Testing the spirits (1 John 4:1-3)

     Did you see the movie “Miracles from Heaven” with Jennifer Garner that came out earlier this year?  It was actually a really good movie (despite what the critics try to say), however there is a scene from the movie where some of the church women try to tell Jennifer’s character that her daughter’s afflictions must have been from some untold sin that she or her daughter is committing.  The pastor does nothing to rebuke their behavior.  Not only does this propel the heroine not to go to that church anymore, but it is contrary to what Jesus said in the Bible regarding the blind man (John 9:1-3), when the disciples asked Jesus who’s sin caused the man to be born blind.  

     Now more than ever we need to ‘test the spirit’ to see if it is from God (1 John 4:1-3) if we are believers in Christ and someone approaches us in this manner.  And if we ourselves moved to reach out to someone, we need to take caution.  Using the phrase “God told me to tell you...” can be very dangerous if the Holy Spirit is not in the interaction.  However, if the Holy Spirit does move you, you can be confident in engaging that person or persons, because God is doing it for a reason that you may not understand at the time, but will actually work toward His glory.  

Half-life

     Once again I am awake for over an hour on a Saturday morning somewhere between the hours of 2AM and 5AM.  

     I live a half-life.  By which I mean that a quarter of my life is wasted on pursuing fleeting and worthless things and another quarter is spent on thinking about pursuing fleeting and worthless things.  All thrown in with a bit of paralyzing despair, not a full blown depression mind you, but enough to realize that once you emerge from it, you’re a day/week older and no progress has been made.  

     I’m tired of living a half life.  I was meant to shine, not for my own glory, but for the glory of God and for the betterment of my fellow man.  And my light was not meant for my own self-promotion, but to serve those less fortunate than myself, to raise up those who have been rejected, those who are maimed and crippled, those who have been unable to lift themselves off the ground as a result of tragedy.       
     I know what I’m meant to do; I can see the results in my head.   I just don’t know how to do it.  How to get from here to there.  

     I have bitten my tongue so much over the last few years that it has become numb to the point that I don’t know when to release it or if the words that come out will be words of wisdom or of folly.  I want to lash out against the pompous, against the oppressors, but where my pride says “do it,” Humility says “no.”  

     Humility reads: “to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”  

     Perhaps it is because of impurity of the half-life that true wisdom is not obtained.  Gentleness, not bitter jealousy and selfishness, is what I crave.  And above all else, love.  Pure, undefiled, whole love.  

Author's note:  

As exhaustion begins to overtake me, I can feel a sense of hopelessness lifted off of me.  Thank you, God.  You’re already turned my day around.  

The Case for Unwanted Records

     About a month ago one of the Facebook pages I am following (Vinyl Lovers United) posted an article about an artist in Seattle who uses old records and carves silhouettes of city skylines and other designs into them. http://www.geekwire.com/2016/seattle-artist-hopes-kickstarter-moves-needle-vinyl-record-cutouts-go-high-tech/ According to the article, the artist was always in the market for finding excess and unwanted records that he could use to create his unique artwork.  The artist oftentimes went into record stores and asked the owners if they had any excess and/or unwanted records that they would be willing to sell, and would use those acquisitions for his craft.  It is the topic of unwanted records that I wanted to talk about today.  

     First and foremost, I think that it is important to clarify my definitions of unwanted records, because they basically fall into three different categories.  There are the broken and unusable records which are no longer playable on a turntable.  There are the records that were unilaterally panned by critics and so obtain the moniker “unwanted.”  And then finally there are the records that would never have had the chance to be hit-makers or fall into such a narrow niche genre that over time they may never be heard from again.  It is the final category that I wanted to discuss on this blog.

     I think the deliberate use of records as art started to bother me when I was a teenager in the late 80’s and early 90’s.  And by art in this instance, I am referring to the music created by DJ’s who scratched records directly on a modified turntable to make a particular sound designed to complement other voices and instruments.  

     Even as a young teenager, whenever I would think about DJ’s I would think about which vinyl record was meeting its untimely demise this time.  Did some DJ’s always use records that were already damaged beyond playability?  Did some DJ’s look for specific artists, albums and/or genres in which to make an example of when they went to their station?  Did some DJ’s just pick up large quantities of ‘unwanted’ records from Tower Records, and let the chips fall as they may? (More recently I also have issues with the new Red Robin cassette and eight-track wall art, but I digress)  

     I want to tell you the story about one particular record that I picked up while browsing through the bargain bin at a record show at the Seattle Center last spring. My genre of choice is Jesus Music, and while that may be a narrow genre in itself, it is amazing how my collection has expanded by simply browsing the thrift stores and record stores in just the Seattle area alone.  As many vinyl music lovers know when they browse for records, there are always albums on one’s ‘list,’ however there also albums that fall under the “I wasn’t looking for it until I found it” category.   

     The album is titled:  “Songs of Faith From the Heart of Cameroon, Africa.”  It was recorded in the fall of 1969 and features hymns and spiritual songs sung in Douala, German and English.  I had already made some good finds on this record show visit with Randy Stonehill, Love Song and the Pat Terry Group.  However again, there are simply some albums that do not fall into a category of interest for a seeking vinyl music lover.  I figured that if I put this particular album back into the crate that it would never be heard from again.  I remind myself that somewhere in the past, someone somewhere felt that they had created music worthy enough to be made into vinyl and released as art (and ministry, if you are into Jesus and Jesus Music like I am).  

     “Songs of Faith...” could quite easily be categorized as an “unwanted” album.  It could easily have made it onto a DJ’s turntable or an artist’s cutting room workbench.  Out there are similar veins of vinyl gold that Itunes or Spotify simply aren’t going make digital recordings of.  Which is why when this type of unwanted album is created into art in one form another form of art dies at the same time.  

     Not to oversimplify the solution, but I believe in response to the vinyl art carver, there are enough ruined vinyl records out there to fill a small country.  Here’s how I know:  

     As a child born in the 1970’s I grew up in a home with a record turntable.  My parents listened to the music of Simon and Garfunkel, Gordon Lightfoot, Arlo Guthrie, Linda Ronstandt, ABBA, and a slew of others on a healthy sized record collection of 33’s and 45’s.  I was also a child who tended to dance around the living room and jump off of furniture while an upbeat vinyl single such as “Super Trouper” was being played ten feet away.  So when a record started to skip or repeat itself, generally there was not much you can do about it, unless you didn’t mind walking over to the player every minute or so to move the needle.  If records can be damaged by something as simple as a child leaping off of a couch, or by simply being too close to a window on a sunny day, think of all the other thousands of ways a record could be damaged. There is a mountain of unusable records out there, over decades of vinyl music creation, that are quite suitable for the purpose of framed art.  

     For those remaining playable records lost in the vastness of back room clearance bins I say to people:  who is to say what records are wanted and which records are not?  Because that is one of the joys of being a vinyl lover:  Serendipitously discovering the music that time and man have forgotten and taking it for a spin again.  

An Emblem of the Land I Love

     With the final countdown in motion for the 2016 election and the talk and actions of many in regards to America’s anthem and colors, I just wanted to reach out and say that I am blessed to be an American citizen.  I love living in America.  The freedoms that were given to me by sacrifices of my forefather’s are acknowledged and appreciated.  Over the past couple of decades I have had the unique opportunity to visit and enjoy so much of what this country has to offer.  I took a moment last night to go through my many photo CD’s and find images of the stars and stripes.  I wanted to share them with you, because no matter where my family went in this beautiful country, there was always a constant, a tangible symbol of what our forefathers created here.

Las Vegas, NV 2004

JFK Library; Boston MA 2005

Easton, PA 2005

Hershey, PA 2005

Washington DC 2005

Washington DC 2005

Cheyenne, WY 2006

Colorado/Kansas Border 2006

Pierre, SD 2006

Webb, MO 2005

Bentonville, AR 2006

Deadwood, SD 2012

Darwin, MN 2012

Boise, ID 2013

Capitol Reef National Park, UT 2013

Fairfield, CA 2013

Seabrook, WA 2015

Hoover Dam; Boulder City, CO 2016

The Remnant

As free thought yields to groupthink, 

As creativity surrenders to assimilation, 

As reckless optimism submits to pious indoctrination, 

And the hour hand bends its knee to distracting bureaucracy, 

There was always be a remnant of resistance, 

A small group of individuals who will not bow

to groupthink, assimilation, indoctrination or bureaucracy.  

A rehabilitation for others who awaken from their nightmares

Generating tears among their desert eyes,  

Forgotten laughter from their parched lips,

Precious love unspoken for in decades.  

God's gifts will not be squandered among the remnant.  

Their efforts will not be in vain. 

A robotic genius will not lord over them.  

Intermission drugs will not enter their bloodstream.  

They will not don the oculus of deception

Nor chase the monsters over the cliff.  

The threat of drones will meet the bat of their conscience.

The very threat of political repercussion will meet its own demise

In the simple negatory answer uttered by the assured. 

The remnant will applaud their stage sibling 

Salute the trail seeker in passing, 

Shield the outcast while unearthing her treasures

Allowing Love’s beauty to unearth their own. 

In falling, in crashing down, 

Man cannot carry a hardened heart.  

Its shell has been shattered

Its flesh exposed forever.  

The remnant fall together

And light up the darkness awaiting a hibernating world to arrive.

My Top 20 favorite David Meece Songs of all time

1. Every Little step (1993) - I gave my life to Jesus at a David Meece Concert in the fall of 1994, and this song carried me through so many evenings of doubt and fear of not instantaneously having it all together after my conversion.  “Lord, I pray to You/ But sometimes I doubt You’re there/Lord I wait for You/But Your silence seems unfair.”  David Meece was one of the few voices on Christian radio at the time who seemed to understand what I was going through and didn’t sugarcoat the Gospel.  Even 23 years later I always come back to this song as my favorite in the David Meece anthology.  
2. The Rest of My Life (1989) - The chorus of this song hooks you from the very beginning, and even though I’m not really into children's choirs, this song is one of the exceptions as it fits right in with David’s soaring 3-octave vocals and displays the innocence of simply wanting to devote the remainders of our lives to our Heavenly Father.  
3. We are the Reason (1980) - This is arguably David Meece’s signature song, and for good reason.  A touching ballad of Jesus’ love for us and His sacrifice so that we may live.  
4. Jesus (1982) - This song actually debuts on David’s 1976 debut album “David”, but sounds even better on his live “Front Row” album. It still comes with that 70’s vibe, but is crisper and tempered over several years of albums and touring.   
5. Rattle Me, Shake Me (1982) - Borrowing from the classic song by Honeytree, David masterfully respins the lyrics to his unique brand of music and humor.  Also found on his live “Front Row” album.  
6. Gloria (1983) - This song explores David’s vocal range from the lower-range optimistic verses to the high-end chorus.  This song is one of David’s best when heard live at one of his concerts.  
7. Satan Just Leave Me Alone (1980) - “You did it to Judas/you did it to Samson/you did it to Adam and Eve/you did it to Balaam/And you did it Cain/ But you're never gonna do it to me no, no...”  This song is an example of what I like to call “naive confidence,” a term I like to use when a singer believes what they are singing about, with confidence, but perhaps still has a couple of life chapters that have yet to be written.  Probably not a song you would sing in your church, but still a bold addition “Are You Ready,” arguably David’s best album.  
8. Gospel Train (1980) - You know when people run up to the front during intermissions   and place little slips of paper on the stage with song requests for the singer?  I got to hear “Gospel Train” live when someone brought an “Are You Ready” songbook to the stage with the enclosed message “you have no excuse” to the 1994 concert I attended.  The third verse is especially powerful.  
9. Just Have a Little Talk (1980) - Tracks from the “Are You Ready” album are specifically plentiful in my favorites list, as it is my favorite of the David Meece albums, but each track has its own unique qualities in this collection.  This upbeat song could have easily been taken from a BeeGees album with most of the song in David’s higher vocal range.  
10. God’s Promises/Rainbows in the Night (2005) - The only new track from David’s “Odyssey” (greatest hits) album, this 6 minute song focused heavily on the classic piano that David was know for.  
11. My Father’s Chair (1993) - An important testimonial from David’s broken childhood, this song moves from heartbreak to earthly fatherly love to praise to our Heavenly father.  
12. Some People They Never Believe (1983) - Taking the role of story teller, David lays out Biblical examples of Godly men doing great things and still the people around them still do not turn from their ways and believe in God.  Going from nearly a whisper, this song crescendos into Jesus’ mission to save us from our sin and even then so many people refused to believe.  
13. Are You Ready?  (1980) - The chorus is catchy and you can’t help but echo David’s lyrical inflections:  “When he comes in the night...”  To me David always came away successful in his message without being overly pious or preachy, even with his role as evangelist with songs such as this.  
14. Everybody Needs a Little Help (1978) - The title track from David’s 3rd album.  The album cover itself is worth the price of admission, but this slower track in the heart of David’s ‘disco’ years is friendship to friendship, an offer of hope during a tumultuous time.  
15. Never Gonna Serve Anyone Else (1978) - “Well they can keep their champagne/And their smoky rooms/I don’t want their fame/And I don’t need their food...”  Another tour de force in David’s full 3 octave vocal range with the chorus once again focusing on the high end.”  
16. Early in the Morning (1993) - The quiet verses suddenly explode into the chorus of ‘Hallelujahs’ for the risen King.  A great resurrection day song which is also a great reminder anytime of year that our Good King has conquered death and the grave.  
17. You Can Go (1985) - From the album ‘7’, David put together quite a few radios hits from this album, the strongest being his opening track also a good song heard live.  
18. The Man With the Nail Scars (1989) - A deeply worshipful song, David leads his audience through the ‘sha-na-na’s’ of the chorus, pointing to Jesus and the hands that bore our sin.  
19. Going Home (1993) - A song of our Blessed Hope and journey’s end.  You can almost hear the weariness of the singer, longing to be in the arms of Creator God bathed in light and love.  
20. Mother, Muffler, Mozart and the Beatles (1982) - So this is less of a song and more of a comedy sketch, but it is a perfect example of David’s great sense of humor and great portrayal of humor in how it can relate to our walk with God.  

Everyday is a Blessing from God.

 Live this day to your fullest.  Give praise to God who gives oxygen to our lungs and love through the sacrifice of His only son, Jesus.  Share His love with others on this earth this day.  Love in Christ, Christopher.