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Sunday, February 23, 2014

Sunday Sermon

There are times when it is difficult to write a sermon. One follows carefully the essayist's instructions and finds a room with a view, but the view is not always pleasant or stable. One feels ill or wonders if the view is booby trapped. One remembers a year back at this time; hopes one has reclaimed stolen financial identity and will not turn bright blue. On such Sundays it is good to think of happy songs. I can think of two.

The first is about anthropomorphized symbols of this country, the increasingly militaristic Uncle Sam and the utopian Lady Liberty, at least I believe it is. It touches upon runaway inflation and increasing costs of living that seem to devour simpler, less frantic ways of life and growing up. It suggests the past had much to recommend it over the complex problems that followed, yet it is not a sad song: 
And now, if we turn our hymnals to the second selection, we find a clip divided into two parts filmed 40 years apart. It begins with Marilyn McCoo singing her special McCoo song to a very special man in her life, Billy Davis Jr. It jumps ahead near the middle to another century, this one, and one realizes love is good for people --even in these complicated times.

Wedding Bell Blues (Mc Coo and Davis)
Yes, they are still married.

These hymns of our time serve to remind us, even though much has changed, that simple metaphors still obtain. Happiness comes and goes, as does everything, but even when good times seem to be over there is a song, an idea, a dream, a person that says --and declares truly-- "Oh no, it is now that it begins!"

Go in peace.

21 comments:

  1. "happiness comes and goes" yes it does but all things come around again if you have patience......nothing ever really ends, it just changes......and the planet keeps spinning spinning....

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    1. "...planet keeps spinning..." Good thing, too!

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  2. And every ending is the start of a new beginning. Which is, somedays, a very real comfort to me.

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    1. Just wish I could keep that principle in mind when life just seems like one dang thing after another.

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  3. Thank you so much for sharing these two videos! I loved them! I need to add more songs like this to my iPod...just songs that make you happy. :)

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    1. Kind Michelle, Good! Such songs are well worth searching one's memory --and Youtube-- for. Happy hunting!

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  4. As a wise and intuitive writer of Sunday sermons, I'm sure you had lost sheep like myself in mind when you reminded us to think of happy songs. I can merely say "Thank you, I needed that!".

    By the way, Marilyn and Billy still look great after 40 years. I think love has something to do with it.

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    1. Thanks Jon! I did the math and found Davis was about 70 in that PBS performance and McCoo in her mid 60s. Love, certainly, but in her case, magical genetics too.

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  5. Those are 'happy songs' indeed, thank you Geo for sharing.
    I thoroughly enjoyed them before retiring for the night,

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  6. Thank you for sharing these songs and these wise words. Life is a marathon, not a sprint isn't it? Something good to always keep in mind.

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    1. Indeed, Keith, something to always keep in mind --and delight in artists who help us do so.

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  7. Music always has the answer. It can take a bit of digging sometimes, but it's always there.

    It's sweet to know Marilyn and Billy are still married.

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    1. It takes constant digging --finding where and in what often unlikely direction truth subtends the memory.

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  8. After the rain, comes the sunshine. It has been storming around here for quite a while, so I hold on to the rays when they come.

    I loved your song selections, Geo. Roger Miller used to always make me laugh and the music of The Fifth Dimension always gave me joy.

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  9. Hakuna Matata, Geo. I hope you are feeling better. Music is my favorite elixir.

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  10. You can't help but enjoy these songs! A love forever, too!

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