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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