, as had the Northern Kingdom of Israel 134 years prior, to Babylon.  It would be over 2500 years later that the nation of Israel would once again be recognized, as prophecies were fulfilled (more on that later), as an independent nation.  

There is much for the modern church to learn from Josiah and the revival experienced in the Southern Kingdom of Judah during his time as king.  Our devotion should always be to God, doing what is right in His eyes, not our own.  We should never seek counsel from the left or the right (places of great distraction), looking only for God's guidance and leadership. We must take action when we read Scripture that shows us how we stray.  (Note: not how others stray...We should tell them the Gospel first and pray that Holy Spirit will convict them of their sin, then and only then are we allowed to provide loving guidance) We have invested much into our places of worship so we can gather together and worship the One True God in Spirit and Truth.  These facilities should be maintained, yet never worshiped.  We must remember the covenant relationship we have with God individually and collectively and be about telling our generation of the glorious Gospel of Jesus who redeems us from our wrongdoings, restores our relationship with God, and prepares a place that we can forever be together with God.  

Maybe Rush had the right idea in 1977.  "Ohh, Can't we raise our eyes and make a start?  Can't we find the minds to lead us closer to the heart?"

Let's say a farewell to the kings that may be ruling our lives right now.  Let's embrace THE King who waits to save us, restore us, and make us like Himself.  For more on how Jesus can do all of these things, keep reading The Notes, check out the archives in the upper left, or go to The Gospel of Jesus according to the tax collector Matthew NASB/AMP/KJV, The Gospel of Jesus according to Mark NASB/AMP/KJV, The Gospel of Jesus according to the physician Luke NASB/AMP/KJV, The Gospel of Jesus according to the fisherman John NASB/AMP/KJV

'Til Tuesday, 

Loving HIM by Loving You,
randy
<><

 

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Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Cat's in the Cradle" (Harry Chapin)

Hello there!  Welcome to Tuesday and Tuesday's Musical Notes, the only blog on the internetosphere to blend secular music with a Scriptural overtone, or application, or well, let's face it...we take the song and make it mean something a bit different than its original intent, making us in good company with the other gazillion blogs that populate your sensory needs for the week!  

Welcome!  We hope you enjoy our little soiree together each week as we explore the multifaceted world of music and place multilayered application to its rhymes and rhythms.   Let's dispense with the vocabularial exercise and new word introductions (at least they seem new to Grammarly) and put the musical blender setting on pulverize as we enter the classic world of 1974 and some classic children's poetry. 


Goodness, the boy is just like him!!!  Before we begin with the breakdown on Harry Chapin's only #1 song, we must include this disclaimer...we confess a personal disdain for this song.  Even with its well-intended guilt trip, the song is downright depressing.  I guess perhaps "Cat's in the Cradle" hits a little too close to home as I attempt to make up for my own personal lost time with children and try not to replicate the mistakes of the past with my grandchildren.  Ok, confession time is over.  You get the point.  "Cat's in the Cradle" fits the theme of today's blog, even though I don't dig it personally.  Let me know what you think in the comments if you are so inclined.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Nominated for a Best Male Pop Vocal Performance Grammy in 1975, "Cat's in the Cradle" has become a standard for more mellow classic pop radio stations and playlists around the world. It did not win the Grammy in that category for 1975, but the song did receive the Grammy President's Merit Award in 1986 and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011.  Written by Chapin's wife, Sandra "Sandy" Gaston, the song was inspired by the relationship between her previous husband and his father.  Chapin himself was quoted as saying about "Cat's in the Cradle" and his own relationship with son Josh, "Frankly, this song scares me to death."  The song continues to grip guilt-ridden parents around the globe as they attempt the process of parenting. Sorry, I promised to stop...why did I pick this song?!!!

Ugly Kid Joe had their highest Billboard Hot 100 chart placement (peaked at #6) with their 1996 cover of "Cat's in the Cradle".  Here for your perusal:


Between 1972 and 1981 Harry Chapin recorded 11 albums and released 14 singles. 3 of which made the top 40, 1972's "Taxi" peaked at #24, His signature song and only #1 "Cat's in the Cradle" in 1974, and 1980's "Sequel" which went as high as #23 on the charts.  

Many may not know that Harry Chapin was quite the philanthropist and received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1987 for his work to end world hunger.  The award was given posthumously as Chapin had been killed in a car accident in 1981 at the age of 38  once again showing, with a musical artist's example, that life is fragile and our time to make an influence is brief. 

"He walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and his heart was not [c]wholly devoted to the Lord his God, like the heart of his father David." - 1 Kings 15:3 1 Kings 15:3 New American Standard Bible/The Amplified Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel

Thus begins the reign of Solomon's son, King Rehoboam of Israel.  Because of his evil, the kingdom became divided into the Northern kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.  At this point, in doing a chronological reading of the Bible, things can get a might tricky.  Keeping the 20 kings of Judah and the 19 Kings of Israel in the right context can be a significant task.  So, as always, Tuesday's Musical Notes is here to help.  We are dropping the link to a Kings of Israel chart for your reference as well as ours as we proceed to tell of the significance that parents play in the role of their children, a la "Cat's in the Cradle". 


For our purposes, we will start with King Solomon and go from there.  Solomon was David's son and was a good king...until he wasn't.  We have discussed some of Solomon's indiscretions in previous notes (yup, there is the unapologetic "Check out the archives" hint...)  By the time Solomon was old and about to die, his children had been witness to some pretty nasty stuff.  His son Rehoboam took up where Solomon left off in the evil department thus causing the civil war that led to the splitting of the Kingdoms.  According to the chart, only 6 of the 20 kings of Judah did right and rebelled against the evil that had been their predecessor's nature.  To make matters worse, NONE of the Kings of Israel did right.  As you read the narrative of these kings, you see where the phrase "He did evil in the sight of the Lord as did his father..." could have been copied and pasted 33 times when referring to the kings of the 2 kingdoms.  The evil in their leadership was not due to a lack of guidance from previous kings.  Ironically, Solomon (or one of the writers of Proverbs) wrote about leading nations: 
         Proverbs 11:14 NASB/AMP/KJV,  
         Proverbs 16:12 NASB/AMP/KJV,  
         Proverbs 29:18 NASB/AMP/KJV,  

As you can see, most of the kings in the divided kingdoms did NOT follow in the ways suggested by the writer of Proverbs.  In many instances, the Bible records that they became increasingly eviler (Yup, Grammarly likes THAT one?) than their fathers had been.  With this poor leadership came a point where God had to hold them in judgment, much the same way He did to the original inhabitants of the land whom Israel had conquered.  

Also notice, that the good kings, the ones who did right, were in the minority.  (We could go into a whole "narrow is the gate" vs. "wide is the gate" conversation" here, but let's save that for The New Testament, shall we?)  Despite the good kings leading kingdoms that were God-honoring, some of them had sons who became kings who did evil leading their respective nations into chaos. (Hmmm...there are some distinct parallels we are resisting the temptation to draw at this point...)  

I have 3 daughters and a son (you know, adoption by marriage!  We adore him by the way!!!).  I now have 4 grandchildren.  At this stage of my life, I am super sensitive to how my actions may be perceived by them.  I pray every day that God will change me more into the likeness of Jesus.  One of the reasons I pray this is for my kids' and grandkids' benefit.  You see, like most parents, I want to see my progeny succeed in their lives.  That success can be defined by the things I have deemed important as they have witnessed me interact with my environment (people, places, and things).  I absolutely want them to define their lives on their own terms, however, I do have a responsibility to place before them an example of success/right living in which they can have a basis.  They get to choose whether or not they follow that example...remember, while you can provide a pattern, some of the good kings had bad kids.

As we begin a new school year, I want to encourage you as parents, grandparents, mentors, or as someone who doesn't even realize you are influencing a younger person in your role in being a guide to life and living.   We MUST love them while we have the opportunity.  We MUST be in THEIR moments, while we have the opportunity.  We MUST guide and guard them while we have the opportunity. This love, those moments, that guidance are all made better by first having a relationship with a Father who will never have regret about loving you. A great song from 1968 goes... "He is always there, hearing every prayer, faithful and true.  Walking by our side, in His love we hide, all the day through..."  Having a restored and growing relationship with God through Jesus can guarantee that it can be said of us (and hopefully our ancestors) as it was said of Jehoshaphat...

" And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father David’s earlier days and did not seek the Baals,  but sought the God of his father, followed His commandments, and did not act as Israel did."

By the power of God's love you can change the way the song ends..."I've long since retired, my son's moved away, I called him up just the other day.  I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind," He said, "I'd love to, dad, I will MAKE the time...my boy was just like me...."    

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by loving You,
randy
<><

 

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Tuesday, August 10, 2021

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Land of Confusion" (Genesis)




Hi there!!!  It's Tuesday and time for Tuesday's Musical Notes, your weekly excursion into the world of music and mixed meanings!  Today, we find our intrepid adventurers (that would be you) in search of the source of all things Tuesday's Musical Notesish.  Your guide (that would be me, Randy) has plotted a course through a series of newsletter articles. 

 "What is so different about these articles?", you ask. I reply "These are the artifacts of a newsletter series written at a time of great introspection.  These writings segue into a weekly email sent to friends.  One of those friends suggested turning the email into a blog.  (Thanks again Heath!!!) With that encouragement, Tuesday's Musical Notes was birthed into the blog you know today, with 480 entries and almost 60,000 reads worldwide." .  You continue, "Wow!  What was the topic of this newly unberthed newsletter submission?" I began telling the tale, "You see, it really is a message that is very timely for the world today, as I hope all of Tuesday Musical Notes will be.  But this one is a bit different..."


"Go on" you encourage.  "Well, while we have the document in its entirety, there are only parts that are understandable in today's context.  Let me see, ok, here goes..."

(from the document)
1986 was a great year. I proposed. She accepted. We got married. 23 years and 3 children later we are still married and one of my favorite bands from 1986 had one of the highest grossing concert tours ever.

Genesis was a powerhouse band in 1986. Their album Invisible Touch, their 13th, included 5 top five singles including the quirky, cold war parable Land of Confusion. The video for Land of Confusion is one that is hard to forget. It featured puppets that caricatured 67 personalities from entertainment and politics created by the United Kingdom's sketch show Splitting Image. One of the lyrics is hauntingly prophetic of our time.

Oh Superman where are you now

When everything's gone wrong somehow
The men of steel, the men of power
Are losing control by the hour.
(end of the excerpt)

"Has it been that long?" I wondered out loud.  "What do you mean?" you queried.  I explained.  "You see, it has now been 35 years since she said "yes", and those 3 children have turned into 3 children and 4 grandchildren!"  "Congratulations!" You exclaimed.  "Thanks, but the document is incomplete.  It should have elaborated on the fact that the referenced video won a Grammy in the Best Concept Video category, which only lasted 2 years, 1988-1989.  ("Land of Confusion" won in 1988 and Weird Al Yakovic's "Fat" won in 1989) and that the "Land of Confusion" video lost the  MTV Video of the Year award to former Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" video at the 1987 Video Awards show.    

My narrative continued, "It also should have expounded on the fact that one scene towards the end of the video is akin to the last song of the Live Aid concert from the previous year where all the artists came out on stage and sang "We Are the World" (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "We Are the World" (USA for Africa)) as the encore song for the concert.  

I proceeded, "Over the last few weeks, we have included Genesis in several Tuesday's Musical Notes.  You can go back over the last month or so and discover lists that I've included of all of their featured songs at The Notes."

"This is an incredible find!"  You exclaimed!  "No, the song is never really the most important part of Tuesday's Musical Notes," I lovingly corrected.  "What?  We thought your blog was about music and..."  I interrupted, "It is.  However, it is never intended to be the focal point of the blog, only the bridge to the much more important thought."  "And this one, boy, does it have some relatable overtones..."

In the last year, we have been traveling through the Bible attempting to highlight its great stories.  This journey finds us realistically at the end of the Old Testament.  If you've been on this journey with us, you know that we have just ended with the book of 2nd Chronicles. While the chronology of the nation of Israel ends in 2nd Chronicles, it is picked up in the New Testament (400+ years later). 

There are many more books in the Old Testament, 25 in fact if you look at the nonchronological order.  Some of these books, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and Song of Solomon, were interspersed throughout the history of what we have already encountered.  (Job, probably around the time of Abraham (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Nowhere Man" (The Beatles)), and the Psalms are scattered throughout the Old Testament, but most prominently in David's time (Samuel and Kings). Finally, Proverbs and Song of Solomon were written during the latter part of Samuel, Kings, and the early portion of Chronicles.  

The remaining books of the Old Testament, are the stories of the prophets and prophecies that occurred during the time of the Kings and the eventual subjugation of both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.  This geopolitical, as well as religious shape of the kingdoms during these years, could certainly be described as both kingdoms being lands of confusion.  

Our focus becomes looking at God's chosen people, the Israelites, now divided into two kingdoms and their captivity, first by the Babylonians and then the Medo-Persians.  These events are all captured in the chapters of 2 Chronicles.  


As you can see, the kings of Israel for the most part were not great leaders nor good people.  There are so many parallels between Israel's downfall and the situation we see most of the world, and more specifically the United States of America, in now.  We are truly living in a land of confusion as men of power are losing control, or at the very least fighting for control, by the hour.  What they realize is how very little control they actually have.  

Many times in the Bible, especially in the New Testament teachings of Jesus, humans are referred to as sheep.  Sheep follow a shepherd.  It doesn't matter whether that shepherd is good at his job or not.   That is how trusting, or stupid, the sheep are.  The apostle Paul wrote a letter to his protege Timothy that describes these very phenomena, and the responsibility a shepherd has to his sheep.  2 Timothy 4:1-5 NASB/AMP/KJV

But back in the Old Testament, personal responsibility was elaborated on by one of the prophets of the time, Isaiah, who put things into perspective pretty well...

" Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!  Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes  And clever in their own sight!"   

"...there's too many men, too many people, making too many problems, and not much love to go 'round, can't you see this is a land of confusion..."  writes Mike Rutherford, lyricist of "Land of Confusion" (for more on Mike Rutherford, do a "Mike + the Mechanics" search in the box, upper left.  Seems that Mike may have been reading a bit of Isaiah or Timothy to me.  

"So what does all this mean?" you ask as we ponder over the remnant of the newsletter article.  "It's simple.", I responded. "To rid the land of confusion, we must expound Jesus' love to the world.  His coming to the world as a sacrifice for our wrongdoing through  His betrayal, death, burial, and resurrection gives Him the credibility to be the only Shepherd on which we rely.  It is only by His love and His shepherding that we find it in ourselves to prefer other people over ourselves.  It no longer becomes a struggle on our behalf to obtain power, but a determination to see God's will come to pass on the world."  "So" you concur, "essentially...This is the world we live in and these are the hands we're given, use them, and let's start trying, to make it a place worth living in..."  "We should have the desire to love God AND to love others so much that we get rid of our land of confusion."  Encouraged by your understanding I responded, "Without a doubt!  We can use this remnant of a newsletter that is only a decade old, to tell of a love that is eternally old and by doing so, we become a magnetic force of the love of Jesus.  "...this is the time, this is the place, so we look to the future..."

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by Loving You,
randy 
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Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Take Me Home" (Phil Collins)

Each Tuesday I attempt to put into perspective an ideology/philosophy that is very personal and important to me.  We use popular music as a vehicle to get us down the pathway, so to speak, to our eventual Biblical nuance and thought for the week.  Each Tuesday we attempt to make it about something other than ourselves while injecting our context and interpretation of the music and The Message.  Welcome to Tuesday's Musical Note!!!


Occasionally we will use a Tuesday to honor the legacy of one who has passed from this life.  Sometimes these "honorable" Musical Notes are for musicians who have made an impact on my life and the lives of many.  Sometimes these "legacy" Notes take the shape of honoring a personal friend.  All the time, my goal is to honor God.

Today we attempt all of the above as we explore the profound influence one man had on his community, music, and me. (Oh, and yes, in case you missed it, founding member and bassist of ZZ Top, Dusty Hill passed this week too)


In 1986, Phil Collins was one of the hottest names in popular music.  Between his solo work and his full-time gig with Genesis (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Throwing it All Away", Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Follow You, Follow Me",   Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Invisible Touch", Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Misunderstanding", Tuesday's Musical Notes - "No Reply at All") Collins found himself very busy.  

Beginning in 1985, he had performed in multiple acts at both venues of Live-Aid (Wembley Stadium (London) and JFK Stadium (Philadelphia)) on the same day.  He saw the multiplatinum Invisible Touch released with Genesis bandmates Mike Rutherford (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "All I Need is a Miracle" (Mike + the Mechanics), Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)" - Mike + the Mechanics) and Tony Banks and then followed that up with his solo release of No Jacket Required.  

No Jacket Required soared to #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and won 3 Grammys (including Album of the Year (1986).  Since its release in 1985, No Jacket Required continues to provide royalties for Collins as it has sold in excess of 25,000,000 copies placing Phil Collins in a very elite group of artists and placing No Jacket Required on "The Best Selling Albums of All Time" - wikipedia.org.  

5 singles were released from No Jacket Required.  All but 1 peaked in the top 10 of Billboard's Hot 100.  "Take Me Home" peaked at #7, the lowest of the 4 singles that charted.  Surprising for a song that followed up hit singles "One More Night" (#1), "Sussudio" (#1),  and "Don't Lose My Number" (#4) and included background vocals from Sting and Peter Gabriel (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Big Time", Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Don't Give Up", Tuesday's Musical Notes - "In Your Eyes").  

"Take Me Home" was also used in the second season premiere of the television show Miami Vice and was included on the show's soundtrack continuing a streak of association between Phil Collins and the show.  ("In the Air Tonight" was used in the first season premiere and subsequent soundtrack)  

With the whirlwind of activity and globetrotting that he was doing,  it is easy to see why Collins would eventually sing "take, take me home..."


As we take a break from Tuesday's Musical Notes soiree through the Bible, we focus today on a topic that is on everyone's mind, Covid-19, and the destruction it is causing on the world.  Please continue to read because as usual, The Notes takes a different bend on this topic.  We will not be pushing any agenda regarding vaccinations, nor will we be elaborating the nuances that this pandemic has had on our economy and society in general.  

It seems that we cannot open a browser, turn on a radio or television, or explore media of any type without hearing about more folks dying because of Covid-19.  We do not wish to minimize the severity of the pandemic, however, we feel we must point out that since the above passage of Scripture, which in most Bibles is subtitled "The Fall" or "The Fall of Mankind", death has been a reality on this earth.  

In essence, living in a fallen world ensures that eventually, we will cease to exist in the manner to which we have become accustomed and transform into something else, according to the Bible in one of two places.  Here is an article that sheds light with Scripture on this exact topic:


You see dear friend, every day someone goes to a new home.  For believers, it is one that has a perfect relationship with God.  It is a home for which they anxiously cry out "take, take me home" through either their own death or Jesus' return.   For those who do not believe that Jesus was the Son of God, died to restore the aforementioned relationship that was destroyed in the Garden, came back to life after being dead and was buried in a sealed tomb, and did all of this for us, well, a different home awaits.


This past week I attended a funeral.  It was one of those situations where I hadn't interacted with the decedent for at least a decade,  but because of social media and being friends with his grandchildren, had been able to peripherally keep up with him.  I can honestly say that one of the reasons I get to do what I get to do is because of this man.  His name was Robert Brumley.

He was a man's man.  He was a preacher and farmer who loved his family and his God.  While listening to one of his sermons, I surrendered to Holy Spirit's drawing and repented of the way I was living.  I was 10 years old at the time.  In the coming years, I learned much from Brother Robert about what a life looked like that was daily surrendered to Jesus.  

He had this beautiful bass voice that subconsciously, I wanted to have.  His love of music and his ability to sing it inspired my desire to do everything I could musically in the church.  He never discouraged a ministry idea (musical or otherwise) that I had and often times supported me, even when I was a little ahead of the game for our congregation stylistically.  He did everything he could to support a little band of high school kids who wanted to play their instruments in church even though his musical education was limited to what I have heard called, "those "scriptural" shaped-notes".   Never once being critical, he allowed our little praise band the grace to make our own corrections or stop when we knew something wasn't right.  He never allowed us to be harsh or cruel during a time of correction, but always made us focus on being encouraging and loving when we practiced.  Eventually, we became good enough at a group of songs we did just what we set out to do.  With his love and encouragement, we played our instruments in church.  And not just once!

I heard another pastor criticize Robert Brumley for his sermon topics being centered only on God's love.  It was the 70s after all.  He was preaching a message for the times.  But "Love is all You Need" was not resonating with the "Turn or Burn" crowd.   While I understood that particular assessment of "Brother Robert's" preaching, I came to understand that the commandments that Jesus pronounced had very little to do with judgment and damnation, and everything to do with the subject of many of Brother Robert's messages.  "Love God, Love everybody else"  AND he literally practiced what he preached.  We had no doubt that he loved us even when he snapped his fingers at our second row of youth for being distracting or whispering too loudly during a sermon.  We may have doubted our parent's love when we got home that day,  but never Brother Robert's.

He also mirrored Jesus as he did on occasion have those sermons that were repentance-filled implorings to come to saving faith.  His emphasis, however, was if believers LOVED like we were supposed to, then preChristians would be so attracted to them, that they would want to know how to have the same life-changing experience.     

So this past week it was an extreme honor to participate in the celebration of Brother Robert's homegoing to heaven and be a part of a choir for a change.  It was an absolute pleasure to sing "Have a Little Talk with Jesus" and attempt to replicate his bassline..." now let us..."  It was an incredible opportunity to reconnect with friends who played in the band and reminisce about our loving director, mentor, preacher, advisor, and friend.  And it was one more opportunity to remember to be thankful to God for wanting to restore our broken relationship.  And honestly, I don't know about you but I've taken that look of worry, I don't worry anymore and I think I sing "Take Me Home" just a bit differently than Phil Collins originally intended these days.

'Til Tuesday,


Loving HIM by Loving You,
randy
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