Perfect!

Well, this year's New England Patriots made NFL history tonight.

Following their wild, season-ending 38-35 win over the New York Giants, the Patriots finished the regular season 16-0, joining the 1934 Chicago Bears, the 1942 Chicago Bears, and the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only NFL teams to complete an unbeaten, untied regular season.

Now regardless of whatever one might think of the Patriots as a team, it is surely indisputable that going through a regular NFL season without tasting defeat even once is a magnificent, difficult, and incredible feat. Too much can happen over the course of 16 games to cause even a truly great team to lose, at least once. The Patriots jumped through all those hoops on each occasion, even in their relatively weak performances doing whatever it took fo them to win.

The fact that they scored a record 588 points in those 16 games certainly didn't hurt them any. Nor did having a quarterback like Tom Brady, who now holds the NFL record for the most touchdown passes thrown in a season...or a receiver like Randy Moss, who now holds a record for touchdown receptions in a season.

The Patriots weren't just about those two players. Their defense ranked among the league's best all season, finishing right behind Tampa Bay for the fewest points allowed this year. And by causing 15 more turnovers than they made, they created numerous chances to gain advantages in their games, which they obviously took advantage of all season.

And say what you will about their controversial head coach, Bill Belichick. He had them prepared to win every game they played...not just physically, but the team had the ideal mental attitude all season. This is a credit not only to Belichick and his staff, but to the players themselves, for their maturity and character.

So what can the Patriots do for an encore?

Well, those 1934 and 1942 Bears teams WERE unveaten during the season, but both lost in their league championship games...this is why we don't talk much about them today, keeping in mind we seldom talk about ANY teams from that long ago anyway.

Those 1972 Dolphins were another story. They finished their season 14-0, despite not having anywhere near the awesome statistical achievements of this year's Patriots. Then they went out and beat teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Washington Redskins on route to the Super Bowl championship that year...a perfect 17-0.

Now I was already a devout football fan by then...and I saw the Dolphins win those games. And I never thought of them as a great football team...a good one, undoubtedly. But the only great thing they did was win every game.

But isn't that the bottom line? How do you improve on that? Every time I see the so-called football experts debate on who was the best football team ever, they'll talk of many great teams...the Steelers of the 1970s, the 49ers of the 1980s, and even the Green Bay Packers of the 1960s(my snetimental favorites).

But you know what? As great as all those teams were, and they WERE great....none of them went through a season unbeaten. None.

And how do you do better than perfect? You don't.

So even I must concede that the 1972 Miami Dolphins were a GREAT team...no one ever beat them. And no one ever will, either.

And you know what else? For all the hot air about this 2007 Patriots team being possibly the greatest team of all time(and they may well end up being one of them)...they can't be greater than those Dolphins. All they can do is equal their success.

And that is far from a sure thing. There are good teams still remaining in these upcoming playoffs that the Patriots must beat in order to equal the achievements of those Dolphins. And I'm not saying they won't...but any team so dependent on their passing attack as the Patriots are can still break down in bad weather. I know...the Super Bowl will not likely be played in bad weather, but the AFC Championship may well be...inasmuch as it will be in New England.

We'll just have to see what happens.

And then again, one of those other teams may still rise up and slay the mighty Patriots...it IS possible. So, before we anoint them the greatest ever, let's just wait and see what they do in the second season, OK?

And they'll certainly be deserving of praise if they remain perfect and win this year's Super Bowl.

But remember, the 1972 Dolphins did it, too...so the Patriots can't claim to have surpassed those Dolphins. But simply matching their achievement is an incredible feat, and they will deserve full credit for that.

Inga, you made us proud

I love it when people I know well get a chance to shine.

In case you might not remember, I have worked for KMJ radio in Fresno, one of the nation's true heritage radio stations, for some 21 and 1/2 years. In that time, I have done every possible on-air job there, and been successful and well-liked and respected. One of the true blessings that I've received in that time is getting the chance to work along side some of the finest people a fellow could possibly be associated with.

Among them...Ray Appleton, the longtime featured personality there....who's worked in the United States and England on the radio, who has been involved with the professional music business, and been a successful businessman himself and is, bar none, THE person to hook up with if you want a good radio commercial done, and done right. He has been instrumental in getting a lot of small businesses off the ground and rolling, and he has done much for civic and charitable causes as well.

Another is Bill Woodward, for 35 years the voice of Fresno State sports on the radio, and a fine family man and one of the finest men as far as personal integrity I know. There is Roy Isom, the longtime farm and news director...who is as kind and giving a man as you'll ever meet. And there is Dennis Hart, who's been the equivalent of a one-man news department, so active and productive he has been on some of the biggest local news stories in the past year.

I could go on...but I'd never get to my point of this entry. Suffice it to say that all of my colleagues at Fresno's #1 radio station are worthy of praise for being not only good broadcasters, but great people. I am privileged that the Lord has allowed me to work there so long.

They are my teammates...as much as the players on a football team all have roles in making their team successful(or not successful), we all need each other to make KMJ the success it is.

And because of that, when one of my "teammates" gets to play on the big stage, and gets a national hearing, naturally I tend to beam with pride.

So tonight, I salute our evening talk show host, Inga Barks. Inga is a delightful, cute, spunky Christian woman, mother of three, devoted wife, and featured not only at night on KMJ(6-8 PM)but mornings on Bakersfield's KERN(9AM-12PM)as well. Inga lives in Bakersfield, and does her KMJ show from her home in the evening.

Inga was chosen to fill in tonight for Mark Levin...she is friendly with both Levin and Sean Hannity(her radio mentor), and tonight, the whole country got to hear Inga at her best. I am very proud of Inga and the way she did Levin's show tonight. Her sparkling personality shone like a searchlight tonight, and she charmed listeners around the country just as she does in Central California.

She was helped tonight by another product of Fresno, syndicated columnist, author, and professor Victor Davis Hansen, who besides being a friend of mine, is one of the nation's foremost authorities on international relations. Hansen's insights aided Inga's efforts considerably, and she made all of us who know and work with her proud.

I realize I don't share much about my "other life" on this blog, but I had to brag on Inga tonight. For just as a successful gospel singing group is made so by an "all-for-one, one-for-all" team attitude, so too is a successful radio station.

I am proud to be friends of the original Couriers, one of the most successful gospel music teams of all time, and I am also proud to be part of one of the country's most successful radio "teams" in the country.

We ALL need each other.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Hearty Christmas wishes to all who have chosen(or do choose)to visit this humble corner of the Web.

It's early Christmas morning as I type this, but I am quite confident that this will be my 49th consecutive blessed Christmas...my first 48 were all wonderful, and I have no reason to doubt that this one will be the same!

It got off to a good start, when last night, I was honored to play three old time Christmas radio classic shows at the radio station for which I work. The message and overall entertainment deriving from "A Christmas Carol(starring Orson Welles)", "Miracle on 34th Street", and "It's A Wonderful Life(starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed)" simply cannot be found in most of the alleged "entertainment" offered today. Since my normal work schedule was altered so that I could be the one to present them to our large audience, I felt especially blessed.

I know there are some out there who tire of hearing that the entertainment offered in bygone days isn't being surpassed by that offered today, but when it comes to reinforcing the values that the majority of people in our society still feel, while simultaneously making us laugh, think, or cry, the best shows of the radio age have no peer. These particular shows reinforce the values many of us still hold dear, while providing ALL members of one's family with wholesome, clean, and edifying entertainment.

Today is a day for family for most of us, so my hope and prayer is that you all get the chance to spend much quality time with those you love on this Christmas day. I will be at work, but since the listeners to our radio station(not to mention my co-workers)are pretty much family for me after 20+ years, I'll be involved in trying to make their Christmas days a little happier, and a little more blessed. There is really nothing more I can do today, so why not share today's joy with someone else?

Yes, we are rerunning those classic radio shows today...in the order that I named them above. If you wish to partake of them, airtime is at 5 PM(Pacific time), and they run through 8 PM(again, Pacific Time). You can access them online if you're out of our considerable signal range by going to kmj580.com, and clicking on the appropriate link.

Merry Christmas again to all....and to all a good day!:-)

The greatest story ever told…anew…

This time of year, what has been termed the "greatest story ever told" is told again...and again...and even more times.

Of course, it is the story of the miraculous birth of Jesus of Nazareth...to adherents of Christianity(like me)the Lord and savior of the world, and the embodiment of the eternal God of the universe.

This story was first told widely in the New Testament of the Bible, in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. From there, it was re-told repeatedly by ministers of the Christian faith, its' preachers and evangelists...and even put to art, poetry, and music by those so gifted and eager to lend their gifts to the cause of proclaiming the Christian message to everyone they could.

That story directly led to the season that most of the world is celebrating right now, called Christmas in honor of the one whose birth is being commemorated. From it came secular traditions like Santa Claus, and the admirable tradition of giving gifts to people we know.

This weekend, I heard one of the most remarkable radio presentations I have heard in my life.

At the radio station I work at, we carry the Glenn Beck Weekend talk program. Beck is a fast-rising talk star who is not only featured on radio, he has been on TV quite a bit in the past year. It would seem that Beck is also a Christian. I don't know that for a fact, but based on the segment I'm about to discuss on his show which was aired this weekend, I'd be willing to wager as such.

The segment is a retelling of the Christmas story, produced and narrated by Beck. A segment like this is quite remarkable in light of the fact that Beck is syndicated by a most secular company, Premiere Radio Networks(syndicator of such talent as Rush Limbaugh, Laura Schlesinger, Coast-to-Coast, and Jim Rome)...especially when one considers the widespread resentment of parts of today's society toward endorsing the Christian message.

Beck's rendering of the Christmas story focuses on the two regular people(as opposed to saints or celebrities)directly involved in the birth of Jesus...Joseph and Mary. Beck's narrative illustrates their(more than likely)real and striking fears involved in the issues of the story(unmarried pregnant young woman, loving man terrified at the news of her pregnancy and the circumstances surrounding it), and in a way that simply isn't captured in the Biblical narrative(how can it be?), pictures them as humans just like us, with identical reactions as we would have were we in their situation.

But the profound truth and beauty of this story is that despite their plight, the young couple understands that their circumstances are engineered and chosen by their God, and despite their fear, confusion, and humanity, trust this God in their circumstances and proceed in obedience to Him.

Beck's narration(and song selection to accompany it)draws this out. This is significant, in that regardless of the almost idyllic way the story is told in the Bible(with manger, cradle, wise men, etc.), most modern Biblical scholars agree that this story is a powerful polemic to illustrate not only the significance of the birth of Jesus(and who He grows up to be), but the necessity of faith in the one true God, just as the Old Testament stories are.

Beck masterfully refuses to paint this time honored story with a broad brush, as most societies have for centuries, but with a deft human touch, relating it to us as struggling human beings, searching for answers to our dilemmas in a hostile, hectic world.

My jury is still out on Beck the talk show host(although he seems to be a quite good one to me thus far), but my personal kudos go out to Beck for this remarkable radio segment, in which he does the Kingdom of God on earth a great service, IMO, by telling one of the world's most famous stories in a dynamic and compelling way, and making it touch where we live and breathe.

If you're able to hear Glenn Beck, and hear this segment, I predict it will touch and bless you, too.

UPDATE: Well, I learned a little more about Glenn Beck tonight. And if you read closely what I typed above, you might think me an ideal person to strike up a wager with.

I opined that based on Beck's presentation of the Christmas story, he must be a Christian. Well, not quite.

Turns out some seven years ago, Beck turned from a life of alcoholism to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints(aka the Mormon Church). I am very glad for Beck that his demons of alcohol have left him, though I wish he would join an authentic Christian fellowship and embrace what I believe to be the true faith of the Bible.

To those of you who might suppose me a bit intolerant, not at all. I defend the right of anyone to be whatever they choose to be. This does NOT mean that I have to embrace or otherwise endorse or accept a creed that is different from mine. You see, that is my right, too.

Having said the above, I am glad to concede that Beck appears to be a conscientious, dedicated man who is friendly on the air(for the most part)and says many things that I personally agree with. Obviously, based on that last comment, I have yet to hear him discuss his faith or church affiliation on his show. Hey, we've only carried his show for four weekends!:-)

But I stand by my thoughts in the above post. I heard nothing heterodox in Beck's analysis of the birth of Jesus...rather, I found it to gibe with everything I learned about it through my own study, and my brief time as a student auditing classes at Fuller Theological Seminary in California.

And as such, I maintain that his powerful exposition on the story of the birth of Jesus remains a service to the Kingdom of God on earth, based on its content, if not on its messenger(and CERTAINLY not his church affiliation). So I still recommend it for anyone who cares to sample it.

The box is open!

I've always wanted my little corner of the web to be an interactive one...so I'm going to give you all that chance.

A couple of entries ago, I inferred that I would be more than willing to take suggestions, requests, etc. for future postings here. I MEAN that...since I put all this stuff out here for you to read, and enjoying hearing back from you on my thoughts, why not take requests once in a while?

It might inspire me to be more than occasional in my postings here, since when things tend to get busy in my "real" world, I tend to not come up with a lot of ideas for posting purposes.

That and the fact that on occasion, my thoughts have been misunderstood or even intentionally taken out of context, tends to make one a little "gun shy" about going forward with too much polemical commentary in nature.

During those periods, it occurred to me that I could be less sporadic if I posted on something I knew people would be interested to read. Why should I have to think of EVERYTHING all the time?:-)

So I formally open my corner to you all for ideas. I can't promise I'll post on every single idea I get, but maybe I can be more of service to you all if I posted on things you wanted me to post about.

I got one suggestion in that aforementioned post, and I am now "woodshedding" to prepare myself for posting on that suggested topic...and I am open to the rest of your ideas as well. It can be gospel music oriented, or it can deal with other things I(and you)are interested in, e.g., politics(which, in all fairness, doesn't interest me that much), other genres of music, sports, radio(my career for almost 25 years), philosophy and theology, or anything that comes to your mind! As I said, I'll consider anything....and try most anything...at least ONCE!

They'll still be my thoughts(for this is my blog, after all)...but rather than just bore you with stuff that just pops into my mind, I can bore you with stuff YOU want me to bore you with!:-)

JUST KIDDING! Actually, I just want to share this space with you all a bit more than I have to date.

So keep those suggestions clean, and send 'em my way! I'm looking forward to giving this a shot!

The 2008 NQC

Well, the preliminary lineups are set for the National Quartet Convention for the coming year.

No, this will not be an exhaustive analysis of who's there, who's not there, or who should or shouldn't be there.. Far more capable analysts are better able than I to discuss those things at this time. Further, I need more time to study the actiual lineups to make such determinations. Besides, even if I did, why should anyone care what I think?

There is one thing, though, I'd like to bring up in this post.

For the first time in a while, the Bill Gaither troupe will have a significant presence on at least one night. I understand that the Gaither Vocal Band and Ernie Haase and Signature Sound will appear on Friday night there. This is a good thing....for the NQC was initially envisioned by its' main founder, the late JD Sumner, as a place where all the leading gospel music talent can assemble, for the benefit of gospel fans as well as the gospel music industry. And certainly it cannot be denied that the GVB and EHSSQ are among the leading gospel groups going, and have been for some time.

There is a lot of speculation as to why there was no Gaither presence in a perfoming way in recent years. Some of it may be true, and some of it just lots of noise from people who feel led to analyze such phenomena, for whatever reason. I don't know how much is true or not, but I am certain that it was not good for either the Gaither organization nor the NQC that the Gaither folk weren't there. It looked as though the NQC's credibility as THE gospel music event was tarnished by the Gaither absence, and to some, it may have even appeared as though the Gaither people were at odds with the NQC. That was not good for either party to deal with.

Recent quotes from Gaither himself suggest that he is happy to be back, and most certainly the general gospel music world, largely oblivious to most of the online speculation and scrutiny, would welcome the Gaither troupe at what is still gospel music's premier annual event. I know there are those that are critical of some NQC policies and decisions, and even those who suggest that greed is the primary motivator for the NQC's directors(and some have accused Gaither of "power play" tactics in the past with the NQC)...but isn't an event like this a place for all gospel music people to come together, and think first of the betterment of the fans and the industry?

If so, let's put aside all our cynicism...and welcome the GVB and EHSSQ back to the NQC...where they belong!

All is well

I realize that some of you who come by here(well, at least one or two of you!)might be wondering how I'm doing, inasmuch as I haven't posted a new entry here for several days.

Well, to ALL of you(since I never know who might be reading at a given moment), let me just say....I'm doing mighty fine!

Things are going really well, if a bit hectic, especially considering how busy it is normally for me at this time of year. I assure one and all that I have not been lacking for thoughts so much as I've been lacking the opportunity to sit down and compose them here to you.

But once I do, rest assured that this will be one of the first places I'll share them!

In fact, if there is something you'd like me to share here, please feel free to leave a comment and/or suggestion....I am always willing to answer requests, and analyze thoughts and ideas you may have as well.

The Importance Of Music

We fans of gospel music don't always realize how important the object of our fanhood is.

Music is such a powerful art form. Throughout the centuries, it has been used to inspire, entertain, comfort, and communicate some of the deepest thoughts and feelings we have as human beings.

What set me to thinking about this is the upcoming Christmas cantata at my "second church", a Baptist church down the street from where I live. It is going to be this coming Sunday morning, and there is much anxiety at the church about it, mostly because of the fact that a bug going around has affected many of the members of the choir, causing them to miss practice and precious preparation time to perform the scheduled work.

This church rightly realizes the place that music has in the overall worship service...music can speak to and touch worshippers and visitors in ways that even preaching can't at times...as can the commercial gospel music most of my readers here(and me)know and love so much.

An eloquent summarization of the above thoughts was done by my good friend Neil Enloe for the backliner of his solo album "Personal" back in 1980(one of my favorite gospel solo albums). It reads...

I'm thankful that God has given me a ministry of songwriting. As honorable
and God-ordained as the preaching ministry is, great sermons are too often
and too soon forgotten. Songs, however, have a way of recurring in our
memory. A melody with lyrics can restate precisely on command a verse of
scripture, a message or an inspirational thought. What a marvelous tool a
song is to bring eternal truth to our awareness.


While songwriting is a beautiful open door of opportunity it is also an
awesome responsibility. And I pray that God will help me move people toward
Him with the songs He has given to me.


Some of my innermost feelings and convictions have been set to music in the
songs on this album. Quite often songs become a window on the heart of the
composer so the whole world can parade past and see what's inside.


That's personal!


As you take your moment to gaze into my window, I hope you'll see, among
other things, an abiding love for my loving savior.


My personal Savior!


P.S.- Besides, there will be no preaching in heaven . . . only singing!

Neil always did have a way with words...not only in his many fine songs, but in his other writings as well.

And I concur with him on what kind of tool music can be...for ANY message...from the banal and trivial to the glorious and sublime(e.g., the gospel message). This is why it behooves those who wish to use it in communicating the truths of the Christian gospel to use it with care, and execute it to the best of one's ability.

Break a tradition? The words of JD Sumner

One of the many things I do when I'm not posting here is read other blogs, and books of my own as well.

The topic that inspired today's entry is how gospel music competes in the larger marketplace with other genres of music(country music in particular)...I have seen this discussed on some other gospel music blogs.

When it comes to books, I don't merely read them and file them away. I reread them often, particularly if I enjoy the stories they tell.

One book I reread often is JD Sumner's autobiography, "The Life And Times Of JD Sumner", a reprint and update of the book he originally authored in the early 1970s with noted gospel music author Bob Terrell. I reread it because JD is truly one of the alltime gospel music greats, an innovator and personality whose story is at once entertaining and educational.

One example of that educational aspect is JD's discussion of his life and business activities since the first printing of his book, in Chapter 23, "Water Under The Bridge". Among the things he opines on is the traditional practice of gospel quartets selling their recordings at their concerts.

I think you might find his thoughts interesting, and I'll cite some of them here from the book. I hope you will be led to share your own opinions on JD's opinions.

Keep in mid as you read this, he refers to "records", because when he wrote those comments(1993), the primary types of recordings he and the Stamps would sell at concerts were still LPs. But you can substitute CDs without changing the gist of his thoughts.

Here then, is JD.

"When James D. Vaughan put the first professional quartet on the road in 1910, he did it to sell his company's song books. That was the sole reason for the quartet's existence, and it worked. His song book sales doubled and tripled.

When song books became a music store item, they were replaced among the quartets by records, and quartets simply sold their own just as they had sold the song books.

There have been attempts made to get our records into record stores, but they've been largely unsuccessful. They'll never be successful as long as quartets continue to market their own."

That was not John Scheideman, that was JD Sumner from his autobiography. He speaks from authority I could never hope to have on the subject. What do you all think of JD's remarks? Is he right?

I'm looking forward to reading what you think.

Singing Liberty’s praises

Well, it was fun to take a brief break from gospel music and discuss college football. I want to thank Wes Burke and Sharon Brown for sharing their thoughts about how to make college football better.

Getting back to gospel music, I must salute my friend and fellow blogger Daniel Mount for beating me to the punch.

A month and a half ago, I received the newest CD from the Liberty Quartet from Boise, ID. I have written much about Liberty in this little corner of the web, observing that they are among the West's leading gospel groups, and most likely the best male quartet this side of the Mississippi.

I had meant to review the CD in this space some time ago, but life and my own foot-dragging prevented me from posting anything about the album.

Today, however, Daniel reviewed the CD at his very fine blog. And since I don't think I could summarize my thoughts on the CD any better than he did, I urge you all to go to southerngospelblog.com and check out Daniel's very well-written review.

I am heartened to see this.

For I feel that all the Liberty Quartet needs to gain much-deserved national recognition is for people like Daniel and me to spread the world in our own circles as to how good this talented, dedicated quartet is. And Daniel indeed does that in his review,

Keith Waggoner, Dan Gilbert, Doran Ritchey, and Royce Mitchell make up one of the most musically accomplished gospel quartets in the country...and only their dedication to the cause of Christ is greater than their commitment to excellence as a gospel quartet.

I have seen them several times in person, and have gotten the opportunity to get to know Keith and Royce in particular as people. They have my highest recommendation if you want to know of a gospel quartet that is truly good, both onstage and off.,

So-called "southern" gospel music is not, and never has been, strictly limited to the American South. And the excellence of the Liberty Quartet is further evidence that good gospel quartet music can come from anywhere.

I am proud to have the Liberty Quartet based in my half of the United States, carrying the banner of great gospel quartet music wherever they go.

Read Daniel's review, and check out the Liberty Quartet for yourself...you'll see what I mean.

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