music

A Heavy Mettle Discussion

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867bfc01-5e47-4d5f-a8e9-9a3d2f48f421_zps40643497I heard the sad story of a man who died recently. He had crawled under a house to steal the copper wiring and was electrocuted.

This is sad for a couple of reasons:

  • Copper prices are at historic lows, and this man lost his precious life trying to take something so cheap.
  • His attempt to steal was evidence of a steel less and easily tempted character

This copper incident reminds me of the judgment discussion that Paul had with the Christians at Corinth:

“You are God’s building.  As a skilled and experienced builder, I used the gift that God gave me to lay the foundation for that building. However, someone else is building on it. Each person must be careful how he builds on it.  After all, no one can lay any other foundation than the one that is already laid, and that foundation is Jesus Christ.  People may build on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw.  The day will make what each one does clearly visible because fire will reveal it. That fire will determine what kind of work each person has done.  If what a person has built survives, he will receive a reward.  If his work is burned up, he will suffer the loss. However, he will be saved, though it will be like going through a fire.”               ~I Corinthians 3:9-15

In the verses above Paul offers a  Double M Lesson:

  • The first M is Metal or the gold and silver.
  • The second M is Meddle or the wood, hay, and straw.
  • Paul uses these objects to frame his argument in the context of a quality of life versus a quantity of life perspective.

The metal and meddle aspects of your life will be judged by fire which “will determine what kind of work each person has done.”  The difference between your metal and meddle may be your mettle or the manner in which you confront the challenges of life and faithfully persevere.

When Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy he engaged in a little heavy mettle discussion:  “When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did. A soldier on duty doesn’t get caught up in making deals at the marketplace. He concentrates on carrying out orders. An athlete who refuses to play by the rules will never get anywhere. It’s the diligent farmer who gets the produce. Think it over. God will make it all plain.”  ~2 Timothy 2:3-5

I encourage you to do what Paul admonished Timothy to do in the verses above:  “Think it over.”

More Music and Less Static

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835917577_1387023807The popularity of AM radio took a serious hit with the advent of satellite radio. The clarity of the broadcast and the infrequent commercials on satellite radio has made the AM frequency less popular.

There are times that I still listen to AM radio, knowing all the while that the music will be accompanied with static. I’ve learned to tune out the noise of the static, so I can hear the beauty of the music.

Isn’t the same true with our conversation? Our words can either be the calming sound of music or just annoying static. While no one thing is the panacea for a cacophonic and static-filled life, a symphony of joy is heard in the euphonious notes of Paul (Romans 12):
• Let us have no imitation Christian love. Let us have a genuine break with evil and a real devotion to good.
• Let us have real warm affection for one another as between brothers, and a willingness to let the other man have the credit.
• Let us not allow slackness to spoil our work and let us keep the fires of the spirit burning, as we do our work for God.
• Let us share the happiness of those who are happy, and the sorrow of those who are sad.
• Let us live in harmony with each other.

To be in tune with the “let us” statements of Paul, your life needs to resonate with an AM—Jesus the great I AM: “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation is intimate and organic, and the harvest is sure to be abundant (John 15 ~The Message).”

“Intimate, organic, and abundant” is a “let us” life of music that is sure to sooth the soul.

Earbud Buddies

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music_11000118724-1013intWhen your music loving teenager shares his earbuds with a friend, does this provide fertile ground for germs to blossom into a nasty infection? Lisa Sturm, director of Infection Control and Epidemiology at the University of Michigan Health System, decided to investigate this waxing scenario.

Sturm cited a 2008 study in India that followed 50 medical students as they shared earbuds. The research found that among frequent users of earbuds, bacterial growth was significantly higher in the ears and on the earbuds, compared with people who used the earbuds infrequently. Even though this type of sharing can transfer bacteria to another person, Sturm says, “that study did not look at infections, just the presence of bacteria—which our bodies are covered in (WSJ).”

Sturm suggests that before sharing earbuds, they should be wiped with a disinfectant such as a cotton ball soaked in isopropyl alcohol. Thinking about Sturm’s suggestions, I wonder: Should we also disinfectant what we hear?

The Mayo Clinic sees a correlation in positive thinking and optimism on good health. These benefits include:

• Increased life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower levels of distress
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Better psychological and physical well-being
• Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

The value of filtering what you hear and say is some of the practical wisdom found in Proverbs: “Listen, my child, and accept my words, so that the years of your life will be many. I will guide you in the way of wisdom and I will lead you in upright paths (Proverbs 4:10-11).”

Solomon also said you should incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding (Proverbs 2:2). He contrasts this for us in Ecclesiastes: It is better for a person to receive a rebuke from those who are wise than to listen to the song of fools. For like the crackling of quick-burning thorns under a cooking pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This kind of folly also is useless (Eccl. 7:5-6).”

What fills your ears? Do you listen to the “song of fools” or the rules of righteousness?

The Broken Circle

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circleThis past Tuesday night the contestants on The Voice sang “Will The Circle Be Unbroken?” The aspiring musicians sang a different rendition of the song when it came to the word “Lord.” Instead of singing “Lord,” they substituted the word “Oh.”

In an effort to harmonize with the pitch of the producers, The Voice hopefuls were off key with the original message of the song. Changing from “Lord” to “Oh” might be a small change if all a person is concerned with is spelling; however, it has major implications when we consider the often skewed circle of a once grateful nation.

The producers of the show eliminated the “Lord” at the time our nation once expressed gratitude for His grace. Their lack of grazioso stated a motif that was more buzzard than blessing.

Kudos to coach Blake Shelton who said: “I was sitting in my chair singing that song how I grew up on it, with ‘in the sky, Lord, in the sky.’ I sang it as loud as I could. And that might be why I didn’t realize until after the fact that ‘Lord’ was either taken out, or it was just performed some other way.”

The title of this show, The Voice, reminds me of a story in I Kings 19. God spoke to Elijah and said: “Go out and stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence.” At that moment, the Lord passed by. A great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Social media indicated that many of the people who watched the show asked the same question: “What are you doing!”

Doing what they did is a far cry from what President George Washington did when he proclaimed Thursday the 26th of November 1789 as a day of “public thanksgiving and prayer” devoted to “the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be.”

Oh Lord, may I always remember Your blessings, grace, and mercy. For these I give thanks.

Tree Rings

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A tree is such a common sight, that we rarely consider how uncommon it is.  In the spring when the saplings begin to appear, we may pause briefly to reflect on childhood adventures—tree houses, gunny sack swings, and puppy love initials deeply etched in the dark colored ridges of once skin smooth bark.

Trees are utilitarian—they serve and fulfill many of our needs.  Due to its thorny disposition, Osage Orange was idealized in the past century as fence material.  Oak has been the wood of choice to decorate the living quarters of many homes, and baseball enthusiasts are thrilled when they hear the exhilarating crack of an Ash-made bat launching a baseball into the depths of center field.

But, utilitarian is an insufficient adjective.  Unique is perhaps a more adequate description.  A tree, you see, never really dies.  Even though a tree may be harvested, milled, and kiln dried, it is reborn every time a craftsman touches it.

This remarkable aspect of the tree is often overlooked.  A good example of this is the community or school orchestra.  After hearing a stirring rendition of Bach or Beethoven, the concert attendee may comment on the beauty of the stringed section.  If, however, there were no trees, there would never have been a violin or a fiddle; and, what about the music that reverberates from these stringed instruments?  Do we hear the sound of the strings alone, or is it the life of the wood that lends its vitality to these artistic endeavors?

The life after death potential of a tree is almost unlimited.  The first  Psalm speaks about a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its  season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.  The roots of this tree run deep and the fruit it bears is seasonal and sweet.

Long after we die, and we are little more than a memory, the fruit of our influence will live on.  What will your influence be?  Will it be the sweet and melodious sound of a violin or will it be an unwanted round of chagrin?

I hope this thought keeps you thinking.