Feel Good Music

There are a million movies out there to watch, and my family makes a good effort at seeing all of them. I would say movie-watching is my family's favorite past time, if it can beat eating food. Movies come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but one common denominator in any movie that has any challenge to be overcome is what I call the the "progress soundtrack." Take Remember the Titans. Classic case of progress soundtrack. Names like Lynard Skynard, the Doobie Brothers, James Brown and Three Dog Night are often implicated in it. Its the Gospel music of any cinematic soundtrack. Its "feel good" music, its make-the-world-a-better-place music. Whoa, they're out of training, they're winning it, they're on their way! One of my favorites of all time is Angels in the Outfield. Disney is a huge fan of the progress soundtrack. The same goes for Glory Road and almost any other sports movie. Change is in the air, the season for success is upon them. And it isn't just a cinematic phenomenon. A fleeting glance at the Civil Rights Movement instantly roots that make-the-world-a-better-place music into the real.

But here's something else I catch myself wondering: will there ever be a time in my future ministry when I will hear those "feel good" chimes sounding off in my mind? It's been tough so far because I simply haven't been at one place on the globe long enough for even the beginning credits to get rolling. It seems as though that there is always a breaking point for any place, any job, and that once the ice had been chipped up a bit things should build some momentum, right? Or at least I hope so.

Or maybe that time will never come. Maybe there will not ever be a time for that far predictable moment, often seen and always heard in the movies, for a progress soundtrack. And maybe I hope it never does come. Maybe speeding through the middle of life with a good tune rolling over the finer details is the last thing I want. But maybe, maybe, I'll never know what I want until I get there. These days I just hope I can hold fast until I hit through the ice.