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Personal Musings: Two Scenes and a Song: When "Yes, that's it" comes into view
Originally posted on the Ambassador College Alumni General Message Forum
I'm sure we have all experienced those moments quietly when we hear the particular lyrics of a song or watch one in a movie and quietly tell ourselves "Yes, That explains it." That's exactly how I feel. That's me."
Authenticity has always been playing in the background even when I ignored it to my harm.
Even here on the GMF, we all should recognize that we resonate with some more than others. I resonate with what Stuart Segall, Mike Cooney, Gary Moore (I recognize my Dutch Reformed past in Gary's views) and others of the kinder more gentle and insightful personalities share.
With some I resonate somewhat and with a few, not at all or ever would want to. It's like a church congregation. We all can say that of course.
"Too soon old and too late schmart" seems to be path and the way but it is never too late to come up "Schmart". I'm sure we'd all have preferred to have been born "schmart", but that is not the program obviously.
Pastoring in WCG and the "going along to get along" part of me clashed my entire ministry. How often I found myself quietly not about to say or teach what others felt I must or should. (Divorce and Remarriage, Divine healing only, no vaccinations, Place of Safety, British Israelism and just about everything Gerald Waterhouse ever came up with etc...) On these I did not go along. I just dropped them from topics I ever supported and taught. My Dutch Reformed background had, at least, given me a fair share of common sense and foresight into what will happen if one goes down those rabbit holes of teaching and belief.
I can't tell you how many times I have heard, "Well, obviously you were never converted." Converted to what? Compliance with bad information, emotional reasoning and the consequences of a complete lack of common sense? Correct, I was never converted.
The last time Gerald Waterhouse showed up to speak in my congregations I told him he causes more problems with his sermons than he solves. He just said, "Is that right..." as my wife kicked me under the table.
These are 3 of my moments in media where the recognition that "Going along to get along" was not really my friend nor my core self. It was, however, what I did because I thought I should or must. But as I got older I got bolder and all that has gone one before for me personally has brought me to recognize how I believe I always was and repressed for the common "good", which was rarely all that good.
From moving all over creation when told to move and told "to be played in all the Churches" (oh how many I didn't:), I recognize with these two scenes and a song what niggled at me the entire time.
Perhaps others have resonated with you in your life.
"NO..."
"I don't care"
and
"That's too bad"
This one is deeply hilarious :)
The Song
When Forrest Gump came out in 1994 it this resonated as too my ministry in WCG where every year, it seemed, was one mess after the next to deal with and get stuck between HQ and the members in the cross fire.
When I heard that Winston Churchill defined history as "One damned thing after the next", I chuckled, and said that defined my unfortunate timing coming into WCG ministry.
=============================
Bonus scene from "JFK"
Profanity warning
Don't watch if everyone has to be "nice" in their recognitions and expression of themselves
"I don't know what happened. All I ever wanted in the world was to be was a Catholic Priest, live in a monestary, pray, serve God..."
( For myself, a genuine, educated and enlightened pastor and helper of our joy in teaching, belief and practice. My other theological and scientific conclusions came together realizing they too also lingered just below the surface from my youth)
LIfe is weird
The pressure I felt in WCG was overwhelming
After each of the 5 last FOT sermons I gave, at least one or two ministers at lunch would say, "You say what I'm thinking!", to which I always said, "Then say it...."
Oh, Dennis, I had no idea your musical tastes were so totally cool! I never heard of Stuart Segall, or Mike Cooney, but Gary Moore is not only one kickass blues player, but he's also one of the all time great guitarists in the history of music! When Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac retired, Gary bought his '59 Gibson Les Paul guitar (It's now owned by Kirk Hammett of Metallica). It was a very special guitar in that the neck pickup (humbucker, dual coil) was accidentally wired out of phase at the factory, giving it a very unique sound.
Gary Moore's playing never fails to lift me up when I'm feeling down. It actually feeds my soul! It's not bad during some good cardio exercise, either!
Google the following, and check them out on Youtube:
Gary Moore: Dust My Broom BBM City of Gold Live Gary Moore and Friends Cowboy Song (If you were ever a Thin Lizzie fan, this will bring tears to your eyes as Gary pays tribute to one of his fallen mentors, Phil Lynott. And, yeah, Scott Gorham and Brian Downey, also from the original band, ARE playing guitar and drums.
Dayamm, Dennis. You continue to amaze me! Rock on, Brother!
Blogger Byker Bob said... Oh, Dennis, I had no idea your musical tastes were so totally cool! I never heard of Stuart Segall, or Mike Cooney, but Gary Moore is not only one kickass blues player, ========================
Bubble burster! Stuart, Mike and Gary or AC grads on the alumni site who are measured, kind and caring in their posts. Any similarity to music stars is purely coincidental. LOL
This post originally is on the alumni site so some concepts did not transfer well to Banned.
But thanks! I am a much nicer guy in real life than the snark towards me here on Banned the past 15 years or so would indicate! LOL.
I did a response to the post over there I might post here to complete the picture.
Dennis, I am sure you would have had interesting sermons back in the day, I do believe I could have sat in a uncomfortable little folding steel chair under the basketball net for 2 hours to hear you, not like some of the long boring one's I had to sit through....
Well, hey Dennis. I hope you check out what I thought you were so cool about. If you like guitar-based blues music, you might enjoy it.
The kind and gentle graduates you mentioned must have come after my time at AC. It's always a pleasure to discover real people amongst the vast number of parrots who were simply absorbers of the AC Corporate Culture (UAP, aka the Universal Ambassador Personality).
6 comments:
Oh, Dennis, I had no idea your musical tastes were so totally cool! I never heard of Stuart Segall, or Mike Cooney, but Gary Moore is not only one kickass blues player, but he's also one of the all time great guitarists in the history of music! When Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac retired, Gary bought his '59 Gibson Les Paul guitar (It's now owned by Kirk Hammett of Metallica). It was a very special guitar in that the neck pickup (humbucker, dual coil) was accidentally wired out of phase at the factory, giving it a very unique sound.
Gary Moore's playing never fails to lift me up when I'm feeling down. It actually feeds my soul! It's not bad during some good cardio exercise, either!
Google the following, and check them out on Youtube:
Gary Moore: Dust My Broom
BBM City of Gold Live
Gary Moore and Friends Cowboy Song (If you were ever a Thin Lizzie fan, this will bring tears to your eyes as Gary pays tribute to one of his fallen mentors, Phil Lynott. And, yeah, Scott Gorham and Brian Downey, also from the original band, ARE playing guitar and drums.
Dayamm, Dennis. You continue to amaze me! Rock on, Brother!
BB
Uncle Perbert wouldn/t have liked this one.
Blogger Byker Bob said...
Oh, Dennis, I had no idea your musical tastes were so totally cool! I never heard of Stuart Segall, or Mike Cooney, but Gary Moore is not only one kickass blues player,
========================
Bubble burster! Stuart, Mike and Gary or AC grads on the alumni site who are measured, kind and caring in their posts. Any similarity to music stars is purely coincidental. LOL
This post originally is on the alumni site so some concepts did not transfer well to Banned.
But thanks! I am a much nicer guy in real life than the snark towards me here on Banned the past 15 years or so would indicate! LOL.
I did a response to the post over there I might post here to complete the picture.
In fact, I should put a response up here so I shall. They two go together.
Dennis, I am sure you would have had interesting sermons back in the day, I do believe I could have sat in a uncomfortable little folding steel chair under the basketball net for 2 hours to hear you, not like some of the long boring one's I had to sit through....
Well, hey Dennis. I hope you check out what I thought you were so cool about. If you like guitar-based blues music, you might enjoy it.
The kind and gentle graduates you mentioned must have come after my time at AC. It's always a pleasure to discover real people amongst the vast number of parrots who were simply absorbers of the AC Corporate Culture (UAP, aka the Universal Ambassador Personality).
BB
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