A Passing Legend And Me

“I wanted something very dense, something that would sustain long and more pieces of wood that would be soft, sweet, for more of a mellow sound.”- Les Paul

I well recall the early years of my teens when I was a guitar player/band member wannabe. I had two friends, Tony and Larry, who had the same aspirations as I. In fact, we formed our own band (sans instruments, as we had no money to buy them) and even took to photographing ourselves for the covers of albums that we were sure we would one day record. In fact, if one of us got mad at the other, we would "kick him out of the band." In fact, this often happened to another friend, Raymond. We alternated between letting Raymond in the band and then later kicking him out again. Never mind the fact that we had no instruments, no songs, and none of us really knew how to play. We had a dream. We would one day be a band.

That led us to make regular trips to State Line Avenue and G Sharp Music in our hometown of Texarkana, TX. The owner of the store, as I recall, was named George Sharp- hence the "G. Sharp" of the store's name. G. Sharp had the best selection of pianos, band instruments, drums, amplifiers, accessories, ...and guitars.

Oh, they had the guitars.

One in particular caught my eye. It was a solid black Gibson Les Paul Custom model. I had seen some of the guitar players I admired at the time playing Les Pauls. I knew three things about them: They were popular among guitarists, They were heavy- hence their nickname, "the plank," and they were EXPENSIVE.

The one I had my eye upon during those frequent excursions to G. Sharp Music Store cost a whopping $695.

But wait! It had genuine mother of pearl inlays on the fingerboard. It had gold plated tuning pegs and pickups. It was a beauty. A black beauty.

And it might as well have have carried a million dollar pricetag as far as I was concerned. I was 14 years old, too young to hold a regular job, and from a middle working class family which earned just enough money to feed and house a family of six. I know that was the list price and had I haggled with G. Sharp, he would have come down on the price, but there was one thing I knew deep down.

There was no way I was ever going to own that Les Paul Custom guitar.

But I could dream. And I did. Today, when I go to music stores or talk to other guitarists- some of whom actually play Les Pauls- I am always tempted to tell of my teenage dream of owning a Les Paul.

And according to WikiAnswers.com that guitar today could sell for around $4000-$5000. Sigh.

Anyway, I bring this bit of trivia from my past in memory of the guitar's designer, Les Paul.

Paul was an accomplished guitarist himself. He practically invented some popular licks and phrasings that are the standard fare of modern guitarists. He and his wife, Mary Ford, made hit records together. One of their big hits was "How High The Moon." As Mary sings, Les can be heard in the background playing some mean chops.

Not only was Paul a popular artist and guitar designer, but he was also quite inventive on the recording end of music as well. He first discovered multi tracking and layering as a recording technique. He would record his wife singing, and then play back that recording as she sang with herself and added that track to the previous one. This is why some recordings seem to sound like the singer has cloned himself or herself. Paul perfected this technique and would often record songs with his wife in their hotel rooms as they traveled between concerts.

Right up until his death today at 92, he could still be found at clubs, jamming with his musician friends. He once said, "I have younger friends who don't work, and they aren't doing so well. My secret is to keep going, keep working."

He did indeed, right up until the end.

Thanks, Les. Thanks for the stuff that dreams are made of- from a former teenage dreamer.

--Postscript: I recently bought an Epiphone Les Paul copy, in part to fulfill that teenage dream. It certainly cost a lot less then the original Les Paul and isn't quite like the original, but I can say that I have a black Les Paul today. The thing about it is, today, it doesn't seem to matter as much as it once did. If I wanted to do so, I could buy an original Gibson Les Paul Custom. But it really doesn't seem so important to me anymore.

Lost

I found two illustrations on the way to church this morning.

First, as I drove down a main street to meet with my prayer partners, I saw a man sitting in the back of a minivan reading a newspaper. My first thought was that he must be selling something.

Actually, he wasn't.

In fact, he was trying to give something away.

As I looked closer, I saw a large dog on a leash with a water bowl set before him. I also saw a cardboard sign in front of the dog.

"Lost," is all the sign said. Instantly, I got it. Apparently the man found a stray dog in his neighborhood and was trying to find his owner on an early Sunday morning. I admired his generosity and caring spirit to see that a lost animal would be reunited with his master.

As I drove further down that street, I wondered about the willingness of Christians to inconvenience themselves to reach people in our world- our neighborhoods- who are lost without Jesus Christ. This stranger's unselfish act struck me with fresh conviction to be about sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Also on that commute to the church, I felt the need for caffeine. I stopped by a convenience store along the way. A young lady whom I have seen visiting our church services was behind the counter. She smiled, and as I "filled 'er up," asked me, "Whatcha gonna speak on today?"

I had an answer.

I have been challenged by a conference speaker I recently heard who asked us to labor diligently to get the gist of a message, sermon, or teaching into one striking and compact sentence. He said that if your wife woke you up at 3:00 in the morning, and asked you what you were preaching on Sunday, you should have a short, pungent answer. He also said that the statement should be able to fit on the back of your business card.

Having thought much on that challenge, and labored to meet it, I had a ready answer for the young lady.

I told her that I was preaching on "Leave Boldly," part of the One Month To Live Challenge and sermon series. I also was able to say, "I am going to say that in order to leave this earth boldly, you must be able to look back at life on earth peacefully, and look forward to life in heaven hopefully." Those words are based upon the experience of Jesus on the cross as recorded in Luke 23: 29-39.

I drove away from the store thinking, "Here is a good example of what the speaker asked us to do." I was able to give this young woman a business card condensation of my sermon." Such a practice makes preaching and teaching far more effective, because the speaker has one main idea he is attempting to drive home. Mac Brunson compares it to a pneumatic tube which drives its object home with force, power, and clarity.

I also thought, "What a great illustration to share in my preaching classes with students."

Thus, today I got two good illustrations that begged to be shared. The first I shared with our congregation during our invitation time. I couldn't let that one get away!

The other I share with you, dear reader.

May their force be with you!

HYDE'S COUNSEL TO PREACHERS .. AND HEARERS

Since I am at Preteen Camp this week, I offer this post from a guest blogger, who has (humbly) offered his take (and his picture) concerning a recent post I wrote on this blog:

To the preacher: "Never say these words is a sermon: 'God said to me' or "God told me.' God has been blamed for more hot air than the weatherman. God may lead you to believe or to conclude, but God stopped speaking when the Book of Revelation closed. How presumptuous is the preacher who conveys to others that he has such communication with God.

To the hearers: "Your pastor, who hopefully is a powerful preacher, is never the less human. Evaluate everything he says by the Word of God, not the word of the preacher."

To all: "Be disciples of Jesus, not just avid (or vapid) disciples of some preacher."

These three thoughts in three alliterative words:
Deliver, Discern, Devote

A Conversation With Danny Riley Of Gold City

I just added an interview to my "Conversations With Dr. Dave" podcast site I did with Danny Riley. This interview has been lurking on my hard drive for some time. Thus, it precedes some recent Gold City announcements of lineup changes. One thing is constant in Southern Gospel groups- change.

Anyway, the discussion should prove interesting to fans of the quartet.

Just click the link to "Conversations With Dr. Dave" on this blog and you can download or listen online.

Enjoy.

Spurgeon's Counsel To Preachers....And Hearers

I've been spending much time reading and thinking about preaching. I found a couple of quotes from the man who is considered by many to be the "Prince Of Preaching," Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

TO THE PREACHER: "If some men were sentenced to hear their own sermons, it would be a righteous judgment on them; but they would soon cry out with Cain, "My punishment is greater than I can bear." (Ouch!)

TO THE HEARER: "Surely if men's hearts were right, short sermons would be enough. A very brief invitation might suffice if the heart were right, but since hearts are wrong God bids his servants enlarge, expand, and expound." (Preach it, Charlie!)

TO ALL: “The kind of sermon which is likely to break the hearer’s heart is that which first has broken the preacher’s heart, and the sermon which is likely to reach the heart of the hearer is the one which has come straight from the heart of the preacher.”

"...he being dead yet speaketh." Hebrews 11:4b

Mag·nan·i·mous

Function:adjective

Etymology:Latin magnanimus, from magnus great + animus spirit

1 : showing or suggesting a lofty and courageous spirit magnanimous sufferings of their followers — Joseph Addison>

2 : showing or suggesting nobility of feeling and generosity of mind magnanimous for resentment — Ellen Glasgow> (Adapted from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnanimous)

"People judge you by the words you use." - Advertising slogan for "Verbal Advantage."

The slogan worked for me. Several years ago, I spent money I didn't have to buy something I didn't use. It was a cassette tape program to teach me a better vocabulary. I would become more powerful and popular if I only buy and use the product.

So I bought it.

But I never really used it.

I recall listening to a couple of the first tapes while I was jogging or traveling in the car. I practiced the words on my jogging buddy who seemed to delight in learning some new word. Today, I am not sure where the set of tapes is. I am sure I would have difficulty listening to it since I now longer use cassette tapes.

Nevertheless, word power is important. I know a man who is a gifted public speaker. His voice is resonant and clear. Listening to him makes one feel like he is listening to powerful orator.

But this speaker often uses words that have me wondering, "What?"

A big part of communication is using the right word at the right time. It is also about using words that the audience will understand.

I recall reading of an experiment conducted many years ago. An audience was asked to listen to a speaker give a lecture on a particular topic. He deliberately used big words and even added gibberish. Asked to judge the presentation upon its conclusion, member of the audience stated that they had no clue what the speaker was talking about, but they were sure he was a very intelligent man.

So, do we communicators want to be impressive or understood?

I have been using a word quite easily and often this week. As I recall, up until this week, I have rarely ever used it before. It is the word "magnanimous." The definition is provided at the beginning of this post.

To do a magnanimous thing
And take oneself by surprise
If ones' self is not in the habit of him
Is precisely the finest of Joys
-Emily Dickinson

Lately I have been impressed with some folks who have shown a "magnanimous" spirit. They have been gracious, understanding, and patient under stress. They have demonstrated a desire to see the best good come out of bad situations. They are living definitions of the word.

May their tribe increase...magnanimously.

A Sad Tale

It was the fourth of July in Lake Charles, LA. There was a party at a residence. There was also an uninvited "guest."

According to newspaper reports, the "guest" was invited to leave. Rather than do so, the "guest" called two friends.

The friends arrived- one with a weapon.

A confrontation ensued and a man was killed.

The man, Cole Gueringer, was a Marine and an Iraq war veteran who had returned home last February. He would have reported back in to North Carolina last Monday.

Instead he is being buried tomorrow.

This young man served his country, risked his life, and came home. To safety, he thought.

It turned out that he was safer in the Iraqi war zone than he was at home.

The young veteran is dead. Dead because he attempted to intervene and remove an unwanted guest. Dead because some people believe that confrontations can be solved with guns. Dead because he stood up instead of stood down.

According to Lake Charles Police chief Don Davis, "This is total stupidity and everyone involved will be held accountable."

I hope so.