QUARANTINE BLOG # 448

June 21, 2021

A Father’s Day reprise from David Letterman’s “The Top Ten Things You’ll Never Hear a Dad Say.”

Number 10: “Well, how ’bout that!  I’m lost!  Looks like we’ll have to stop and ask for directions.”

Number 9: “You know Pumpkin, now that you’re thirteen, you’ll be ready for un-chaperoned car dates. Won’t that be fun?

Number 8: “I noticed that all your friends seem to have a certain “up yours attitude.” I really like that!”

Number 7: “Here’s a credit card and the keys to my new car – GO CRAZY!”

Number 6: “What do you mean you wanna play football?  Figure skating’s not good enough for you, son?”

Number 5: “Your Mother and I are going away for the weekend.  You might want to consider throwing a party.”

Number 4: “Well, I don’t know what’s wrong with your car.  Probably one of those doo-hickey thingies – you know – that makes it run or something.  Just have it towed to a mechanic and pay whatever he asks.”

Number 3: “Now Listen!  No son of mine is going to live under this roof without an earring – so quit your belly-aching, and let’s go to the mall!”

Number 2: “Whaddya wanna go and get a job for?  I make plenty of money for you to spend!”

And the Number 1 thing you never heard your father say: “Would you mind turning that music up a bit!”

If I had written that list I would have added one: “Go ahead and leave the door open.  I am paying to air condition the entire outdoors.”

👉  It was one of those moments, absolutely without explanation, when a line of a song pops into your head and you can’t get it out.  It’s like taking that ride at Disney World and then for hours you are humming “It’s a Small World.”  Well for me Saturday night it was Ricky Nelson’s “Garden Party.”  But before we play the song, there’s a story to tell.

Ricky Nelson was a  rock ‘n’ roll star, pop pioneer, musician, singer-songwriter and actor.  

From age eight he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.”  

In 1957, he began a long and successful career as a popular recording artist.  As one of the top “teen idols” of the 1950s, his fame led to a motion picture role co-starring alongside John Wayne, Dean Martin, Walter Brennan, and Angie Dickinson in Howard Hawks’ 1959 western feature film “Rio Bravo.”

In 1961, Ricky released a double A-side single with two of his biggest hits: “Hello Mary Lou” and “Travelin' Man.”

In 1970, he appeared in an “Oldies Concert” in Madison Square Garden, but for reasons that are still confusing, the audience booed him.  In response he wrote what would be his last Top 40 hit.  It would make #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart, and produce a gold record.  That song was “Garden Party.”

An attempted crash landing of his band’s aircraft resulted in the death of Ricky Nelson on December 31, 1985. The aircraft was brought down mid-flight by a fire that rapidly spread from a suspected faulty in-cabin heater.  Nelson and six others – including several band members and his girlfriend – were killed in the accident.  Both pilots survived.

👉  “Show A Leg” is an old saying that means get out of bed; get up.  Its origin is preposterous enough to be true.  Just before ships were about to leave port, sailors would try to sneak in a lady and hide them in their hammock.  Before leaving, officers would ask anyone in a hammock to “show a leg.”  If a hairless leg appeared, the woman was asked to leave the ship quickly.

👉  Did you know that Tug of War used to be an Olympic sport?  It was part of the Olympic schedule between 1900 and 1920 and occurred at 5 different Summer Olympic Games.  The nation to win the most medals in this was Britain with 5 (2 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze), then the USA with 3 (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze), while Sweden had one gold medal, France and the Netherlands had one silver medal, and Belgium won a bronze medal.

👉  Here a couple of panels for your amusement:

👉  And a late Father’s Day panel for all of you “Star Wars” fans:

👉  Today’s sermon from the Crawfordville Pulpit is “The Father of the Prodigal Son.”  Click this next link to see the painting by Rembrandt – The Return of the Prodigal– I mention in the message.

👉  Today’s close is from “The Songs of Jesus,” by Timothy Keller.

“Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?  The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, ‘Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.’  The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them” ( Psalm 2:1-4).

Each day the media highlights new things to fear.  The “powers that be” in society tell us that obedience to God shackles us, limiting our freedom.  In reality, liberation comes only through serving the one who created us.  Those people and forces that appear to rule the world are all under his Lordship, and one day they will know it.  God still reigns, and we can take refuge in him from all our fears.  So to be intimidated by the world (Psalm 2) is as spiritually fatal as being overly attracted to it (Psalm 1).

Prayer: Lord of the world, people resent your claims on human lives.  I fear to speak of you for fear of ridicule or anger.  But you are not intimidated by the world “powers,” nor should I be.  Help me to know the joy of obedience and the fearlessness that goes with it.  Amen.

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