A Real Gem of a Program

I’m not particularly a fan of “popular media” (i.e., television, movies, etc.). It’s just my personal opinion, but most everything I see and hear and experience is pretty much garbage. Not worth my time, and definitely not “in line” with my personal beliefs and values.

But every now and then, thankfully, there are exceptions!

You may or may not have heard of “Duck Dynasty,” since not everyone in America has cable television or satellite service (it’s not on a “broadcast” network, if you’re old enough to understand the difference!). I thought at first it was a relatively-unknown little “jewel” floating in a sea of crud (see my earlier post about the vast wasteland of television!).

I can’t recall exactly how I first came across it last autumn (probably surfing for the least-objectionable program on at the time!) but I was instantly intrigued. Anything with camo draws my immediate attention, especially if it’s my preferred pattern (Realtree^® AP, for the record). And everybody onscreen at the time was wearing camo! :)

Seriously, it was the redneck humor that caused me to linger a moment. And I then settled in to enjoy the rest of the episode.

And that’s about all it took – “Duck Dynasty” became one of my favorite shows!

Yes, at first glance, the show is pretty much just the real-life saga (sort of) of a bunch of Louisiana country boys and their long-suffering wives. And kids. And townspeople. Pretty much just like the folks next door, at least around here. But I’m sure across this great nation the “Duck guys” are regarded as idiotic novelties!

But the appeal of this program goes way beyond the humor and comical situations in which our heroes find themselves. Way cool.

One of the first things I noticed is what wasn’t part of the program: it didn’t include any foul language nor any references to anything “objectionable” whatsoever. Astounding! The show portrayed older generations of the Robertson firmly and appropriately instructing younger generations on proper moral behavior and life lessons in general. And at the end of the program? After all of the comical and/or “tragic” situations were resolved? The entire family gathered the dinner table (imagine that!) and prayed and gave thanks for the meal.

I was floored! We just don’t see this kind of “family values” stuff on television very often at all, right? How refreshing!

These buffoonish, seemingly-lazy “rednecks” (and that is NOT a derogatory term in their world, by the way) drew me in with their clownish behavior, and then subtly and deftly worked in a little plug for their faith …which happens to be perfectly aligned with my own religious beliefs!

Very clever. Clever, indeed!

I showed my wife a “Duck Dynasty” scene or two (honestly, she wasn’t terribly enthusiastic at first) and she, too, quickly became interested in the goings-on of the Robertson family. I started recording episodes on the DVR, and soon we were watching “Duck Dynasty” together!

My intention here is not to try to explain to you what the program is all about. There are heaps of Web sites that do that, including several from the Robertson family themselves. Just Google “Duck Commander” (the name of the family business) or “Duck Dynasty” and you’ll see lots of cool stuff.

I’m blogging about “Duck Dynasty” in order to comment on the clever and effective way the Robertsons share their religious convictions with us. It’s subtle, but it works beautifully! When you read their writings about the program (and I hope you will) you’ll discover that the motivation for just about everything the family does is the sharing of their love of Jesus. Wow!

It’s not overt, it’s not loud, it’s not “in your face” or anything of the sort. It’s a simple “display” of what the Robertsons hold dear: their individual relationships with their Savior. They make no pretense about their priorities being anything other than faith first and foremost, then family, and then duck hunting! Haha!

I love it when believers share their Christianity through their actions rather than preaching. Living your faith rather than talking about it can be a very, very effective way to witness. That approach can motivate non-believers to sometimes ask, “Why are you so happy and content with your life? What do you know that I don’t?” Perfect. Love it!

I was thrilled in December when the “Duck Dynasty” season finale garnered the highest ratings of any program, ever, on the A&E Network! Wow! I certainly can’t determine any results of the Robertsons reaching so many people as they espoused their beliefs, but I’m confident that the millions who watched at least now know a little something about honest family relationships and a love for Jesus!

Not that the “Duck Dudes” need me to endorse their program, but I’m happy to do just that: If you’ve not watched, please, give it a try. (Repeats are running a couple of nights each week on A&E, and new episodes are scheduled to run starting in March of 2013.) It’s of course entertaining but it’s unique and refreshing as well. Get past the camouflage and silliness of the guys handcrafting those duck calls and I can promise you that you’ll find a real gem of a program. It might even make you long to be a “redneck” yourself! ;)

Singing "The Messiah"

 

 



(Click ‘n’ play to hear one of THE most awesome performances ever of Handel’s masterpiece! This is the coolest “flash mob” I’ve ever seen, performed by more than 650 vocalists, all accompanied by the “Wanamaker Organ,” the world’s largest operational pipe organ. Crank this video wide open and let ‘er rip while you read below!)
 

Random ramblings about Messiah …

Many years ago I had the pleasure and privilege of taking part in a community choir presentation of Handel’s Messiah in its entirety.

The original full score is something like 259 pages in length; the oratorio is massive in size by any standard. It is exhausting to rehearse, to learn, and especially to memorize, which is what we did. We each bought the full Messiah book, practiced and studied for months, then put the books away the one night we performed Handel’s masterwork for a large crowd.

As I recall, we started rehearsing in the summer with a target date of performing one night in December. Yes, it took that long for us amateurs to conquer this musical beast!

In my fading recollection we turned in a magnificent performance, all of us. We brought the crowd to its feet for a standing ovation. But the real “winners,” I still believe, were those of us who “mastered” the Messiah and learned it inside and out.

Even though it’s been more than 30 years since I took part in the hours-long performance, I still to this day remember my lines. I quietly hum along whenever I’m fortunate enough to hear parts of the music played. Once you get inside of Messiah and truly give yourself over to the richness of the composition, it gets inside of you. Believe me, if you memorize and perform it as Handel intended, you’ll never forget it, nor get over it.

(Handel – probably, through Divine Intervention – composed the entire Messiah score in a period of 24 days. There is apocryphal story that claims Handel believed, as he wrote the "Hallelujah" chorus, "he saw all heaven before him." It’s an amazing work, and it can do amazing things to the singers who perform it.)

 

The final page of Handel's "Hallelujah" Chorus, written in his own hand.
Can you imagine writing 259 pages of music like this in only 24 days?!

 

Singing it is incredibly uplifting and inspiring. You verbalize, over and over and over, key scriptural passages about our Savior. And they soak in. They take root. They really, really start to mean something, deep in your soul and heart.

I’ve gotten misty-eyed almost every single time I’ve performed the “Hallelujah” Chorus. Once or twice I’ve even been moved to tears (performing it, mind you, not singing along in the congregation or audience). It is incredibly moving, and powerful beyond belief. This chorus taxes you. It’s a difficult piece of music to sing (depending on your part [bass, tenor, whatever], you’re constantly coming in and out vocally, singing and then stopping, starting again and stopping again) and it’s physically very tiring. You’re singing while those in front or behind are pausing, then you stop and they start, etc., etc. It’s blinding at times! But oh my, what a glorious experience. The chorus builds to an incredible climax, and ends in a furious explosion of noise and sound, extolling God’s perfect gift to mankind. Awesome!

I learned a lot about myself during that autumn of rehearsal, about commitment, about being an adult, about my faith, about God’s provision for His earthly world, lots of stuff. It changed me. Profoundly inspiring things can do that.

I still love to hear all parts of Messiah performed, especially the “Hallelujah” Chorus.

 

Anyway ... I just wanted to share these tidbits with you, and provide you with a link to the awesome performance in Philidalphia in October, 2010. What a thrill it would have been to have joined in and sung along! Wow!

A Charlie Brown Christmas

 

Christmastime is here … almost!

In just a couple of nights, it’ll be time once again for one of the most important Christmas traditions in our family: the annual live viewing of Charles Shultz’s A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Notice I specified “live” viewing. Therein lies the tradition.

Ever since CBS premiered this program in 1965, every single year – without exception – I’ve been blessed to see at least a portion of the broadcast live.

By my calculations, this will be my 48^th consecutive year. I've watched it "live," every single year it's ever been broadcast. How’s that for a “tradition”?!

I’ve watched this program over the decades in numerous states, in all sorts of places, under all sorts of conditions. But so far, God has been good to me and permitted me to see some of it live, every single year.

One year, in the 1970s, I almost didn’t make it. The community choir in Enterprise, Ala., had been rehearing the full Handel’s Messiah (all three parts) for months, with the goal of presenting it one time and one time only to the entire city at the local community college. We’d even contracted with a symphony orchestra to come from Florida to accompany us!

As luck would have it, CBS decided to air A Charlie Brown Christmas the exact night of our performance – and at the exact same time! Arrgh! What to do?! I wasn’t about to miss the opportunity to sing the entire Messiah, but I couldn’t miss the Peanuts gang!

Fortunately, the community choir was directed by my friend and director of our local church choir, John Leland. I had spotted a television in the lounge of the student union where we singers were donning our robes. I tuned the TV to CBS (WTVY out of Dothan, Ala.), and with John's cooperation, I “suggested” to a couple of the ladies in the choir that a hairdo or two might need a bit of adjustment before we went to the auditorium.

It worked! Several of the females in the choir insisted on one last look-see at the mirror, and I was able to catch the few opening minutes of the show. Success – and an unbroken streak!

Why is this special such an important part of our holiday around here? It’s virtually the only thing you’ll see on secular television every year that touches on the crass commercialization and secularism of Christmas -- and serves as a beautiful reminder of the TRUE meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ.

In its purity and simplicity, the program is touching, heartwarming, and truthful. What more could you ask?

Yes, the show has been butchered and vandalized and hacked up over the years, but its soul and heart somehow remain intact. It hasn’t been shown in its original form since 1967, yet it still tugs at the heartstrings of most all who watch it. It is truly amazing.

So, if you watch this year (and I truly hope you do), think of me, sitting in front of my TV set with a Coca-Cola in hand (the original sponsor of the program), reciting my favorite lines, and still getting emotional when little Linus reads us the Christmas story in the auditorium.

Be blessed, and to you and yours, a very Merry Christmas.

 

 

(Updated, 28 Nov., 2012: made it for that 48th consecutive year! Huzzah! And we enjoyed it as much as always!)

The Vast Wasteland of Television

 

I’ve grown frustrated and lately, truly annoyed, at the constant stream of immorality and crud on “network” television (for those among you who grew up with cable and satellite, I’m referring to national “broadcast” networks: ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC).

My wife and I are Christians. Our faith is not something we pull out of a drawer and use now and then; our spirituality defines the way we conduct ourselves and live our lives.

As believers, we simply have no interest in viewing what we believe to be immoral behavior in sit-coms and dramas on television.

We believe that the Bible defines marriage clearly as an institution ordained by God, a union between one man and one woman. Period. End of statement!

We further believe that sexual relations should be enjoyed (and yes, God wants to enjoy intimacy!) strictly within the confines of marriage. Period. Again, end of statement!

And lastly, we do not condone homosexuality as “normal” or “mainstream” behavior.

Pretty simple, right?

It’s amazing at the television programs that we’ve quit watching because the producers, networks, writers, etc., insist on portraying all sorts of lewd behavior. We’re just SO fed up!

We’ve abandoned some GREAT programs, such as Army Wives (homosexual “marriage” between two lesbians, The Big Bang Theory (ongoing sexual relationship between Penny and Leonard), Mike and Molly (ongoing sexual relationship between Mike and Molly), Hart of Dixie, (ongoing sexual relationship between Zoe and Wade), Modern Family (probably THE funniest show on television, but unwatchable because of the so-called “marriage” between two homosexuals), etc., etc., etc.

And the really frustrating thing about these practices? In most cases, the immoral behavior adds nothing to the content of the program! Zippo! That just drives me nuts. A recent episode of a favorite crime drama included two lesbians as the victims of that week’s crime. Lesbians who were “married.” Give me a break! This homosexual element added nothing to the program whatsoever – it was merely another example of Hollywood’s ongoing effort to convince me that homosexuality is normal and acceptable. I wrote the network and asked them to never do that again, and made it very clear that if they did, they would lose viewers in this household for good!

Each time we’ve made the mutual decision to drop a program from our lineup, I write (politely) to the network of origin, and explain that we simply cannot continue watching behavior that is immoral to us. I ask them to stop it, clean it up, get rid of it, etc. And to date I’ve only gotten one reply from one network.

No, my wife and I are not prudes. Not by any means. But when we sit down to relax with a little television in the evening, why should we be force-fed constant scenes of behavior that are contrary to what we believe?

“Oh, it’s just a quick sex scene, no biggie,” you tell yourself. Okay, believe that if you wish. But we believe that if you watch things that are objectionable to you? You become numb to the offensive behavior. It starts to appear less offensive. You dismiss it. And in time, it becomes acceptable.

Sorry, we’re just not interested in lowering our personal standards in exchange for a few minutes of entertainment.

God teaches us to embrace those things that are right and pure, and to shun and stay away from those things which are immoral and sinful – AND, to pray fervently for those who continue to commit offenses unto Him. Believe me, we do that.

Yes, we miss these and other shows. We liked them. Truly. And I wish we could enjoy them. But again, we’re not lowering our standards.

Please: consider what you spend your time watching. Do the programs you regularly view reflect your real values and beliefs? Or are you compromising, telling yourself it’s okay to watch a little perversion now and then?

Think about it … please. That’s all I ask.