Two people from Florence, actually brother and sister, have made it to the top three of Nashville Star, of the USA Network. I had no idea that it existed at all until the Shoals area has gone Nashville Star crazy for the Hacker siblings.
Thursday is the final. I don't know these people, who are these people. But apparently they are famous around here, and were country before this happened.
Angela Hacker is from Muscle Shoals. Her child goes to school with my daughters. I didn't know it until I saw it on the school's outside sign. One of the things she says in her profile in response to the question "What are you afraid of?", is that she is afraid of nonbelievers. UH? Now that I don't get. She says her biggest hero is Jesus. Well if your hero is Jesus, what do you have to fear? Perfect love cast out fear. OH well.You can listen to her vidoes at the contest here.
Zac Hacker is from the Lagrange, AL and is her brother. You can see his videos here.
One thing for sure whether they win or lose Nashville Star, they have helped their cause and will move beyond Florence. Although yall do know that the Shoals is known for its music tradition, ranging from W.C. Handy, the “Father of the Blues,” to recording pioneer Sam Phillips, to numerous No. 1 hits recorded in local studios.
But then again we are also known for where Goober Pyle has a film festival every year known as the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Saturday, February 10, 2007
This is Saddleback Worship
Saddleback Worship - He Reigns
3 min 53 sec - Dec 10, 2006
Average rating: (38 ratings)
Compare this to the Welcome the Black Parade.
Is Saddleback even reaching the culture today?
(I couldn't get google to post it to blogger so you'll have to use the link) Sorry.
3 min 53 sec - Dec 10, 2006
Average rating: (38 ratings)
Compare this to the Welcome the Black Parade.
Is Saddleback even reaching the culture today?
(I couldn't get google to post it to blogger so you'll have to use the link) Sorry.
Welcome to the Black Parade
This is a piece of what we need to listen to. We don't listen enough according to LaDonna Witmer. We are talking too much. So watch and listen.
Friday, February 09, 2007
I am that American Idol
From revgalblogpals by Songbird:
Yes, it's true. I've been watching Season Six of American Idol with my daughter, our first time dipping into this particular well of pop culture. In the spirit of believing you can do anything, as the auditioners so clearly do, please fill in the following five blanks.
1) If I could sing like anyone, it would be _Oh My I really don't know. Nobody today sounds like what I would like to sound like. Patsy Cline .
2) I would love to sing the song __Crazy or Sweet Dreams or I Fall to Pieces or Walking after Midnight. (These are UTube videos)
3) It would be really cool to sing at _The Grand Ole Opry .
5) If I could sing on a TV or radio show, it would be The Super Bowl, I could do much better than Prince and I wouldn't expose myself like Janet, but man I would sing.
bonus: And Simon says: "You are incredibly, if I may say, deluded here."
Friday, February 02, 2007
Spiritual Profiles of the Beatles adapted from The Gospel According to the Beatles by Steve Turner
Here is the latest from my continuing study of the book "The Gospel According to the Beatles", and their effects on culture, religion then and now. This comes from an article written by Dan Wooding Founder of ASSIST Ministries about the book.
The Beatles didn’t aspire to be gurus, but this is the role they played from 1966-1970.
“Millions of young people smoked pot, dropped acid, investigated Eastern religions and marched for peace as a result of things the Beatles said or did,” Turner says. “And it wasn’t just impressionable fans but fellow artists and cultural commentators who thought of the Beatles as savior figures capable of transforming lives.”
The Beatles’ gospel is found in their hunger for transcendence rather than in conformity to a creed. Their “good news” was love, peace, and especially, freedom, Turner says. “The human problem in their eyes was one of limitations and constraints. We couldn’t reach our full potential if we were inhibited: ‘One thing I can tell you is you got to be free.’”
Their advice is always to expand the consciousness—to open up your eyes (Dear Prudence); to free your mind and change your head (Revolution); to learn to see (Blackbird); and to see beyond yourself (Within You Without You).
The Beatles were skeptical of the Christian church, yet many of their beliefs—love, peace, hope, truth and transcendence—were secularized versions of Christian teachings. Still, the Eastern view of life took over from the rudimentary Christian outlook of their youth. God was an impersonal force rather than a personal being. They meditated rather than prayed, believed in the karmic wheel rather than heaven and hell, visited an astrologer for guidance rather than a priest.
Hallucinogenic drugs were the crucial turning point in the Beatles spiritual explorations, Turner shows. “It’s unlikely that they would have been transformed from skeptical, worldly Liverpool boys who only believed what their eyes could see into mystics speaking of karma, nirvana and the coming golden age, if it hadn’t been for this chemical catalyst,” Turner says.
Here are the Spiritual Profiles of the Beatles adapted from "The Gospel According to the Beatles" by Steve Turner
John Lennon: Restless Seeker “People got the image that I was anti-Christ or anti-religion. I’m not at all. I’m a most religious fellow. I’m religious in the sense of [admitting there is] more to it than meets the eye. I’m certainly not an atheist. There is more than we still could know.” John’s doubts about orthodox religion coupled with his mystical bent provided the foundation for his subsequent ideas. His quest was to find a frame work that could contain both his skepticism
Paul McCartney: Pragmatic Hippy “If anyone wants to save the planet, all they have to do is just stop eating meat. That’s the single most important thing you could do. Vegetarianism takes care of so many things in one shot: ecology, famine, cruelty.” Paul was as unlikely to contemplate having holes drilled in his head to expand his consciousness as he was to shave his head and devote his life to Krishna. His interest in religion was never rekindled after he left the Maharishi’s ashram in 1968. The closest thing to a religion in his life has been vegetarianism and concerns for animal rights and environmentalism. and his spiritual awareness.
George Harrison - Eastern Mystic “Everything else can wait but the search for God cannot wait.” George had been the most dissatisfied with the emptiness of fame and the one who most doggedly pursued a spiritual path. He was the only Beatle to remain convinced by Eastern religion although even his view was syncretistic, combining elements of Hinduism with Taoism, Buddhism and even a dash of Christianity. Krishna was the focus of his prayer and worship, but he never joined a religious order or participated in regular group worship George was the most unwavering in his beliefs. When he first espoused Hindu thought it was generally assumed to be another fad, but from the earliest days he was adamant that he would stick to it for his lifetime—and he did, until his death from cancer in November, 2001.
Ringo Starr - Happy-go-lucky Idealist “I’m quite happy to sit back and wait for whatever’s coming next. I haven’t found the answer to the question ‘What’s life all about?’ and I don’t suppose I ever will. It would take millions of philosophers millions of years to sort that out.” Ringo had never had more than a loose interest in the group’s philosophical meandering. He’d smoked dope, dropped acid, and meditated, but he was never as dedicated a pilgrim. But despite his happy-go-lucky exterior, Ringo was an idealist and a believer that peace would slowly be ushered in as the baby boomers took over positions of power.
His interest in religion was superseded by his interest in booze and partying. He was more forthcoming on the subject of spiritual values after being treated for alcohol dependency in 1988. He said he was now “comfortable with my spirituality” but that he had to go through a lot of turmoil to get there.
The Beatles didn’t aspire to be gurus, but this is the role they played from 1966-1970.
“Millions of young people smoked pot, dropped acid, investigated Eastern religions and marched for peace as a result of things the Beatles said or did,” Turner says. “And it wasn’t just impressionable fans but fellow artists and cultural commentators who thought of the Beatles as savior figures capable of transforming lives.”
The Beatles’ gospel is found in their hunger for transcendence rather than in conformity to a creed. Their “good news” was love, peace, and especially, freedom, Turner says. “The human problem in their eyes was one of limitations and constraints. We couldn’t reach our full potential if we were inhibited: ‘One thing I can tell you is you got to be free.’”
Their advice is always to expand the consciousness—to open up your eyes (Dear Prudence); to free your mind and change your head (Revolution); to learn to see (Blackbird); and to see beyond yourself (Within You Without You).
The Beatles were skeptical of the Christian church, yet many of their beliefs—love, peace, hope, truth and transcendence—were secularized versions of Christian teachings. Still, the Eastern view of life took over from the rudimentary Christian outlook of their youth. God was an impersonal force rather than a personal being. They meditated rather than prayed, believed in the karmic wheel rather than heaven and hell, visited an astrologer for guidance rather than a priest.
Hallucinogenic drugs were the crucial turning point in the Beatles spiritual explorations, Turner shows. “It’s unlikely that they would have been transformed from skeptical, worldly Liverpool boys who only believed what their eyes could see into mystics speaking of karma, nirvana and the coming golden age, if it hadn’t been for this chemical catalyst,” Turner says.
Here are the Spiritual Profiles of the Beatles adapted from "The Gospel According to the Beatles" by Steve Turner
John Lennon: Restless Seeker “People got the image that I was anti-Christ or anti-religion. I’m not at all. I’m a most religious fellow. I’m religious in the sense of [admitting there is] more to it than meets the eye. I’m certainly not an atheist. There is more than we still could know.” John’s doubts about orthodox religion coupled with his mystical bent provided the foundation for his subsequent ideas. His quest was to find a frame work that could contain both his skepticism
Paul McCartney: Pragmatic Hippy “If anyone wants to save the planet, all they have to do is just stop eating meat. That’s the single most important thing you could do. Vegetarianism takes care of so many things in one shot: ecology, famine, cruelty.” Paul was as unlikely to contemplate having holes drilled in his head to expand his consciousness as he was to shave his head and devote his life to Krishna. His interest in religion was never rekindled after he left the Maharishi’s ashram in 1968. The closest thing to a religion in his life has been vegetarianism and concerns for animal rights and environmentalism. and his spiritual awareness.
George Harrison - Eastern Mystic “Everything else can wait but the search for God cannot wait.” George had been the most dissatisfied with the emptiness of fame and the one who most doggedly pursued a spiritual path. He was the only Beatle to remain convinced by Eastern religion although even his view was syncretistic, combining elements of Hinduism with Taoism, Buddhism and even a dash of Christianity. Krishna was the focus of his prayer and worship, but he never joined a religious order or participated in regular group worship George was the most unwavering in his beliefs. When he first espoused Hindu thought it was generally assumed to be another fad, but from the earliest days he was adamant that he would stick to it for his lifetime—and he did, until his death from cancer in November, 2001.
Ringo Starr - Happy-go-lucky Idealist “I’m quite happy to sit back and wait for whatever’s coming next. I haven’t found the answer to the question ‘What’s life all about?’ and I don’t suppose I ever will. It would take millions of philosophers millions of years to sort that out.” Ringo had never had more than a loose interest in the group’s philosophical meandering. He’d smoked dope, dropped acid, and meditated, but he was never as dedicated a pilgrim. But despite his happy-go-lucky exterior, Ringo was an idealist and a believer that peace would slowly be ushered in as the baby boomers took over positions of power.
His interest in religion was superseded by his interest in booze and partying. He was more forthcoming on the subject of spiritual values after being treated for alcohol dependency in 1988. He said he was now “comfortable with my spirituality” but that he had to go through a lot of turmoil to get there.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
THE BEATLES AND CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC
I have found myself intrigued by this whole issue of Christianity and the Beatles, and have been looking around the web for different thoughts on this matter. I came across this at Way of Life, which actually takes a negative view of the Beatles and Rock. So if you go to the articles, remember that.
CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSICIANS AND THE BEATLES, and in this article.
(Don't know if this is true, but these are the thoughts and writings of Way of Life, and not mine. But if its true, isn't it neat that they would use that in their concerts. Perhaps someone heard the songs or music and connected to Jesus because of it. And isn't it something, that these musicians recognize that Rock Music, Heavy Metal, and other types of music has had an influence on people.
I would also have to say I really don't know all these Contemporary Christian groups like MAYFAIR LAUNDRY, THE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL WORSHIP CIRCUS’ or the GALACTIC COWBOYS. I am not surprised that they are influenced by the Beatles and other groups, I would be more surprised if they weren't.
I do think it goes a little far to criticize Steve Green for who painted the picture for his album, just because they did the album cover for "St. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band", although I haven't seen the album cover to know what it looks like. I did find this, the music download, that has a picture of Steve Green.
Here is just about the only place I could find any mention of the Galatic Cowboys, and they are mentioned along side another group called the Gotee Brothers (Toby McKeehan of dc Talk, Todd Collins and Joey Elwood), go figure. Its called Techno Rave music, boy am I behind the times, maybe some of you know what it is. Mayfair dabbles with a ska-pop sound, yet Shannon's vocals, their singer, come across as gentler and less aggressive than Gwen Stefani's. Give Shannon a listen on Mayfair Laundry's debut album, Scrub (Organic). I know what that music is. And here is Rock 'n' Roll Worship Circus. They were worship leaders that kept getting booked to Rock Concerts. "We started wondering what God was up to. After a while, we started to get it. God is opening doors for us to go and lead worship in places where no one else is doing it. We're taking people who weren't expecting to worship God at a particular event and we're leading them into an experience with their Creator." —Gabriel Wilson "Somewhere along the way, we started to see ourselves as 'worship smugglers.'" —Blurr It's a bit of old school rock & roll meets 80's prom music haunted by the ghost of Pink Floyd, a time-warped, telescoped sampling of the history of rock n' roll or just say they are an indie group. So who knows how these groups are influencing this generation or speaking their language in music?)
Even Contemporary Christian musicians are Beatles fans. For example, Phil Keaggy pays “homage to the Beatles” on his 1993 Crimson and Blue album. Galactic Cowboys admits that their biggest influence is the Beatles. Caedmon’s Call often performs Beatles music. dc Talk opened its “Jesus Freak” concerts with the Beatles’ song “Help.” Jars of Clay names Jimmy Hendrix and the Beatles as their inspiration. The lead guitarist is said to be a “Beatles fanatic.”
PHIL KEAGGY performs an unholy combination of secular rock and Christian rock/folk, and those who listen to his music are drawn toward worldly rock & roll. On his 1993 Crimson and Blue album, for example, he pays “homage to the Beatles” with several of the songs.
CAEDMON’S CALL often performs Beatles music.
RANDY STONEHILL says that it was the Beatles who gave him the inspiration to play rock and roll: “Really it was after I saw the Beatles. I saw them on television when I was twelve and I knew that that was what I wanted to do” (Stonehill, cited by Devlin Donaldson, “Life Between the Glory and the Fame,” CCM Magazine, October 1981).
The GALACTIC COWBOYS lead singer says, “I’d have to say that The Beatles are still the biggest influence on us, all the way around--except for maybe the guitar tones. They were great songwriters and vocalists” (Ben Huggins, cited by Dan Macintosh, HM magazine, September-October 1998).
Some of DC TALK’S musical role models are the Beatles, David Bowie, and The Police, all of which are wicked secular rock groups (Flint Michigan Journal, March 15, 1996). dc Talk opened its “Jesus Freak” concerts with the Beatles’ song “Help.” During their 1999 “Supernatural Experience” tour, dc Talk performed “Hello Good-bye” by the Beatles (CCM Magazine, April 1999, p. 55).
JARS OF CLAY names Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles as their inspiration (Dann Denny, “Christian Rock,” Sunday Herald Times, Bloomington, Ind., Feb. 8, 1998). The lead guitarist for Jars of Clay is said to be a “Beatles fanatic” (Christian News, Dec. 8, 1997).
MAYFAIR LAUNDRY, a group which got its name from a scene in a Beatle’s movie, cites influences from the Beatles to Red Hot Chilli Peppers (Heaven’s Metal Magazine, May-June 1998).
The cover to STEVE GREEN’S It’s a Dying World album was drawn by the same artist who did the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper album, which included pictures of satanist Aleister Crowley and LSD proponent Timothy Leary, among others.
JOHN MICHAEL TALBOT performed Beatles songs during concerts in the late 1990s.
In a May 1987 interview with CCM Magazine, LESLIE PHILLIPS spoke of her love for the Beatles: “[In the 1987 album The Turning] I just sort of returned to what I loved originally. You know, returning to your roots and all that. The Beatles were the first rock group I remember hearing, and I dearly love them. They were spectacular, even in their mistakes. There was a spirit in that kind of music that we don’t have today.”
THE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL WORSHIP CIRCUS’ musical style is “reminiscent of rock’s glory days” and “combines the best elements of classic seventies style power pop ala David Bowie, The Kinks and Cheap Trick, Pink Floyd, The Beatles and U2” (from their web site).
During the Feb. 18, 2002, premier show for MICHAEL W. SMITH’S Come Together Tour, THIRD DAY took the stage to the strains of the New Age Beatles song “Come Together” (press release, Nashville, April 24).
CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSICIANS AND THE BEATLES, and in this article.
(Don't know if this is true, but these are the thoughts and writings of Way of Life, and not mine. But if its true, isn't it neat that they would use that in their concerts. Perhaps someone heard the songs or music and connected to Jesus because of it. And isn't it something, that these musicians recognize that Rock Music, Heavy Metal, and other types of music has had an influence on people.
I would also have to say I really don't know all these Contemporary Christian groups like MAYFAIR LAUNDRY, THE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL WORSHIP CIRCUS’ or the GALACTIC COWBOYS. I am not surprised that they are influenced by the Beatles and other groups, I would be more surprised if they weren't.
I do think it goes a little far to criticize Steve Green for who painted the picture for his album, just because they did the album cover for "St. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band", although I haven't seen the album cover to know what it looks like. I did find this, the music download, that has a picture of Steve Green.
Here is just about the only place I could find any mention of the Galatic Cowboys, and they are mentioned along side another group called the Gotee Brothers (Toby McKeehan of dc Talk, Todd Collins and Joey Elwood), go figure. Its called Techno Rave music, boy am I behind the times, maybe some of you know what it is. Mayfair dabbles with a ska-pop sound, yet Shannon's vocals, their singer, come across as gentler and less aggressive than Gwen Stefani's. Give Shannon a listen on Mayfair Laundry's debut album, Scrub (Organic). I know what that music is. And here is Rock 'n' Roll Worship Circus. They were worship leaders that kept getting booked to Rock Concerts. "We started wondering what God was up to. After a while, we started to get it. God is opening doors for us to go and lead worship in places where no one else is doing it. We're taking people who weren't expecting to worship God at a particular event and we're leading them into an experience with their Creator." —Gabriel Wilson "Somewhere along the way, we started to see ourselves as 'worship smugglers.'" —Blurr It's a bit of old school rock & roll meets 80's prom music haunted by the ghost of Pink Floyd, a time-warped, telescoped sampling of the history of rock n' roll or just say they are an indie group. So who knows how these groups are influencing this generation or speaking their language in music?)
Even Contemporary Christian musicians are Beatles fans. For example, Phil Keaggy pays “homage to the Beatles” on his 1993 Crimson and Blue album. Galactic Cowboys admits that their biggest influence is the Beatles. Caedmon’s Call often performs Beatles music. dc Talk opened its “Jesus Freak” concerts with the Beatles’ song “Help.” Jars of Clay names Jimmy Hendrix and the Beatles as their inspiration. The lead guitarist is said to be a “Beatles fanatic.”
PHIL KEAGGY performs an unholy combination of secular rock and Christian rock/folk, and those who listen to his music are drawn toward worldly rock & roll. On his 1993 Crimson and Blue album, for example, he pays “homage to the Beatles” with several of the songs.
CAEDMON’S CALL often performs Beatles music.
RANDY STONEHILL says that it was the Beatles who gave him the inspiration to play rock and roll: “Really it was after I saw the Beatles. I saw them on television when I was twelve and I knew that that was what I wanted to do” (Stonehill, cited by Devlin Donaldson, “Life Between the Glory and the Fame,” CCM Magazine, October 1981).
The GALACTIC COWBOYS lead singer says, “I’d have to say that The Beatles are still the biggest influence on us, all the way around--except for maybe the guitar tones. They were great songwriters and vocalists” (Ben Huggins, cited by Dan Macintosh, HM magazine, September-October 1998).
Some of DC TALK’S musical role models are the Beatles, David Bowie, and The Police, all of which are wicked secular rock groups (Flint Michigan Journal, March 15, 1996). dc Talk opened its “Jesus Freak” concerts with the Beatles’ song “Help.” During their 1999 “Supernatural Experience” tour, dc Talk performed “Hello Good-bye” by the Beatles (CCM Magazine, April 1999, p. 55).
JARS OF CLAY names Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles as their inspiration (Dann Denny, “Christian Rock,” Sunday Herald Times, Bloomington, Ind., Feb. 8, 1998). The lead guitarist for Jars of Clay is said to be a “Beatles fanatic” (Christian News, Dec. 8, 1997).
MAYFAIR LAUNDRY, a group which got its name from a scene in a Beatle’s movie, cites influences from the Beatles to Red Hot Chilli Peppers (Heaven’s Metal Magazine, May-June 1998).
The cover to STEVE GREEN’S It’s a Dying World album was drawn by the same artist who did the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper album, which included pictures of satanist Aleister Crowley and LSD proponent Timothy Leary, among others.
JOHN MICHAEL TALBOT performed Beatles songs during concerts in the late 1990s.
In a May 1987 interview with CCM Magazine, LESLIE PHILLIPS spoke of her love for the Beatles: “[In the 1987 album The Turning] I just sort of returned to what I loved originally. You know, returning to your roots and all that. The Beatles were the first rock group I remember hearing, and I dearly love them. They were spectacular, even in their mistakes. There was a spirit in that kind of music that we don’t have today.”
THE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL WORSHIP CIRCUS’ musical style is “reminiscent of rock’s glory days” and “combines the best elements of classic seventies style power pop ala David Bowie, The Kinks and Cheap Trick, Pink Floyd, The Beatles and U2” (from their web site).
During the Feb. 18, 2002, premier show for MICHAEL W. SMITH’S Come Together Tour, THIRD DAY took the stage to the strains of the New Age Beatles song “Come Together” (press release, Nashville, April 24).
Thursday, January 11, 2007
John Lennon's Born-Again Phase
John Lennon's Born-Again Phase
"Can He love me?" the former Beatle asked Oral Roberts. "I want out of hell."
An excerpt from The Gospel According to the Beatles by Steve Turner at Christianity Today
The most extraordinary turnabouts in John's life took place in 1977 A television addict for many years (it was his way of looking at the world since he could no longer walk around anonymously), he enjoyed watching some of America's best-known evangelists—Pat Robertson, Billy Graham, Jim Bakker, and Oral Roberts. In 1972 he had written a desperate letter to Roberts confessing his dependence on drugs and his fear of facing up to "the problems of life." He expressed regret that he had said that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus and enclosed a gift for the Oral Roberts University. After quoting the line "money can't buy me love" from "Can't Buy Me Love" he said, "It's true. The point is this, I want happiness. I don't want to keep on with drugs. Paul told me once, 'You made fun of me for taking drugs, but you will regret it in the end.' Explain to me what Christianity can do for me. Is it phoney? Can He love me? I want out of hell."
Roberts sent him a copy of his book Miracle of Seed Faith and several letters explaining basic Christian beliefs.
correspondence and his exposure to TV evangelism didn't appear to have any effect until he suddenly announced to close friends in the spring of 1977 that he'd become a born-again Christian. He had been particularly moved by the U.S. television premiere of Franco Zeffirelli's Jesus of Nazareth, starring Robert Powell as Jesus, which NBC showed in two three-hour segments on Palm Sunday, April 3, 1977. A week later, on Easter day, he took Yoko and Sean to a local church service.
Over the following months he baffled those close to him by constantly praising "the Lord," writing Christian songs with titles like "Talking with Jesus" and "Amen" (the Lord's Prayer set to music), and trying to convert nonbelievers. He also called the prayer line of The 700 Club, Pat Robertson's program. The change in his life perturbed Yoko, who tried to talk him out of it. She reminded him of what he'd said about his vulnerability to strong religious leaders because of his emotionally deprived background. She knew that if the press found out about it they would have a field day with another John and Jesus story. John became antagonistic toward her, blaming her for practicing the dark arts and telling her that she couldn't see the truth because her eyes had been blinded by Satan.
Those close to the couple sensed that the real reason she was concerned was that it threatened her control over John's life. If he became a follower of Jesus he would no longer depend on her and the occultists. During long, passionate arguments she attacked the key points of his fledgling faith. They met with a couple of Norwegian missionaries whom Yoko questioned fiercely about the divinity of Christ, knowing that this was the teaching that John had always found the most difficult to accept. Their answers didn't satisfy her, and John began to waver in his commitment.
In an unpublished song, "You Saved My Soul," he spoke about "nearly falling" for a TV preacher while feeling "lonely and scared" in a Tokyo hotel. This must have referred to a trip to Japan at the end of May when he stayed at the Okura Hotel for over two months while Yoko visited relatives. Feeling isolated because of the language barrier, he locked himself away in his room for long stretches of time. At night he suffered terrifying nightmares. According to John Green, who makes no mention of the born-again period in his book, John told him, "I'd lie in bed all day [in Tokyo], not talk, not eat, and just withdraw. And a funny thing happened. I began to see all these different parts of me. I felt like a hollow temple filled with many spirits, each one passing through me, each inhabiting me for a little time and then leaving to be replaced by another."
Whatever happened in Tokyo, it marked the end of his personal interest in Jesus. "You Saved My Soul" said that he "nearly" fell for the TV preacher, but that Yoko "saved me from that suicide." So the salvation of the title refers to being saved from God, not by God. Yoko had again become the captain of his soul, the mistress of his destiny. Yet his life didn't improve. He sank into a depression, concerned that his creativity had deserted him and that he had no real purpose in life. The only real joy he experienced came from spending time with his son, Sean.
His life was out of his control. He worried about his health and his eyesight, about making the right investments with his money, about his personal safety. The only way out, as far as he could see, was to pay for the services of people who claimed to see into the future. But then, which ones could he trust? If the advice of the tarot card reader contradicted that of the astrologer, which should he follow? Instead of the freedom he wanted when he broke away from the Beatles, he was now completely enslaved. He couldn't travel anywhere without advice from a directionalist, do deals with anyone without knowing their star sign, or make plans for the future without consulting the I Ching.
By the time Frederic Seaman became John's personal assistant in February 1979, John's main interest was reading books on religion, psychic phenomena, the occult, death, history, archeology, and anthropology. Specific books Seaman can remember him asking for included Rebel in the Soul: An Ancient Egyptian Dialogue Between a Man and His Destiny, by Bika Reed; Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today, by Margot Adler; and Practical Occultism, by (Madame) H. P Blavatsky. He also listened to a thousand dollars' worth of taped lectures by Alan Watts.
Vacationing in Florida in the spring, he again watched Jesus of Nazareth on its by now regular Easter showing, but his reaction was completely different from the one he had had two years before. He kept joking that they should just get on with it and fast-forward to the crucifixion. Seaman, who was present with John's sons, Sean and Julian, recalled, "John began working himself up into a tirade against Christianity, saying that it had virtually destroyed what was left of pagan culture and spirituality in Europe-a great loss to civilization." He then announced that he was now a "born again pagan."
Excerpted from The Gospel According to the Beatles by Steve Turner, published by Westminster John Knox Press, 2006. Used with permission
There you have it, John Lennon, an almost born again Christian, but influenced to be a born again pagan. And how many people are there just like John? And how many are there influencing people to go this way?
Last night in Bible Study we were talking about how in Acts the gospel was spread across all kinds of boundaries. We talked about what kind of boundaries today we needed to cross with the Gospel. It was hard to think of them. But one of them talked aobut the boundary that is there between us and young people, and that we were not doing what we needed to do to reach them, and that we needed to try to do different things. Well then the older people got to talking about how hard it is to do different things, and to make changes. We may not be doing them yet but the door is open by this discussion to get there. It was by the power of the Holy Spirit and obedient people that the gospel was taken to people everywhere.
"Can He love me?" the former Beatle asked Oral Roberts. "I want out of hell."
An excerpt from The Gospel According to the Beatles by Steve Turner at Christianity Today
The most extraordinary turnabouts in John's life took place in 1977 A television addict for many years (it was his way of looking at the world since he could no longer walk around anonymously), he enjoyed watching some of America's best-known evangelists—Pat Robertson, Billy Graham, Jim Bakker, and Oral Roberts. In 1972 he had written a desperate letter to Roberts confessing his dependence on drugs and his fear of facing up to "the problems of life." He expressed regret that he had said that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus and enclosed a gift for the Oral Roberts University. After quoting the line "money can't buy me love" from "Can't Buy Me Love" he said, "It's true. The point is this, I want happiness. I don't want to keep on with drugs. Paul told me once, 'You made fun of me for taking drugs, but you will regret it in the end.' Explain to me what Christianity can do for me. Is it phoney? Can He love me? I want out of hell."
Roberts sent him a copy of his book Miracle of Seed Faith and several letters explaining basic Christian beliefs.
correspondence and his exposure to TV evangelism didn't appear to have any effect until he suddenly announced to close friends in the spring of 1977 that he'd become a born-again Christian. He had been particularly moved by the U.S. television premiere of Franco Zeffirelli's Jesus of Nazareth, starring Robert Powell as Jesus, which NBC showed in two three-hour segments on Palm Sunday, April 3, 1977. A week later, on Easter day, he took Yoko and Sean to a local church service.
Over the following months he baffled those close to him by constantly praising "the Lord," writing Christian songs with titles like "Talking with Jesus" and "Amen" (the Lord's Prayer set to music), and trying to convert nonbelievers. He also called the prayer line of The 700 Club, Pat Robertson's program. The change in his life perturbed Yoko, who tried to talk him out of it. She reminded him of what he'd said about his vulnerability to strong religious leaders because of his emotionally deprived background. She knew that if the press found out about it they would have a field day with another John and Jesus story. John became antagonistic toward her, blaming her for practicing the dark arts and telling her that she couldn't see the truth because her eyes had been blinded by Satan.
Those close to the couple sensed that the real reason she was concerned was that it threatened her control over John's life. If he became a follower of Jesus he would no longer depend on her and the occultists. During long, passionate arguments she attacked the key points of his fledgling faith. They met with a couple of Norwegian missionaries whom Yoko questioned fiercely about the divinity of Christ, knowing that this was the teaching that John had always found the most difficult to accept. Their answers didn't satisfy her, and John began to waver in his commitment.
In an unpublished song, "You Saved My Soul," he spoke about "nearly falling" for a TV preacher while feeling "lonely and scared" in a Tokyo hotel. This must have referred to a trip to Japan at the end of May when he stayed at the Okura Hotel for over two months while Yoko visited relatives. Feeling isolated because of the language barrier, he locked himself away in his room for long stretches of time. At night he suffered terrifying nightmares. According to John Green, who makes no mention of the born-again period in his book, John told him, "I'd lie in bed all day [in Tokyo], not talk, not eat, and just withdraw. And a funny thing happened. I began to see all these different parts of me. I felt like a hollow temple filled with many spirits, each one passing through me, each inhabiting me for a little time and then leaving to be replaced by another."
Whatever happened in Tokyo, it marked the end of his personal interest in Jesus. "You Saved My Soul" said that he "nearly" fell for the TV preacher, but that Yoko "saved me from that suicide." So the salvation of the title refers to being saved from God, not by God. Yoko had again become the captain of his soul, the mistress of his destiny. Yet his life didn't improve. He sank into a depression, concerned that his creativity had deserted him and that he had no real purpose in life. The only real joy he experienced came from spending time with his son, Sean.
His life was out of his control. He worried about his health and his eyesight, about making the right investments with his money, about his personal safety. The only way out, as far as he could see, was to pay for the services of people who claimed to see into the future. But then, which ones could he trust? If the advice of the tarot card reader contradicted that of the astrologer, which should he follow? Instead of the freedom he wanted when he broke away from the Beatles, he was now completely enslaved. He couldn't travel anywhere without advice from a directionalist, do deals with anyone without knowing their star sign, or make plans for the future without consulting the I Ching.
By the time Frederic Seaman became John's personal assistant in February 1979, John's main interest was reading books on religion, psychic phenomena, the occult, death, history, archeology, and anthropology. Specific books Seaman can remember him asking for included Rebel in the Soul: An Ancient Egyptian Dialogue Between a Man and His Destiny, by Bika Reed; Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today, by Margot Adler; and Practical Occultism, by (Madame) H. P Blavatsky. He also listened to a thousand dollars' worth of taped lectures by Alan Watts.
Vacationing in Florida in the spring, he again watched Jesus of Nazareth on its by now regular Easter showing, but his reaction was completely different from the one he had had two years before. He kept joking that they should just get on with it and fast-forward to the crucifixion. Seaman, who was present with John's sons, Sean and Julian, recalled, "John began working himself up into a tirade against Christianity, saying that it had virtually destroyed what was left of pagan culture and spirituality in Europe-a great loss to civilization." He then announced that he was now a "born again pagan."
Excerpted from The Gospel According to the Beatles by Steve Turner, published by Westminster John Knox Press, 2006. Used with permission
There you have it, John Lennon, an almost born again Christian, but influenced to be a born again pagan. And how many people are there just like John? And how many are there influencing people to go this way?
Last night in Bible Study we were talking about how in Acts the gospel was spread across all kinds of boundaries. We talked about what kind of boundaries today we needed to cross with the Gospel. It was hard to think of them. But one of them talked aobut the boundary that is there between us and young people, and that we were not doing what we needed to do to reach them, and that we needed to try to do different things. Well then the older people got to talking about how hard it is to do different things, and to make changes. We may not be doing them yet but the door is open by this discussion to get there. It was by the power of the Holy Spirit and obedient people that the gospel was taken to people everywhere.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
The Spiritual Side of the Beatles
I have a secret. Shhh. My husband doesn't even know this one. I was and am a Beatles' fan. Shh don't tell anyone. My parents wouldn't let me listen to them growing up. You know they were THE Heathen Rock band from England. Nothing good could come from listening to them. But I always found a way to listen to them. I would get permission to go over to friend's houses that did get to listen to them and we play the 45's and dance and sing. At our spend the night parties we would be listening to them. When I went away to college, I then began buying their records and listening to them whether my parents liked them or not. Sometimes their music still runs through my mind along with their words or at least what I thought they were saying. Okay now you know. And if my church would not faint and fall out in the floor I might preach using some of their music. Its bad enough when I talk about some tv show or recent movie and they just look at me. Well, except for the youth and younger people.
Rock music writer Steve Turner talks about their spiritual side in this article to Bob Carlton, writer for the Birmingham News. Its about the the book "The Gospel according to the Beatles." that Steve Turner has written. I don't have the book yet, although I did give it a look see in the bookstore.
Rock music writer Steve Turner grew up in a Christian home in Daventry, England.
And like other teenagers who came of age in the 1960s, Turner was a huge Beatles fan. (I wasn't a teenager until the late '60's early '70's, but whose counting?)
"At that time, Christians weren't too keen on rock'n'roll music, so people in the church generally weren't too keen on The Beatles," Turner says in a phone call from London.
"Yet, after a few years, The Beatles became interested in religious topics, so there was this interplay between religion and rock music that I became interested in."
Forty years after John Lennon made his infamous and often misunderstood comment that The Beatles were "more popular than Jesus" - spawning ban-the-Beatles protests, including one launched in August 1966 by Birmingham disc jockeys Tommy Charles and Doug Layton - Turner explores the Fab Four's spiritual quest in his latest book, "The Gospel According to the Beatles" ($19.95, Westminster John Knox Press).
The Beatles weren't banned in Turner's house when he was growing up - in fact, his parents bought him a copy of "Beatles for Sale" for Christmas in 1964 - but they weren't embraced, either.
"I suppose my parents were like most parents at the time," he recalls. "They thought their hair was too long, their heels were too high, their trousers were too tight and their music was too loud."
Long before they became the Fab Four, though, each of The Beatles was influenced by religion - Paul McCartney and George Harrison in the Roman Catholic Church and Lennon and Ringo Starr in the Church of England, Turner says.
As he grew older, Turner embarked on a spiritual odyssey of his own, and he found inspiration in the music of The Beatles.
"They sort of validated the search for God, if you like," he says. "For a long time, it seemed like rock music or pop music was almost like an alternative to religion.
"Religion seemed sort of dull and conformist and rock'n'roll was sort of shiny and exciting, and the two didn't seem to meet at all. Then when The Beatles started asking questions about meaning and singing songs like 'Nowhere Man,' they actually investigated religion. 
"You had George Harrison quoting bits of the Bible - 'the kingdom of heaven is within,' and things like that - and I was thinking, 'Hmm, I think I've heard that before.'
"It seemed like The Beatles were suddenly on to something that you've been on to for a long time."
"Nowhere Man," which was off the "Rubber Soul" album was "kind of the beginning of the (spiritual) quest" for The Beatles, Turner says.
"The music up until 'Rubber Soul' had been sort of jaunty, I-love-you, you-love-me type of songs," he says. "Then they started asking questions about the meaning of life, so you get `Nowhere Man,' which is all about not having anything to believe in.
"Then there's 'Let It Be,'" he adds. "That has a reference to Mother Mary. Paul McCartney's mother was called Mary, but he was aware that it had, I think he called it, a quasi-religious sort of gloss to the song." 
For The Beatles, and Turner, it was another step along a long and winding road.
"The Beatles were doing such great things," he says. "I thought if you could absorb whatever The Beatles were absorbing, you could probably be as great as they were."
Now I may just have to go ahead and get the book. Go back and listen to some of their music. I think there is another point to be made here. Look back at this part of the article;
As he grew older, Turner embarked on a spiritual odyssey of his own, and he found inspiration in the music of The Beatles.
"They sort of validated the search for God, if you like," he says. "For a long time, it seemed like rock music or pop music was almost like an alternative to religion.
"Religion seemed sort of dull and conformist and rock'n'roll was sort of shiny and exciting, and the two didn't seem to meet at all."
I think we need to pay attention to that. There are a lot of people on a spiritual odyssey, sometimes they find inspiration in music, and sometimes in art or other forms. But I am not sure they are finding it in the church these days. Well, maybe some churches. I wonder how we can help people in their spiritual odyssey to find it in Jesus. There are so many alternatives to religion, and they do often look shinier and more exciting. It is a challenge without selling out the message, by the form and means. You almost have to ask who are the Beatles today, in other words, popular, and what message are they singing to the young people of today? Boy that's a hard one when there are so many forms of music they are listening to today. But we the church, the parents, can't just be saying "you can't listen to that," "that's evil", or burning or breaking the cd's, taking away their i-pods or mp3's. I think we have to find out what it is saying to our young people, and how does it meet with what we are saying. How would Jesus use it to speak to them? If not the flood of youth leaving the church will continue. Okay there is some music with vulgar lyrics, and that does have to be dealt with.PS, Here is another secret, one of my nick names was Abbey Road. Not sure who started calling me that one.
The Methodist Blues
Methodist Blues (lyrics)
by Garrison Keillor
I've been going to church every Sunday morn
Still don't know if I've been reborn
I'm sixty years old, is there something I've missed
Or is it just that I'm Methodist?
I got the Methodist blues.
The organist's mad, the pastor's unhappy
The hours are long and the pay is crappy
Troubles? O we got a whole long list
Because we are Methodists
Got the Methodist blues
The sound system's bad, there's a buzz in the speaker
The budget is busted, the collection is meager,
This great big debt load we been carryin
Maybe we oughta be Unitarian
People gossip about who did what,
The ladies circle is a pain in the butt.
Want to slap their face or at least their wrist
But I can't cause I am a Methodist
I got the Methodist blues
We're not big on shows and dances,
Mixed drinks or big romances
I've been hugged but never French kissed
That's because I'm a Methodist
I got the Methodist blues
Everybody wants to sit in the back pews
Want the sermon to reflect their views
Some of these Christians, they are the rudest
What do you say we try being Buddhist?
The same ten people always volunteer,
Half of them old, the others just weird,
How ever do we manage to persist
We do it by being Methodist
I got the Methodist blues.
People offer to help then they don't remember
It can make you almost lose your temper
Sit and steam and clench your fist
But you can't hit them, you're Methodist,
Got the Methodist blues.
God put us here to serve a mission
But people won't come if you don't air condition.
We've got the blues and we're getting more bluish
Why don't we switch to Jewish?
Everyone's afraid of change.
Don't like anything new or strange.
Or we get our underwear in a twist
That's how it is with a Methodist
I got the Methodist blues
Listen:
But much of what Garrison Keillor sings is true. But I thought he was Lutheran, so how does he know so much about the Methodist? Maybe we all aren't so different after all? Maybe all we Methodist got the Methodist Blues. I don't feel like I do, because I am a Christian, a follower of Christ, the Methodist Church is a functional way of living it out just as any other denomination or nondenomination is. If we got the Methodist Blues how come so many Methodist churches are alive and well? How come they are becoming innovative, inspirational, and relevant? How come more people are living out their passion and gifts as laity? How come more Pastors are growing spiritually and alive in their ministry?
Yes, there are the churches who are dying. Yes there are the laity that keep doing the same old thing. Yes there are often the same ten that volunteer in some churches. And yes there is often the lack of follow through. But you have to say there are many laity, Pastors and churches who are alive, singing a new song, a song that God has given them.
Are you singing the blues or a new song that God has given you?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)