Friday, June 4, 2010

Rollin' on the River...


Yesterday I talked about the TV shows I grew up watching, today I'll hit on the music. My dad listened to country music, and if you were in the car, you listened to what dad listened to. It wasn't a bad thing, but I can't remember ever getting away with asking him to change the station (like my youngest tries to pull).

So we listened to country, classic country now. But that wasn't all I got to hear. There was a lot of 60's rock and roll music at our house, which by the way, I love. Rebel Rouser, Under the Boardwalk, Monday Monday. That's the good stuff. I loved listening to it, and even though I didn't understand them, the songs were great. CCR, excuse me, Creedence Clearwater Revival for those under 30, was another group that I loved listening to. It was something about Tom Fogerty's voice that made you sit up and listen. Their songs hit home...folksy...and often laced with drug lingo, but hey, it was the 70's.

Music speaks to the soul, if you let it..."Big wheel keep on turnin', proud Mary keep on burning, rollin, rollin, rollin on the river." I'm assuming they were talking about a river paddle boat named Mary, but with it being the 70's, I kind of figure there's a double meaning.

We're going to be doing that tomorrow, well, except for the proud Mary burning. I had better not catch anybody with pot this weekend. We're going to be rollin' on the river...in canoes, that is. But think with me for just a second about how being on a river connects with our own personal discipleship. You see, that's going to be the underlying theme for this summer's messages at First Church.

Some folks have waded out into the edge of the river and are perfectly content just getting their toes wet. Maybe they play around in the mountain streams where the water isn't too deep so there's no fear of getting very wet.

Other folks have already waded out into the water, and are getting a little deeper. The water is still not deep enough to dive into, but it's deeper than the shallow pools of mountain streams. They're contemplating, but just haven't decided whether or not they're ready to get wet.

Some folks have been looking for deeper pools and have waded out past their waist, but still aren't crazy about getting their hair wet. To find pools deep enough for these folks you have to move on down the mountain a little.

And then there are the folks who just won't be satisfied until they are soaked from head to toe. they search for ways to get in as deep as they can and just aren't happy wading around in the streams. These folks know they are going to get wet and they don't care. They know there are possible problems in the deeper water but there's something about the feeling of free floating that they just can't deny themselves. It's a commitment for sure. If you bail off into the deep water, you had better know how to swim.

On this trip this weekend, I know I'll have all kinds of folks, and that's cool. I'll have folks who are happy just sitting by the river and watching it pass by. I'll have folks who will bail out of the trucks, totally blow off the idea of setting up camp, and head straight for the swimming hole in front of the campground...with the big Sycamore tree leaning out over the river...and a rope hanging in it just begging for someone to swing from it. Come to think of it, maybe I'll set up camp after a little swim my natural self. I won't need a tent until bedtime anyhow, right?

Summer's here. Let your inner kid out and spend some time playing in the creeks and rivers. And as you do...as you feel the water cool your toes, knees, waists, or shoulders, take a moment to think about how deep you are in your faith.

Peace
J

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