Welcome to Tuesday and the latest blog from your family at Cross & Kin Entertainment. If you haven't been to our YouTube channel, Cross & Kin, lately, you might click your Happy self over there and revel in the weekly, that's right I said weekly, offerings of Star Wars Month, currently playing. This week we've made a few folks Grumpy with our ranking of all the Skywalker Saga feature films. Want to see which one we pick as our favorite? Don't be Bashful, go on over there now! We'll be right here waiting when you get back.
Welcome back!!! Well, what do you think? Star Wars Month is becoming quite the annual tradition at Cross & Kin and we hope you enjoy the weekly content we're offering right now. It sure beats going to your Doc because you've been Sneezy with all the allergies that prevail outdoors.
Welcome to Tuesday's Musical Notes, the aforementioned blog offering that features some of your favorite music from the past and, every once in a while, music that's a bit more current. We love music around here. Music that makes you want to jump up and dance and music that even makes you Sleepy. Music that causes you to contemplate life, and even music that, well sometimes, to put it mildly, is just a bit Dopey.
The Notes takes these featured songs, tells about the principles involved, and unpacks the history, and then, honestly, it's a little hard to explain what we do next. The best thing to do would be to get started or in other words...it's off to work we go!
The Notes takes these featured songs, tells about the principles involved, and unpacks the history, and then, honestly, it's a little hard to explain what we do next. The best thing to do would be to get started or in other words...it's off to work we go!
The music for "Heigh-Ho" was composed by Frank Churchill with lyrics by Larry Morey. It comes from Walt Disney Pictures first animated feature film, Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs. "Heigh-Ho" is instantly recognized as a Disney musical classic, and while harkening to the first appearance of The Seven Dwarfs in the film, it falls after the first quarter of the film is over, being placed at #5 on the track listing.
"Heigh-Ho" was originally released on side 2 of a 3-disc 78 rpm single. It was 1938 after all. (Side 1 - "With A Smile and a Song", side 3 "I'm Wishing/One Song", side 4 "Whistle While You Work", side 5 "Dwarf's Yodel Song, and side 6 "Some Day My Prince Will Come") Of the 6 songs released as singles, "Heigh-Ho, "Whistle While You Work", and "One Day My Prince Will Come" are the favorites and most memorable songs from the soundtrack with, in my opinion, "Heigh Ho" being the better of the three offerings.
All three of the 78's were top 10 ten offerings simultaneously in February of 1938 placing the motion picture soundtrack as a staple option for the music-loving public and those who wanted to hear the music of their favorite films somewhere besides the movie theater. The soundtrack for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released in 1938. It was the first commercially released soundtrack from a motion picture ever. In the 86 years that have followed, multiple soundtrack reissues have been made available on all music formats.
While considered a fantasy or a fairy tale by many, it was taken from a German fairy tale by The Brothers Grimm published in 1812, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has important themes that make the movie especially endearing today in a world where some of those themes are being cast aside or ignored. One of those themes is a good day's work.
Paul continues his encouragement letter to the Philippians by suggesting to them that if they find anything encouraging in Christ, consoling in love, with a fellowship of the Spirit, if they have any affection or compassion for him, Paul asks them to make his joy complete by having the same affectations for each other. Because without unity the body will suffer. He furthers his instruction by telling them to be on the lookout for the needs of others ahead of their own needs, by this you are imitating Paul who is imitating Jesus. This lesson applies to believers today as the folks you encounter should know Jesus because you are like Him. There is a good statement that suggests that we may be the only Jesus someone sees...a lot of truth there. I fear that in many ways the Western church in recent years has let this "imitating Jesus" ideology slip a notch or two. But, I digress.
Paul continues his "imitation of Jesus" message by writing another quotable from Philippians. Verse 9-11 has profound truth that our world so desperately needs to hear from the lips of believers lovingly; "For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
We started today with a happy "I get to go to work" type of song. The dwarfs (or is it dwarves, or maybe height-challenged folk?) appear genuinely excited to put in a hard day's work. Yes, they are tired after their labor. Before Snow White shows up their home sure shows that they don't do much when they get home from work, they must have been really tired, that place is trashed...
Paul launches into a conversation regarding work in chapter 2, verse 12 of the letter. He instructs the believers to "work out their salvation in fear and trembling". Let me be clear about something here. There is nothing that either you or I can do to obtain salvation. That "work" has already been done through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. His love for us served as the "work" that needed to be done. There is no super spectacular feat that you or I can do that will get us to heaven, it is only through the name of Jesus that anyone can be saved. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a gift. Paul's letter to the church at Rome (Romans), chapter 6 verse 23 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV. Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus (Ephesians), chapter 2, verses 4-9 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV We need only to believe this.
The work to which Paul is referring is exactly what he has been writing the Philippians about; becoming more like Jesus. The "work" is how we imitate Jesus in the world. In verses 14-16, Paul provides some pointers on how we do this "work". Do all things without complaining or arguing. How do your church's staff meetings/deacon's meetings/business meetings go? Do you we prove ourselves "blameless and innocent" in our interaction with other believers? Are we above reproach among our peers in business practices and daily walk? Are we light in a dark world? Do we embrace the precepts of the Bible firmly? When we are under pressure about our belief in Jesus, what is our reaction? Do we rejoice amid persecution?
Paul finishes this chapter with the examples of Timothy and Epaphroditus, two men he has mentored in the faith and certainly imitators of Jesus. The Philippians are familiar with these men and their character. Paul reinforces the fact that they are also spokesmen for him as they have ministered to him while he was in prison even when Ephaphroditus was so ill he almost died. There's something about that whole laying down your life for your friend thing going on there. The Gospel of Jesus as recorded by John, a fisherman, chapter 15, verses 12-14 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV
One final thought before it's off to home we go. In the movie The Seven Dwarfs were some of the wealthiest folks in the land, yet when it came down to needing to save Snow White, their "diamonds by the score" and "thousand rubies, sometimes more" did absolutely nothing in the face of the Evil Queen's plan. It took their efforts, their "work", and their selflessness to make sure their friend was saved eventually that day. Sure, Prince Charming had something to do with it, but he didn't get to sing today's featured song.
For our friends and loved ones to be saved from the plans of the enemy, we have to put in the loving effort by working on our salvation daily through selflessness, love, and a firm hold on to what the Bible has to say about being children of God and believers in Jesus. Again, this "work" is not to obtain our salvation, but done out of gratitude and love FOR our salvation. And someday, when every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess Jesus as Lord...we can sing..."Heigh Ho, heigh ho...it's home from work we go...insert your best whistle here...
'Til Tuesday
Loving HIM by Loving You,
randy
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