Newsletter of Hamilton Bible Fellowship
December 2005
December 8th marks the 25th anniversary of John Lennon’s death. It’s hard to believe it was that long ago (and harder to believe that he would now be 65 years old!) I was not a big fan of his solo work, nor of his politics and lifestyle. But the Beatles had a profound effect on me, beginning with their initial appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964 - that was nearly 42 years ago! It’s not just about playing guitar, although that is a big part of their influence. So I thought I’d take this space to reflect on what I have learned, and what we hopefully all can learn, from the Beatles:
Music is powerful, and personal. Yes, there is a lot of trivial stuff out there, in advertising and popular culture. But it is so used precisely because it is so powerful. It communicates on many levels, not only through its lyrical content but in its ability to move us sentimentally and emotionally. It provides the "soundtrack" to our lives; it can take us back and propel us forward. I am learning (slowly!) that an individual’s musical preferences are very personal, and not to tread on them with my own opinions.
It is fundamentally important to have fun. The (early) Beatles embodied this. Before they took themselves too seriously they were about enjoying what they do. Their ebullient spirit was infectious; they really were having a good time. So should we!
Good things happen when we work together. The Beatles had a savvy manager (Brian Epstein) and a talented and effective producer (George Martin). But what made them so good was the balance of diverse personalities and musical abilities working in concert. Each contributed essential parts (even Ringo). It still thrills me to hear them singing in harmony. Could you have more diverse voices than Lennon’s and McCartney’s?
The whole is more than the sum of the parts. This follows from the previous point. What the Beatles produced when they were together far outweighs anything done since they broke up. There was an intangible synergy in what they did together that could never be reproduced as individuals. Their material holds up decades later - not much of it sounds dated.
There are some obvious lessons here for the church. The "body" illustration is appropriate. Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made. So has God assembled the church, as individually diverse parts working together to do great things - more than we realize. And, we are meant to enjoy it all. And when this happens, the church is powerful. We have a truly great "manager" and a glorious "producer" - Jesus Christ, the head of the body, the church. We are meant to be and work together.
NEWS AND PRAYER UPDATE:
Pray for Dianne Button’s health, particularly as she and Norm travel together later this month.
Pray for Don Cox (Putter’s uncle) and family.
We are still as a church formulating ideas about social outreach, locally, nationally and globally. Pray for this!
Pray that students (and teachers!) finish the semester well - both here, and those who are studying elsewhere.
December Birthdays: 9 Jen Murray; 21 Corey Nolen
THE QUOTE CORNER
After 25 years, McCartney still seems shocked to look across the conference room table
and see Yoko Ono’s face where the face of his best mate, John, should be. It’s as if they’ve
always battled for the preeminent right to grieve. But when you think about what was lost
when Lennon stepped out of a limousine on December 8, 1980 - when you think of him
singing "the dream is over" about something as innocent as the breakup of a pop band -
you realize that there’s enough grief to go around.
From Newsweek article, Nov. 28, 2005
COMING EVENTS CALENDAR:
Sun. Dec. 4th: Young Life Christmas Party at Barb Hipsley’s, 5:00 - 7:30
The HBF Christmas Play, A Veggie Tales Christmas, will be presented on Sat. Dec. 10th at 6:30 and during the morning worship service on Sun. Dec. 11th, all at Park Methodist Fellowship Hall.
The HBF Christmas Dinner will be Sun. Dec. 11th, at Camp Fiver. Watch for sign up this Sunday.
HBF has been asked to provide some of the pies for the annual Christmas Dinner for Georgetown inmates. Please deliver fruit pies only (because they keep without cooling) to St. Thomas’ parish hall on Tuesday Dec. 13th, 9:00 - noon.
A Christmas Mourning Service will be held at First Baptist Church, Tuesday Dec. 20th at 7:00 PM. All area clergy will participate. It is open to all, but particularly those who have suffered personal loss this past year.