Welcome to Tuesday, the 10th of October! Thanks for joining us as we trek into the great wide open of lyrics, Lamentations, and light! I so appreciate the fact that you read Tuesday's Musical Notes!! Some weeks come very easy, others, well let's just put it this way, sometimes when it comes to inspiration and writing a blog, the waiting is the hardest part. Just about the time you get an idea, it flees and you feel like you are free fallin'. Even during those times, we attempt to keep running down the dream and bringing you the best combination of popular music from all of time and space. Thanks for continuing to tune in, click on, and read Tuesday's Musical Notes as it can sometimes be as fun as learning to fly (at least I'm told that can be fun)!
Tuesday's Musical Notes can be a great diversion while you're waiting for that last dance with Mary Jane. The Notes have also been known to be therapeutic while avoiding a breakdown. While we can't assist you if you live like a refugee, we would love to wholeheartedly pray with you that God will make things better in your life. As you read, all we ask is that you listen to your heart and consider the musings about music and Messiah. Finally, if you are an email reader and no longer want to receive Tuesday's Musical Notes to your inbox, just reply...don't come around here no more and we will remove you from our list. Remember, here at Tuesday's Musical Notes our slogan is..."I won't back down" when it comes to sharing the Good News of the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ. Now on with The Notes!!!
If you are willing to admit that you are in your late 40's or early 50's, Tom Petty's music very well could have served as a soundtrack for some of the defining years of your life. From his first hit, 1977's "Breakdown" to his last top 20 single and today's feature song, 1994's "You Don't Know How it Feels", Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers defined popular music for a generation of radio listeners in the 70's, 80's and 90's. Last week, popular music experienced the death of this icon in the recording industry who wasn't afraid to take on the labels (and win most times), to ensure he and his band were given the best deal they could get. Here now in tribute is the last top 20 single by Tom Petty, the # 1 hit from 1994...
Ok, first of all, I realize that this song features a reference to smoking marijuana. Tuesday's Musical Notes is not a proponent of any chemical substance whereby one gains a dependency, many of which are legal in the United States. (hmmm....is caffeine a chemical? Ponder please) Secondly, let's get to the point, the song is about the fact that our western culture has become far too quick to judge things (many times without complete information) and for a larger growing group of people, we have lost our ability to empathize with others. Finally, Tom Petty was a gifted musician and lyricist, but he was still just a man. Far too many times we elevate our heroes/icons to godlike status when in reality their humanity comes into play every day. As an aside, growing up cowboys were some of my biggest heroes. Especially when they carry six strings, ever seen The Fastest Guitar Alive, featuring fellow Wilbury Roy Orbison?
Tom Petty was a staple of MTV, which once actually played videos like the ones you can find on youtube.com today, but I digress. Because of his popularity, he became the focus of several of the music video channel's documentary-like shows. One of my favorites was always VH1's Behind the Music which gave you a back stage look at the industry's artists. Here is the Behind the Music of Tom Petty for your enjoyment, if you have 1, 2, or 40 minutes to spare...
Perhaps you have witnessed a conversation between folks that evolves into a strained conversation which eventually evolves into an argument. Undoubtedly, one of the conversants will eventually say something like this..."You just don't get it! You don't know how feels to be me!" there is so much truth to this statement. While every person around the world shares some things in common, (we breathe air, we consume food for nutrition, blood keeps us alive, and we all have a destination after we cease to live) Our differences however, make us unique. Our differences make us special. Our differences make us interesting to others. But our differences ARE NOT better than someone else's differences, we're just...different.
Tuesday's Musical Notes do not shy away from the fact that these differences can be the topic of conversation, consternation, and demonstration. Please understand this. THERE IS ONLY ONE RACE, THE HUMAN RACE! We all belong to this race. Every man, woman, boy and girl, regardless of color or culture belong to this one race. We have discussed this topic with several Notes. We covered it most thoroughly in Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Black and White" Yes, we are dealing with semantics, but if we could get to the true definition of the word race, I think we would see issues that we are currently experiencing begin to head in a much better direction.
In a recent article at answersingenesis.org, a challenge and conversation regarding the millennial generation departing the 21st century church details some of the rationale given by millennials for no longer attending the modern church. The fascinating thing to me was the overriding theme... just like our conversations about race, the modern church finds it difficult to relate the Gospel message to the millennial generation, in other words, you don't how it feels to be me, so your manner of communication is ineffective. Hmmmm.....
Take a look at the article here: "Millennials Are Becoming Skeptics Over Old Testament Law" by Ken Ham August16, 2016
Dr. Ham details in this article the differences in how Peter and Paul related to the groups of folks they addressed in ACts. Peter spoke from a Jewish tradition in a vernacular they understood, he knew how they felt. Paul spoke from a non-Jewish reference point as he was called by God to be an emissary to the non-Jewish world. His background allowed him, even though he was Jewish, to get them, to understand how they learned, and to explain the Gospel to them in a manner that they understood. He made them feel like he knew how they felt. In fact, in his first letter to the Corinthian church he says:
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
Paul is saying to the Corinthians, I DO indeed know how it feels to be you. This is our challenge in 2017.
In a previous career, many times I took it as a challenge to fulfill the needs of those in which I had very little in common. Is that what we are not called to do as we love others as we love ourselves? Matthew 22:34-40 ESV/The Message/NKJV If we can master this, our potential for knowing how someone feels in ANY situation is greatly enhanced. Our ability to have empathy for others is a common occurrence. Let's face it people come, people go, some grow young, so grow cold. Our challenge is how do we relate to them regardless of whether they come, go, grow young, or cold and then when we have developed a relationship, share the truth of Jesus. Then you get to the point...
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving You,
randy
