The dance of our souls
Two of my loves, poetry and music, they comfort me and soothe my soul. And the following poem and song are dedicated to my new friend. I have enjoyed the dance of our souls. ;-)
Frank
"The Dreams of My Heart"
The dreams of my heart and my mind pass,
Nothing stays with me long,
But I have had from a child
The deep solace of song;
If that should ever leave me,
Let me find death and stay
With things whose tunes are played out and forgotten
Like the rain of yesterday.
Sarah Teasdale
Backbeat.................
When Little Peggy March hit the charts in 1963, she helped pave the way for a boom in "girl groups" later in the decade. Born Margaret Annemarie Battavio in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, she began singing at family gatherings at age two and appeared on local TV programs shortly thereafter. In 1961, she was "discovered" and soon under contract to RCA Records.
Her early recordings created little notice, but when "I Will Follow Him" was released in 1963, it shot to number 1 in the United States and several foreign countries. It even reached the top of the R&B charts. Ironically, the same tune, entitled "Chariot" and sung in French by Petula Clarke was a hit in France the previous year.
Having no further successes in the United States, Little Peggy pursued her European career, scored many more hits there, and moved to Germany in the late sixties. Gifted at learning new languages, she kept producing international hits through the 1990s. However, in the United States she is virtually unknown and is relegated to the "oldies singer" category.
Riff...........................
Peggy's breathless passionate vocals, backed by a male doo-wop chorus, captured the sentiment perfectly---this was a commitment made be a vulnerable teenage girl to her boyfriend. And it struck a chord with the public because we know that romantic passion, at any age, can inspire us. We also know that this passion can fade. Give this girl a few months, and she'll be whining, "Why do we always have to go where you want to go?" Still, it's nice to remember that time of innocent devotion.
How does all of this compare with following Jesus? Many people feel an initial swell of religious passion when they first hear about Jesus. They raise a hand or walk down the aisle or pray a prayer and devote themselves to Christ. They're determined to "follow him wherever he may go." But sometimes that passion fades, and they have second thoughts.
Jesus encountered the same thing in his ministry. After he miraculously fed a crowd of thousands, his popularity was at an all-time high, but this support dwindled over time. Momentary excitement got doused by harsh reality. This came as no surprise to Jesus, who kept challenging his would-be disciples: "Then Jesus said to the disciples, 'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me.'" (Matthew 16:24 NLT). Shoulder your cross? That sounds serious.
Have you gotten past the initial rush of Christian commitment and into the serious business of following Jesus? Do you seek His leadership in every facet of your daily life, including finances, relationships, work, and leisure time? Can you honestly say, "I will follow him," no matter what?
Harmonies.....................
> Song Of Songs 7:10-12
26Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
> Matthew 10:37-39
37 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
> Mark 10:28-30
21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
Used without permission from "Pop Music Wit & Wisdom" by Tony Rufo.
Frank
"The Dreams of My Heart"
The dreams of my heart and my mind pass,
Nothing stays with me long,
But I have had from a child
The deep solace of song;
If that should ever leave me,
Let me find death and stay
With things whose tunes are played out and forgotten
Like the rain of yesterday.
Sarah Teasdale
Little Peggy March
I Will Follow Him
I Will Follow Him
I will follow him
Follow him wherever he may go
There isn't an ocean too deep
A mountain so high it can keep me away
I must follow him
Ever since he touched my hand, I knew
That near him I always must be
And nothing can keep him from me
He is my destiny
Follow him wherever he may go
There isn't an ocean too deep
A mountain so high it can keep me away
I must follow him
Ever since he touched my hand, I knew
That near him I always must be
And nothing can keep him from me
He is my destiny
I love him, I love him, I love him
And where he goes, I'll follow, I'll follow, I'll follow
He'll always be my true love, my true love, my true love
From now until forever, forever, forever
I will follow him
Follow him wherever he may go
There isn't an ocean too deep
A mountain so high it can keep, keep me away
Away from my love
I love him, I love him, I love him
And where he goes, I'll follow, forever and ever
And, side by side, together, I'll be with my true love
And share a thousand sunsets together beside him
I will follow him
Follow him wherever he may go
There isn't an ocean too deep
A mountain so high it can keep, keep me away
Away from my love
And where he goes, I'll follow, I'll follow, I'll follow
He'll always be my true love, my true love, my true love
From now until forever, forever, forever
I will follow him
Follow him wherever he may go
There isn't an ocean too deep
A mountain so high it can keep, keep me away
Away from my love
I love him, I love him, I love him
And where he goes, I'll follow, forever and ever
And, side by side, together, I'll be with my true love
And share a thousand sunsets together beside him
I will follow him
Follow him wherever he may go
There isn't an ocean too deep
A mountain so high it can keep, keep me away
Away from my love
Backbeat.................
When Little Peggy March hit the charts in 1963, she helped pave the way for a boom in "girl groups" later in the decade. Born Margaret Annemarie Battavio in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, she began singing at family gatherings at age two and appeared on local TV programs shortly thereafter. In 1961, she was "discovered" and soon under contract to RCA Records.
Her early recordings created little notice, but when "I Will Follow Him" was released in 1963, it shot to number 1 in the United States and several foreign countries. It even reached the top of the R&B charts. Ironically, the same tune, entitled "Chariot" and sung in French by Petula Clarke was a hit in France the previous year.
Having no further successes in the United States, Little Peggy pursued her European career, scored many more hits there, and moved to Germany in the late sixties. Gifted at learning new languages, she kept producing international hits through the 1990s. However, in the United States she is virtually unknown and is relegated to the "oldies singer" category.
Riff...........................
Peggy's breathless passionate vocals, backed by a male doo-wop chorus, captured the sentiment perfectly---this was a commitment made be a vulnerable teenage girl to her boyfriend. And it struck a chord with the public because we know that romantic passion, at any age, can inspire us. We also know that this passion can fade. Give this girl a few months, and she'll be whining, "Why do we always have to go where you want to go?" Still, it's nice to remember that time of innocent devotion.
How does all of this compare with following Jesus? Many people feel an initial swell of religious passion when they first hear about Jesus. They raise a hand or walk down the aisle or pray a prayer and devote themselves to Christ. They're determined to "follow him wherever he may go." But sometimes that passion fades, and they have second thoughts.
Jesus encountered the same thing in his ministry. After he miraculously fed a crowd of thousands, his popularity was at an all-time high, but this support dwindled over time. Momentary excitement got doused by harsh reality. This came as no surprise to Jesus, who kept challenging his would-be disciples: "Then Jesus said to the disciples, 'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me.'" (Matthew 16:24 NLT). Shoulder your cross? That sounds serious.
Have you gotten past the initial rush of Christian commitment and into the serious business of following Jesus? Do you seek His leadership in every facet of your daily life, including finances, relationships, work, and leisure time? Can you honestly say, "I will follow him," no matter what?
Harmonies.....................
> Song Of Songs 7:10-12
10 I belong to my lover,
and his desire is for me.
11 Come, my lover, let us go to the countryside,
let us spend the night in the villages.
12 Let us go early to the vineyards
to see if the vines have budded,
if their blossoms have opened,
and if the pomegranates are in bloom—
there I will give you my love.
> Matthew 16:24
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
> John 6:26-2726Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
> Matthew 10:37-39
37 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
> Mark 10:28-30
28Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"
29"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.
> 1 Peter 2:2121To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
Used without permission from "Pop Music Wit & Wisdom" by Tony Rufo.
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