Before the days of cell phones and personal computers, a jukebox connected individuals at local restaurants. Portrayed in sitcoms like Happy Days, placing a coin in the jukebox and selecting a hip song often inspired young people to join the dance floor. Thus, music enhanced the life of teens creating jukebox memories.
As technology advanced, diners began to install miniature jukeboxes in each booth, enabling guests to interact while listening to their favorite songs. Over time, music became associated, linked and tied to special moments in time. Whether you were traveling somewhere on vacation, going out on a date or enjoying your prom, music etches memories within our minds.
Today, I can be shopping in a local grocery store, driving in my car or walking down Main Street when I hear a song from my past. Within seconds, my mind takes me back in time, reminiscing about where I was, who I was with and the friends I made along the way. Through the good and bad, music is like a recipe to cure the blues in life. Regardless of what you use to access modern music, may these devices provide soothing jukebox memories.
While listening to a sermon over the weekend, I was challenged to reflect on what if any impact I’ve had during my days on this planet. Jesus and the apostle Paul, shared a similar message, urging their listeners to begin to store up treasures on earth, Matthew 6:19-21 and Colossians 3:1-4. If heaven does exist and Jesus went ahead to prepare the way, John 14:2, then its time you and I begin the imprinting process.
Although minor in many ways, my first mark involved music. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, I felt compelled to inform people of God’s love. Sorting through a vast collection of Christian music in college, I created a mix that I began to give to individuals, just as a high school friend did for me. Trying to introduce people to contemporary artists, one particular creation entitled A Father”s Love struck a cord with several friends and strangers. In the days of writing letters, words of encouragement appeared in the mail box, confirming that I was on the right track.
My greatest inscription occurred during a Lay Witness Mission, a fancy name for a retreat geared toward reviving souls for a spiritually dead or dying congregation. Beside being an active participant during youth group activities, my main responsibility was to share a brief testimony, what God was teaching me or doing in my life. At a moment’s notice, I was suppose to be ready. Well, I waited and waited and waited. Finally, on Saturday night, I was told I would be talking to the entire congregation. After praying with my roommate that night, the Lord took over so when the appointed time came, I opened my mouth and the Holy Spirit spoke. Before finishing, I offered up a call for action, then played a song. As I looked up, some were actually running to the altar, dedicating their lives to Jesus.
Since this day, I guess I can include my wife, kids and a decade as a Bible teacher. However, in between the victories, there have been plenty of moments of failure, idleness and periods of self-indulgence. When you taste defeat, the best pill to swallow is humility, an important practice to keep you on the narrow path to heaven, Matthew 7:13-15. As the second coming of Jesus draws near, don’t forget to leave your imprints on earth while heaven awaits for those who call on the name of the Lord, Romans 10:9-11.
My earliest recollection of passion began in Junior High as friends debated the best music video on MTV, the greatest rock band and favorite sports teams. In High School, I began to live by the 3 G’s: Girls, Golf and God, fluctuating in order depending upon the timing or season. By the time college arrived, my interests shifted toward amusement parks, intramural sports and sand volleyball, with the latter dominating most of my summer nights. When I began my career as a youth pastor, interacting with families, karaoke and water sports consumed most of my time. As a family man, I have mellowed, spending time listening to music, working on my golf green out back and writing on a daily basis.
Passion is embodied in enthusiasm, excitement and feelings. Although I still possess hot button issues inside my heart, most of the things I once held dear don’t illicit much of a response any more. Sure, it would be nice for the Eagles to win a Super Bowl or witness another local team win a championship, but I refuse to place my hope in someone or something that disappoints you 99% of the time. Likewise, I find it futile to debate music, politics and television shows. As Solomon once said, “everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun,” Ecclesiastes 2:11, in reference to pleasures on earth. Perhaps, this may explain why I am currently living a life void of passion.
If you have ever reached this point, emptiness tends to cause you to lose your voice, bored by most of the conversations you hear. However, when you find a cause worth living for, passion can and will return. In Acts 4:29, the passion of Jesus Christ prevented the disciples from being shut down. Rather, the power of the Holy Spirit consumed their souls, not able to forget about the risen Savior who suffered, died and rose again 3 days later. This is the passion I am missing, lost in translation between the pages of the Bible and putting faith into action. May the fire of Christ followers burn bright in your region so that lives void of passion will be invigorated by the power of God.
Jesse Stone wrote a 12 bar blues rock and roll song in 1954 under his alias song writing name, Charles Calhoun. This piece was first recorded by Big Joe Turner, yet most notably sung by Bill Haley and the Comets. Music in its truest form involves rhythm displayed in Shake, Rattle and Roll.
The opposite of this is a rut, void of any flow, inspiration or momentum. Over the course of time, craters, ditches and potholes disrupt individuals from developing a rhythm in life. Instead patterns of negative behavior leads to disappointment, a lack of production and unfulfilled expectations. Once you reach these doldrums, like the dog days of summer, sometimes a spiritual awakening is necessary to break you from this mental state.
This is where I find myself today, stuck in a rut. To escape this, I need to claim the prayer of David in Psalm 30:1-3. The blue print laid out in this passage involves praising God from the middle of your circumstances. Whether you’re stuck in the mud or recovering from a major trial, praise initiates healing. As soon as you muster the strength to possess a Paul like attitude, Acts 16:25, God transforms ruts into shakes, rattles and spiritual rolls.
On June 9th, 1984, Time After Time, the second single released from Cindi Lauper’s “She’s So Unusual” album hit #1 on the Billboard Top 100 Charts. Thirty years later, these lyrics still speaks to individuals searching for forgiveness, patience or mercy. Whether you’re a parent like me, a friend struggling to understand a wayward soul or reminiscing about brighter days, these words provide hope.
One day, a music director began to experience flash backs, like a scene from Back to the Future. However, in this case, God was reminding Asaph about Israel’s days in Egypt. Based upon the length of Psalm 78, this vivid vision brought understanding to 400 years of slavery. Upon reaching freedom, Israel became like a misguided child unable to break bad habits, falling prey to the same sins time after time. Despite their actions, God withheld his wrath, forgiving, time after time, Psalm 78:36-38.
Today, an unforgiving world, constantly reminding you of past transgressions makes it difficult to believe that an unseen Creator can actually wipe your slate clean. Despite how many times you’ve failed in life, the Lord demonstrates unconditional love, Psalm 103:11-12. In view of this truth, don’t let this opportunity slip away. Rather, practice James 5:16 daily so that like Cindi Lauper’s song, God will forgive time after time.
Sometimes in life, you don’t achieve the results you’re looking for. Instead, you begin to search for answers to explain why you were defeated, failed and were unsuccessful. As you wrestle for the truth, some may be tempted to blame God. Although you may never discover the source of life’s failure, there are times when the Lord turns His face.
According to the director of music, God does not listen to those who cherish sin in their hearts, Psalm 66:18. As individuals begin to entertain, harbor, foster and nurture sinful desires, it becomes impossible to please God, Romans 8:5-8. Once minds are set on self indulgence, the Lord will wait to act until you’re willing to come back to your senses, Isaiah 1:15-16.
The next time disappointment knocks on your door, may be its time to search your heart, to see if you’re to blame, Psalm 139:23-24. If no one is clearly at fault, perhaps you’re experiencing growing pains, 1 Peter 1:5-7, as the Lord is preparing you for the future. Whatever obstacle you are currently facing, don’t forget that the Lord will turn His face and if God does remember what you need to do to regain His attention, Romans 12:1-2.
The average person needs caffeine each morning before they begin to feel normal. Whether its coffee, tea or soda, many rely on substitutes to awaken their soul. Meanwhile, the morning person has way too much energy for sleepy heads like me, needing to put on a lid of their joy until co-workers regain their consciousness. Yet, there is another anecdote mentioned in the Bible which awakens souls daily.
According to Psalm 57:7-8, music is great way to awaken your soul. Depending upon your instrument of choice or the genre you prefer, King David used the sound of music to awaken his soul. Whether you find yourself rising to music on your alarm, singing in the shower or preparing yourself with your favorite artist on your way to work, God designed music to make individuals feel better, 1 Samuel 16:22-23.
From an early age, David found contentment playing his harp, making a joyful noise to the Lord, Psalm 150:3. Although he likely didn’t take this to work in the fields as a shepherd, David’s soul was lifted up by the sound of music. Today, music is only a click away on your computer, itunes or satellite radio. You can build your own radio station on Pandora, create your own playlist on an mp3 player or access your favorite station at home. Regardless of the time, morning, day or night, awaken your soul this day with the soothing sound of music.
Record players, eight tracks and cassette tapes were just the beginning to the revolution called music. Today, MP3 players, iTunes and computers able to download thousands of song, enable the soothing sound of music to be just one click away. Life without cell phones, electronic devices and voice activated technology is now unthinkable as silence has been replaced by your favorite play list.
Yoga and meditation rely on music as an alternative to healing and relaxation. Serving as a substitute for God, retreat centers, seminars and private classes are exploding in popularity, ushering in a New Age. The angel of song, Lucifer, uses all kinds of music to entice individuals like Eve in the garden, replacing an apple with a catchy beat, void of any true meaning. Meanwhile, whispers penetrate your soul, “I don’t listen to the lyrics,” planting seeds for compromise to commence.
To battle this movement, churches are introducing Soaking in the Spirit, turning prayer rooms into a comfortable place to relax while listening to worship music. Based upon the principles within Romans 12:1-2, minds are being transformed by words inspired by the Bible, Romans 10:17. Considered a skilled musician, 1 Samuel 16:14-23, David understood the gladness, joy and peace one experiences while listening to music, Psalm 45:8.
For me, the choice of my music often dictates my mood and or behavior. Whether you prefer hip hop, rap or classic rock and roll, pieces of the songs you listen to stay with you for hours, days or weeks. If you’re skeptical, take the Music Challenge.
Spend one day listening to secular music, journal at the end of the day how this music influenced you. Then, take a day listening to Christian/Gospel/Worship music, using Pandora if you don’t have a large selection. Compare your language, thoughts and overall mindset. If you don’t see a definite difference, consider a longer time span, like the challenge found in Daniel 1:8-16.
Feel free to share any findings you discover or interesting insights on the soothing sound of music.
Back in January, days before my sledding accident, I had planned on giving up watching television during Lent. I was going through one of those phases in life where I sought to make history, not watch it happen. Thus, I pressed on to complete the writing on my second movie script, Behind the Devil’s Door. Everything was moving forward as schedule until that one fateful day, January 29th.
My initial rib injury prevented me from sleeping more than an hour or so at a time, leaving me exhausted, unable to receive the rest I needed. Ten days later, the force of a sneeze at work altered the blood flow of my internal bleeding, unknown to me, leading to several weeks of bed rest after a 4 day visit to the hospital. Distraught, I took the advice of a relative who suggested to relax and enjoy the 2014 Winter Olympics which had just begun. Beside listening to music, reading and writing, I didn’t have many options stuck in my downstairs recliner to avoid steps.
I don’t care if you have 1000 channels to observe daily, sooner or later you’ll be bored out of your mind, never fully satisfied by the entertainment on the big screen. As a relatively active person, staying idle at home left me craving something more meaningful in life. After watching the entire first season of Joan of Arcadia, I became restless longing for traces of God in Hollywood, but I was left disappointed. To fill this void, I won’t be satisfied until the vision God has given me for my second script is complete, Philippians 1:6.
What vision or dream has God given you? Please leave a comment.
Being honored as part of the home coming court would have been nice, but I didn’t even make the ballot. Although becoming king of a basketball court was a dream, this white man’s got no game. However, there was one place where I did shine for a season. Believe it or not, I was king of the sand volleyball court.
During my final 2 summers of college, I teamed up with a wrestler from Cleveland State University, Eddy Z. Whenever I wasn’t working at the country club or playing golf, I spent most of my free time on the old sand volleyball court at Geaugua Lake, now called Geaugua Lake’s Wildwater Kingdom. Sure, I had other hobbies like singing karaoke at Rick’s Cafe, dancing at one of the night clubs on the Flats in downtown Cleveland and traveling, yet sand volleyball became my passion.
After taking a volleyball class at the University of Delaware, I was able to rebuild strength in my surgically repaired ankle and extend my vertical jump beyond 30 inches. This knowledge was utilized as I played Wallyball in the winter, winning an intramural title on a coed team with Doug, Liz and Rosie; later losing to the men’s and women’s volleyball team in the finals of a co-ed March Madness style 32 team field. Despite having several flaws in my techniques, my will to win overcame these deficiencies.
Eddy was quick like lightning, able to dig or get to any ball in the fenced in arena, developed an amazing skyball serve and set the ball as good as anyone I have ever known. Meanwhile, I perfected a windmill serve, causing a fast downward motion, cupping my hand to create a knuckle ball affect. In the end, Eddy and I probably lost 3 matches in 2 years, beating teams from Ohio State, Miami of Ohio and Kent State on a regular basis. On 1 summer day, we played 8 straight hours, only stopping to drink water before dispatching the next team. Though we shared the court with other season pass members and visitors to Geaugua Lake, whenever I entered the gate, I felt like I was king of the court.
Now, old, mostly bald and grey, all I have are the memories of the music, the wave pool crashing next door and the cheers from the crowd after another point won. However, today, there is a new king. While, not exactly new, yet new to those who choose to follow Him. Despite the gifts or talents you have been given, without this king life is incomplete, John 10:10. May you come to know the true King of the Court, awestruck by his glory and wonder, Psalm 19:1-6.
ExpressYourself4Him 