50 years of the Beatles!

I've mentioned a couple of times recently that we've been doing a Beatles music Sunday sermon series here at Central UMC. I don't think I mentioned how it came about or the divine intervention of it all. You see, I'm not quite old enough to have really appreciated the Beatles when they were together and just coming here to the states. In fact, fifty years ago this week my mother was expecting her first child - me. I remember hearing my babysitter listening to my mom's Beatles albums when my parents would go out, but I don't think that I ever really appreciated their music and its contribution to popular culture until I was in my twenties or so.

Fast forward to about six months ago. I was planning worship and sermon series through the end of the year and into 2014. In the summer we had a series based on the Christian themes and ideas found in the Harry Potter books and movies; a new beginnings series in the fall leading into stewardship campaign and then traditional Christmas messages. I had been musing about doing something music based for the new year. As a fan of rock music in general, I was thinking about doing something like "the gospel according to classic rock." I had also considered the Beatles either as a part of that series or on their own. Mind you, at the time I had not an inkling that the 50 year anniversary of their first American tour and appearance on the Ed Sullivan show was in February. After some discussion with a few church members, I settled on the Beatles for Jan/Feb 2014 and then left the idea on the back burner in my mind for the next few months.

When I actually started putting the series together I also started seeing a lot of Beatles stories showing up in my news feed and magazines and books coming out. In reading a few of these stories I realized that right in the middle of the series that I would be preaching the country would be celebrating this 50 year anniversary! Folks, I'd love to say that I'm so smart that I planned it that way, but I'd be lying. Truth is, God had it in mind all along. So this week (2/16) we'll be looking into the song Eleanor Rigby, and we'll end our Beatles series on Feb 23 with two songs about love. I hope you can join us in at either 8AM or 10AM on one or both of the next two Sundays.

Oh, and when we're through with the Beatles we'll be moving into the reflective time of Lent with a series of messaged around the theme "Marked by Love."

Never forget, God loves you and so do I.

PD