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Elder John Thurber

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Music in my life
« on: November 28, 2000, 06:02:00 AM »
Music In My Childhood
Chapter 1

   It was the time of year we called Indian summer in New England, and Dad woke my brother up to announce that he had a baby brother. He raised his head and said, " I can't help it" and then went back to sleep. I was  born in Hartford, Vt., October 6, 1931, to Leon and Julia Thurber.  Two of the best parents a boy could wish for. Hartford is right on the White River that separates Vermont from New Hampshire.  We lived on the river bank, and it was beautiful. In the summer it was a place to cool off, and in the fall it was beautiful with the colors from the leaves on the trees that lined the river. In the winter the snow would afford us a slide right down to the icy shore.

    I remember one winter during the depression years we would slide and slide down the hill until one day mother said to Wayne my older brother, "I want you to stop sliding down that hill because your pants are wearing thin, and I have no money right now to buy you a new pair."  We had learned to obey mother, and Wayne never did slide down our hill again but his first trip down the neighbor's hill he went over a broken piece of glass and when he got home he had a red bottom for two reasons.  One was the glass and the other Mom's spanking.

    The spring was a beautiful time to remind us of new beginnings, new growth as the leaves began to bud.   Hanover, NH, was just a few miles away,  the home of Dartmouth College. The hills and valleys  were so beautiful especially in the fall .      
         The depression of the thirties  was in full swing. Jobs and money were very scarce.  I think it was a good time when the love of family was most important.  Dependence on God was high on the priority list for food, warmth, and necessities in general. Yet God was good to our family, and we drew close together.

   Dad was a lay preacher who worked diligently to raise up a church in the area, and his spare time was given to Bible studies during the week. Several souls were baptized during those early years.  As time went on they built a church, and a school in West Lebanon,  NH,  which is still very active and alive for the Lord. Many children educated there have served the Lord in many parts of the world.  It is still a strong school that is educating children for God's service.
   Both sides of my family were quite musical.  My mother and her four sisters sang for years at campmeetings and churches.  It was inspiring to me to listen to them, and it put a desire in my heart to some day sing in a group where the harmony was so beautiful.  My dad played the violin (not serious)  and sang tenor. Mother and Dad met each other at a campmeeting where they were asked to sing a duet. Their relationship grew into love for each other and thus the beginning of our family. The first born was a Girl named Virginia, ten years before me. Wayne second eight years my senior. I think I was a surprise, and of course the youngest and spoiled one.

   They started me very young in music. My first singing debut came at three years of age.  The pastor was holding evangelistic meetings, and they put me up on a chair to lead the congregation in "Everybody Ought To Love Jesus."  I would lead them by swinging my arm like a softball pitcher would throw a ball at a batter.  Yet, this was my first time to connect music to spiritual things.

   Another time I remember music being important to me, was our family worships on Friday night.  We had a wonderful beginning to the Sabbath hours.  My mom would take us to the living room thirty minutes before sundown and we would sit in silence as the sun went down. This was a time to think about the big things in life, about who Jesus was and what He meant to me, and what I wanted to do with my life for Him.  It was a quiet time, a reverent time. No last minute things right up to Sabbath, but a time when the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart in a still, small voice.

   After the sun was set mother would go to the piano and the rest of the family
would follow.  She sang alto, dad tenor, and the rest of the family would fill in the other parts. I learned to harmonize with the family sing time.  But more importantly I learned to love the great hymns of the church.  Memorizing them came quickly at a young age. I can still see my dad with tears rolling down his cheeks as the message of the hymn filled his heart.  Even at work as a printer he could be heard singing a hymn.  Hymns became part of us in daily living.  I am thankful for the times we would sing together as a family.  My mother was always looking for new songs for us to sing.  We never thought about any other type of music. "The value of song should never be lost sight of. Let there be singing in the home, of songs that are sweet and pure, and there will be fewer words of censure and more of cheerfulness and hope and joy... "
     My brother Wayne  was a brother to look up to and be thankful for.  He loved me and cared for me all through my young years. We sang many duets together until he went on to Academy.

    Those formative years were full of God's music and love.  We stayed busy singing for meetings and learning new music.  Thanks Dad and Mom for teaching me the love of God through music.  It still floods my soul with precious memories.

   Mary, the mother of  Jesus taught future mothers the impotance of God's music. "When Christ was a child...He was tempted to sin, but He did not yield to temptation. As He grew older He was tempted, but the songs His mother taught Him to sing came into His mind, and He would lift His voice in Praise. And before His companions were aware of it, they would be singing with Him. God wants to use every facility which Heaven has provided for resisting the enemy." 2.


Elder John Thurber

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Re: Music in my life
« Reply #1 on: November 28, 2000, 06:10:00 AM »
part 2
   I was not aware of the story of creation, at the time and how music came into exsistance for I was just a child, but I knew Jesus was in my heart from the teaching and singing from my parents. I was not aware of the fact  that Satan had a plan of counterfeit  music to distroy our love and praise to God. He (Satan) wanted the praise and glory for himself. He wanted to be like God, and as his rebellion grew it finally cost him his place in the heavenly courts and he was cast out of heaven never to be returned. He lost his position as choir director for the angelic host. He was able to influanced one third of the angels to rebel with him.
   
   It has been said, that music is the brush in the hands of an artist.  It paints pictures on the canvess of the soul.  It brings vivid impressions to ones heart. It can be warm, pure, loving, spiritual thoughts, or ir can  produce evil, vilant, disrespectful, uncontroled passions that distroy the soul.
   
   I wonder how many of us have stopped to think that music can very well be a spiritual matter?
   
   If music is a spiritual matter created by God for His children, then there must be a beginning time for His music, and a time of counterfeit by Satan. If we use Scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy as guides we can go back to the beginning of earth's history, even before the fall of man, and see what part music had to play in heaven.  The happy hours in heavens courts were filled with angelic choirs and songs of praise to God, and the goodness of His love to His creatures was the constant theme of those songs and used in response to praise Him.

   We have a text that gives us an idea what an integral part music had in creation. We find it in Job 38:7, and it reads like this:  "All the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy."

   Certainly Lucifer was one of those stars of heaven, one of the sons of God.  In fact, Lucifer was the most beautiful of all God's created angels.  The Bible is very descriptive of his beauty and intelligence.  And, Lucifer also had the privilege of being the director of the heavenly choir.  The angels looked to him to give the pitch for the songs that would be sung.  His voice was lovely and it could be heard singing in harmony with itself, floating above the strains of the heavenly choir.

   While Lucifer was with the Father, he sang and lead the songs of the court.  And his musical abilities could have been to compose many of the special songs that were sung in heaven. Lucifer established a very special and unique relationship with music. He could see how powerful it was--to join the hearts of all those around the throne into praise to God.  

   The interesting thing is, that after he was thrown out of heaven and separated from God while he was watching Adam and Eve in the garden, God's new creation, he found himself face to face with the same music that he used to lead in heaven. Now he is a different person since sin entered his life. Now he is listening to the music that he once lead in heaven from a different view point.  

   When God created man he sent angels to warn Adam and Eve of Satan's plan for their downfall.  Adam and Eve assured the angels that they were only wanting to fulfill the will of God and give Him the highest praise and always give God the glory for their creation.   "The angels in fact, united with Adam and Eve in holy strains of harmonious music, and as their songs peeled forth from blissful Eden, Satan heard the sound of their strains of joyful adoration to the Father and Son.  And as Satan heard it his envy and hatred and malignity increased and he expressed his anxiety to his followers to incite them to disobedience  and at once bring down the wrath of God upon them and change their songs of praise to hatred and curses to their  Maker." (SR 31) Isn't it interesting that the music that once brought him such joy would now incite such hatred against God and His creation?

   It would seem  quite logical then, that Satan would be determined to use music today that would not praise God and give glory to the Creator.  He would purpose in his heart that since it was music that especially incited his hatred that he would pervert music in envy and jealousey until song was heard throughout the whole earth cursing God and giving in a suttle way hatred not praise to God.  Counterfieting God's music in a way to even fool the very elect.

   Satan's plan to destroy heaven's harmony with the new creation was successful.  In fact, so successful  that the music of heaven was silenced.  Patriarchs and Prophets page 63 tells it like this:  "The fall of man filled all of heaven with sorrow.  The world that God had made was blighted with the curse of sin and inhabited by beings doomed to misery and death.  There appeared no escape for those who had transgressed the law.  Angels ceased their songs of praise throughout the heavenly courts."  It must have been a sorrowful time in heaven.  They certainly were not use to that kind of silance and emptiness.  Their ears were atuned  to the heavenly courts being filled with songs of praise.

   We can praise God that even though the devil was able to silence the courts of heaven for a little while, God's plan did prevail.  It was not until the plan of Salvation was announced and the angels understood what was going to happen did the angels sing and once again  fill the courts of heaven with songs of praise!  So there you have it.  God's original plan for music was to give His creatures a special outlet for praise whether it was just one person or a whole heavenly host.  He gave it to us because His creatures have been the happiest when they praise Him, and music is one of the ways God choses to praise Him.

   I don't think  that many people would deny that music can be very powerful.  But I wonder at the same time, how many of us have really seriously thought about where the music comes from  that we listen to.  When we turn on the TV, CD, or the tape recorder, do we stop and think  who controls the music?  Who authored the music and why music is so easily an integral part of our lives?
More to come Friend John

     


Joan Rügemer

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Re: Music in my life
« Reply #2 on: November 28, 2000, 07:03:00 AM »
Dear John...you're doing my soul such a healing service with your words of music.

Please write more.

I am not the only one reading who needs this picture of harmony.

The symbolism of music, going beyond the acustic to the sublime of human communication, touches those ideas and emotions within us to trigger off significant forms of expressions either in the virtuous aspect of our life or in the degrading sensual carnal aspect. God was good to you with the enviroment of being raised that you were put in. You are such a fantastic contrast to Mike Jagger.

I suppose we all profit enormously when others tell of a stable healthy family life. At least I do. There really is a reflection of God's glory when love is dominate in a sound and balanced family relationship.That is what I got as impression from your telling of early family living.

Thank you for your testimony. I felt like I was listening to a Brahm's symphony as I was reading it.

~~~~~~~ Joan ~~~~~~~~~~


Clive Nevell

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Re: Music in my life
« Reply #3 on: November 28, 2000, 10:29:00 AM »
I also thank you Friend John for your powerful testimony about music.

Clive


Elder John Thurber

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Re: Music in my life
« Reply #4 on: November 30, 2000, 08:15:00 AM »
Thank you Joan and Clive for your kindremarks. I hope you do not think I am on some ego trip telling my life in music,, my intent is to share how good my life has been from my home life through the years how God has blessed me with the experiences I've had with music. When I as entered my school days,  my teachers blended with my home life in growing in knowing God's music. So here goes.


               School Days
                  Chapter 2                     


   I could not comprehend the story of the great controversy, but as I grew older my folks would not consider anything else for me but God's school (church school.)  This was so important to my growth in scripture and knowledge of who Jesus was,

   When I entered first grade my mother started piano lessons for me.  It was not long before she could see my interest was not at a high level for practicing.  She would do every thing she could to get me to practice, but I just didn't respond.  When she called me in from playing outside she noticed my ball and glove under the piano bench.  She would say, "you are more interested in playing ball than you are in learning piano."  She was right.  Finally after months of coaxing she gave up.  She made a profound statement that has truly turned out to be right.  "Someday you will be sorry you didn't listen to me. You will regret it some day."  Oh, how right she was.
   My first four years of school was spent in West Lebanon,  New Hampshire.  I remember my teacher. His name was David Shaw, and truly a man of God.  What a spiritual leader he was in my life. He loved to sing and though his voice was not solo quality, his spirit was beautiful. We would have long worships in the morning and lots of music. He would choose a hymn and teach us the meaning of the text.  We learned to sing with spirit and understanding. 1.  One song that sticks out in my memory is Fairest Lord Jesus.  Get out your hymnbook and reread and sing this beautiful hymn. I hope it will bring you a true picture of Christ as it has in my life.
   When I was just ten years old my Dad moved us to Atlantic Union College, in South Lancaster, Mass. I came from a very small school in  New. Hampshire, where all eight grades were in the same room. Now I was in a school that had only two grades to a room.  My teacher, Mr. Nelson, was a tall man who had a beautiful singing voice, and I hoped to be like him some day.  He was gentle and kind to us kids.  He taught us a lot of wonderful hymns and it meant a lot to me at that tender age. You know, I am really thankful for my Christian education, and my teachers who shared Jesus with me everyday. Praise God for our schools.
   I have many happy memories of music in elementary school.  My first quartet experience started in the sixth grade. Roger Van Aresdell, Louie Rinze, Floyd  Greenleaf and myself were classmates.  Roger's mother took an interest in us and formed a boys quartet.  None of our voices had changed yet, and we pitched the music high so we could sing it.  Our base was the range of a contralto and our 1st tenor sang the soprano range.  We had lots of fun and practiced quite a bit on Sabbath afternoons, and we sang for various churches in the community. We sang together for about two years. One of the songs I learned to sing in that group was, "Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us." Notice the beautiful words of this hymn:

   Savior like a shepherd lead us,
   Much we need Thy tendrest care;
   In Thy pleasant pastures feed us,
   For our use Thy folds prepare.
   Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,
   Thou has bought us Thine we are.

   The next two stanzas were beautiful also.  She would explain the meaning of the words to us, and it really touched me, especially the last part of the song that said, "We will early turn to Thee."  Then it came home to me, why not me?  Even as young as I was, I told Jesus I wanted Him to be my Sheperd.  So early in my life I turned to Him. This hymn means a great deal to me. Even today when I hear it sung by a congregation or a fine choral group my mind goes back to what she did for us.
   The next time I sang in a quartet  I was in the eighth grade.  The college quartet needed a first tenor, and they are always hard to find.  I was very young but had a high voice and it was just beginning to change.  They ask me if I would join them, and of course I was delighted to sing with them.  Two of them were black men and the other man was white.  I learned a lot from them about quartet singing, and thank the Lord they were very spiritual young men. The bass was a black man who would teach us spirituals by rote. He could also teach us all the parts from bass to first tenor. I still remember several of the songs for memory.  Two of them I brought to the King's Heralds quartet years later, "One Day"  and "Brother Daniel."  What a rich experience I had as a young boy, really. In my tenth grade of school we were still singing together though one of the member's graduated, and we replaced him with a new singer. That year the Ted Mack Talent Show came to Worchester, Mass., which was about thirty miles from the college. We auditioned for the show and was chosen to compete.  We didn't know what it would mean to get involved, but it was fun.  Finally the night came for the contest, and we sang "Lil Liz  I Love Ya."  A fun little song that was popular with quartets in those days. About five car loads of students and the dean of men went with us. Would you believe we won first place? What excitement filled our hearts!  The dean led the way home and the five cars circled the campus tooting their horns.  Of course, the next step was to go to the next level of competition and the finals  would be held in New York City. The cash prize would be a big help for college expenses.
   However, the next day the college president called the college  men in his office and told them that we would have to drop out of the competition.  You see, Ted Mack was sponsored by Old Gold cigarettes. The school did not want us to represent the college by a program sponsored by a tabbacco company and so our competitive career came to an end.  God was in it, and the college did the right thing.  I thank them yet for helping us to keep our priorities straight.  
   The next year I was introduced to work for the first time in my life. I became a member of the janitor crew at school at the rate of eighteen cents an hour.  My boss was a good singer and he got four of us on the crew together, and formed the Janitor Quartet. It was fun,  but not the most promising future.  One reason was because we didn't want to stay as janitors very long.
   Enter the eleventh grade in the process of growing up,  and I found myself climbing  fool's hill. I became a real trial to my parents. I was not interested in school any more, and was ready to experiment with life.  My choices were not good in the things I was doing in my spare time.
     Between my junior and senior year of high school my folks wanted to take a vacation to Collegedale, Tennessee, to see my brother and family.  He was teaching music at the college. I loved my brother, and he knew I liked to sing in quartets, so he got two other students together and we sang every night as a guartet. It was just plain  fun. We  felt a real blend of voices,  and we could learn music so fast.  We could harmonize a song without music, and it felt like we belonged together.  At the end of the vacation, just as we were preparing to go home the family was talking together in the living room. Wayne asked me to stay with him and go to school there, and we could keep this quartet going in my senior year. I was so surprised I was speechless.  I didn't want to do that because I wanted to graduate with all my friends back home, and beside there was a little girl that I was hoping to date.  I said, " I'd love to sing with these fella's but I couldn't stay  because I didn't bring any extra clothes."   When all of a sudden my mom spoke up and said;" John, I packed an extra suitcase just in case you might like to stay."
   Little did I know my folks were on the phone to my brother asking if he would take me in for they just didn't know what to do with me.  Now we enter Mom and Dad's prayers. I feel that God answered their prayers. I thank God today for giving me the love for music, and a brother and sister- in-law willing to take me in.  Notice how music was tied in again in my  decision. Mother blew my excuse, and as they pulled out of the driveway, my heart went with them. Yet, I began to feel a new beginning to my life.

     


Joan Rügemer

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Re: Music in my life
« Reply #5 on: November 30, 2000, 08:51:00 AM »

Yes, yes, dear John you are allowed this ego trip.
I authorize it with my stamp of approval.
It is not the negative conceited self-importance of proclaiming yourself as being better than another. No that it is not. This is your biography. It is the trappings of who you are in the making  :) You have a right to a healthy self-esteem which is a balance acceptance of who you are and what talents God has given you to be steward over. What in the world you got to be ashamed of except your sin life ? But we are all assuming you have that part of you washed in the Blood of the Lamb and having God's seal of approval on you, you have learned to forgive your self as well.

Now there are a bunch of GC workers and conference workers and regular STA members reading here who love and know you as a public figure. WE all are pleased to get to know you more privately. Thanks for giving us this chance.

....Joan's looking forward to the next installment.


Elder John Thurber

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Re: Music in my life
« Reply #6 on: December 01, 2000, 03:41:00 AM »
Part twoUp until this point in my life I didn't have to make any decisions about what was God's music and what was counterfeit. My home and school influence was teaching me God's music. I learned about hymn writers and their love for scripture, many of them memorizing large portions of the Bible, many of them studying Greek and Hebrew to search in the original languages the text of scripture. I also learned that new song writers contemporary with me were writing beautiful hymns and gospel songs. In fact I still find some beautiful songs being written today.

   Living with my brother and singing with the quartet at Southern was the beginning of  awareness that there was truly a genuine and counterfeit in music

   One example left a great impression to my thinking and choosing of music, let me share it with you.

   While attending Southern Missionary College, now named Southern Adventist University, four of us young men formed a quartet known as the Adelphians; my brother Wayne Thurber, baritone and director, Don Crook, second tenor, Jack Veazey, bass, and I sang first tenor.  The college gave us a scholarship to travel for them around the Southern Union.  One of the most memorial trips we took was to Asheville, NC, to sing for a Youth Congress.

   The quartet and Marilyn Dillow were riding into the city about 5 pm.  The radio was on and advertising a gospel all night sing in the civic  auditorium.  We had never experienced a gospel sing and since our music was hymns and gospel songs we felt we could find some new music by attending.  

   We were college kids with no money so we stopped at a gas station and changed into our uniforms, and went to the ticket office hoping they would recognize us as a quartet and let us in free.  When the lady saw us she showed us right to the stage door.  I think she thought we were on the program.  A man took us backstage and Wayne spoke to the man checking in the singers.  He told him our story and the desire to just listen for music ideas.

   He mentioned that later in the program when things began to get dull we might have a chance to sing and called for someone to audition us. The man took us into a room with a piano in it and motioned to Marilyn to come and play.  Wayne said, "we don't use the piano, we sing acappella, and at times she sings with us."  He was very surprised but asked us to sing.  Jack blew the pitch pipe and we sang The Old Rugged Cross.  No frills, just the plain message in simple style.  Without any expression on his face he asked us to sing another and we sang The City of Light, a song composed by a student at Oakwood College.  When we finished he got up and said go backstage and wait, we might use you later on in the program.

   We felt a little nervous standing around with all the famous gospel quartets and trios that were advertised features for the evening.

   Soon the program started, and the first quartet to be introduced was one that you would recognize as one of the most popular ones at that time.  The place went wild with whistles and

thunderous applause.  They sang about twelve minutes and came backstage. Of course, the audience wanted more so they went back out on the stage.  We were not sure which spirit was evident--one of praising God or entertainment praising men. But it became evident in their next song and we knew that we were in the wrong place!  The title of the song was Hallelujah Boogie.

   We huddled together and discussed  whether to exit the back door or to stay just a little bit longer.  We decided to stay hoping the music might get better.  Soon the quartet came off stage and the emcee went out to introduce the next group.  Much to our surprise he started to talk about this college quartet from the Chattanooga area that happened in, and that they were different--they didn't use any accompaniment, but sang  acappella.

   We were stunned to be second  on the program.  They gave us a polite applause as we walked on stage.  Wayne went to the microphone, introduced us and announced the first song, The Old Rugged Cross.  When we finished we had very little applause, and we sensed that we were a bit out of place.  He introduced the second song, Have You Been in The Garden With  Jesus, alone with the Saviour in prayer.  When we finished there was no applause.  Wayne said to us, "let's sing one more and leave."  He chose a song that Marilyn sang with us entitled, The Song of Heaven and Homeland.  Sometimes I hear strange music like none ere heard before, come floating softly earthward as through heaven's open door; It seems like angel voices, in strains of joy and love, that swell the mighty chorus, around the throne above.  Marilyn was off stage behind the curtain with a microphone adding an obligato part.  It was truly  like an angel's voice. When we finished the song there was silence.  As soon as we got off stage the emcee when back to introduce the next group.  The audience started to applaud lightly and kept it up until the emcee asked if they wanted to hear more of that kind of music and they kept on applauding.  We went back and sang for another twenty minutes without applause.  As we were coming off stage one of the singers that sang in a trio made the comment, "Don't ever change your music, it's of God.  I know that some of our music is not pleasing to God."  We believe God gave us an opportunity to witness for Him that night before a huge crowd.

   There is a difference, isn't there?  That difference can be spiritually discerned with God's help.  Isn't it amazing that even if we fill ourselves or expose ourselves to music that is not God's, that when God's music is allowed to come into our lives it can still touch us and change us?God's music is designed to help us love and praise Him right now.We are going to be singing songslike that for all eternity if we choose to be in His kingdom.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could just begin to taste right now a little bit of what heaven's music and singing would be like? I think that we can do that here on earth if we want to.The place to start is by establishing our   connection with God so that He can show us what His music is and put that new song in our heart.   

   The question is how do we tell amidst all the sounds, all the noise, everything clamoring for our attention on this earth, just what is God's music?  What is the music of the world?  This is a very important question to answer

   The truth is--God has an easy way for us to tell.  Maybe explaining it with our family
might help you to understand a little bit better.  Recently many of our family gathered together
for a Christmas celebration.  There were probably fifty of us there.  At least it seemed like it to me!  And with all the children and grandchildren there, there were probably ten-to-fifteen kids that were only a year or so old and ranging up to four or five.  You know whenever ten-to-fifteen kids play together there will be occasion for some tears.  And each time one of the little ones cried, the mother or father would perk up their ears immediately.  They knew the sound of their own child above all the rest of the noise and confusion.  And you know why they did that?  It is very simple.  They were attuned to the sound of their child's voice.  I think what God wants to say to us is if we will spend our time looking into His things, listening to the things of heaven, allowing Him to tell us and show us what His music is, if we spend our time attuned to His voice then all the confusion, all the clamor, all the noise of the earth will not be enough to confuse us.  We will know God's sounds, the sounds of eternity, the sounds of music and praise because we are attuned to His voice.

   If we listen for God's voice we will know His will.  Psalm 46:10 tells us to be still and know that I am God. Above all the clamor of this world's music we can still hear God's music and we can be attuned to His will for us.  I am inclined to believe that God's music is strange to sinner's ears and the devil's music is strange to God.

   Here are some words given to His church that help us understand God's  plan for us.

   "There is an emotional excitement, a mingling of the true with the false, that is well adapted to mislead....Wherever men neglect the testimony of the Bible, turning away from those plain, soul-testing truths which require self-denial and renunciation of the world, there we may be sure that God's blessing is not bestowed."  (GC 464)

   "Let us give no place to strange exercisings, which really take the mind away from the deep movings of the Holy Spirit.  God's work is ever characterized by calmness and dignity."( 2 SM 42)

   "Evil angels in the form of believers will work in our ranks to bring  in a strong spirit of unbelief.  Let not even this discourage you, but bring a true heart to the help of the Lord against the powers of Satanic agencies.  These powers of evil will assemble in our meetings, not to receive a blessing, but to counterwork the influences of the Spirit of God."  (2 MCP 504,505)

   "Good and evil never harmonize.  Between light and darkness there can be no compromise.  Truth is light revealed; error is darkness, righteousness no fellowship with unrighteousness.  (Manuscript 82, 1900)   

"Evil angels in the form of believers will work in our ranks to bring  in a strong spirit of unbelief.  Let not even this discourage you, but bring a true heart to the help of the Lord against the powers of Satanic agencies.  These powers of evil will assemble in our meetings, not to receive a blessing, but to counterwork the influences of the Spirit of God."  (2 MCP 504,505)

   


Dugald T Lewis MD

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Re: Music in my life
« Reply #7 on: December 01, 2000, 06:25:00 PM »
Dear Brother John,

Thanks for posting your powerful testimony of God's love and the gift of music. Waiting to hear more.

Sincerely
Dugald


Elder John Thurber

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Re: Music in my life
« Reply #8 on: December 06, 2000, 09:11:00 AM »
Afer that experience in Ashville N. C. at the all night sing I began to understand the battle of the great controversy more clearly, and it caused me to to want to know how to be sure that I was following the true Holy Spirits leading in music. Here are some other thoughts on college days

   When Mom and Dad  headed back home   I was lonely at first for my parents and friends, but Wayne kept me busy singing and making good friends. It was still a few weeks before school was to start and, we sang a few times for church, and soon the business manager of the college called us into his office.  His name was Charles Flemming.  {'Mr. Collegedale' became a name of endearment for him. He loved the students and played ball with us and was truly interested in all the students.} He offered us a full tuition scholarship if we would represent the college in the  Southern Union.  What a blessing that was for us to be able to continue our schooling. At this time we enter the Adelphian Quartet.

   Jack Veazey bass, academy senior.  
   Wayne Thurber, director, college voice and choir director.
   Don Crook, 2nd tenor,  college student, studying for the ministry.
   John Thurber, 1st tenor, academy senior.

   Jack and I became fast friends and really enjoyed singing  and playing sports together. He was tall and handsome, and I was short and fat. The girls liked Jack, and food liked me
.  
   The next two years were wonderful for us as God blessed us in our musical ministry together. The college kept us very busy sending us to big meetings in every conference in the union.  We were gone most every weekend.  During the week we would sing in various churches of other faiths, and civic clubs in Chattanooga, and Cleveland,Tenn.  There was a restaurant  in Ooltawah, about 10 minutes from the college, we would sing at quite often and  the owner would feed us free. He became a very good friend of ours and he enjoyed  the hymns and spirituals we would sing.

   During these molding years my brother kept me busy in music. He was also responsible for the Collegedale Academy choir, and he made me assistant choir director, and of course, he was so busy with the college groups that I ended up taking most of the rehearsals.  It gave me a chance to develop my interest in choral work. He also treated me with giving me a set of car keys, with free use when needed.  I was really surprised he would do that because my folks were afraid to do that at home.  But there was something about the trust he put in me that caused me to be respectful of the privilege and not take advantage of it. Truly, I have loved my brother all through the years for his love and patience for me.

    Then enter Virginia, his dear wife.  My what she put up with to care for me. She was special in so many ways. She knew I loved Spaghetti and every Friday she cooked it for me.  She did my laundry and cared for me like a mom. I love her dearly for all her patience with me. She also had a marimba and  played it beautifully. She let me learn to play and enjoy it while I was there.  I'm sure I got on her nerves many time just playing around with it.  Of course, playing around with it is an accurate description. But I loved to hear her play.

   They had two young children at the time, Donnie and Sharon.  Donnie was house broken, but Sharon was still in diapers.  My sister-in-law would ask me to watch them while she would run to the store, but I would always ask her to check Sharon's diaper before she left. I remember one time when she left me with the kids, and Sharon did not co-operate with her timing.  But of course, I just left her alone thinking Virginia could handle it when she got home.  However, she was detained for some reason, and Sharon did not won't to wait any longer.She got a diaper and brought it to me.  She began to cry for help. So finally waiting as long as I could I put her on the bed, unpenned her diaper, took the driest corner and gave it a big yank!  It was such a big yank  that it landed up against the wall leaving a big wet spot for my sis to see.  That was my last diaper change.

   As time went on the college was getting many request for the quartet to sing in all the conference's in the union. Request for youth congresses, campmeetings, academies, workers meetings, yes,  and even funerals.  It seemed that God was preparing me for the future for some of the outstanding evangelists in the work called on the quartet. I was so inspired by their messages that I knew that ministry was going to be in my future. Here are a few of the men that God used to help me make a commitment to ministry for the Lord during my college days.
   1.  Elder Bob Spangler: a young pastor at the time holding some meetings in Mobile,  Alabama. What a young preacher he was, and how inspiring to hear his  wonderful messages. Look how God blessed him through the years in soulwinning, pastoring, and for many years    ministerial secretary for the world field.

   2.   George Vanderman:  When he came to one of the Southern Union campmeetings he would request the college to send us all week if he held a series at night, and we were thrilled to sing for him whenever we could.  He was just a young man at the time, but what a powerful message God gave him. He would meet with us each day to pray for the meetings, and pick out the songs to fit his message for the night.  I remember one song especially he wanted on the night he spoke on heaven. It's page 472 in our hymnal,  words by E.E. Rexford, Music by Ira D. Sankey.  The words to this hymn is a must read for you, please take the time to do it.
   
   Sometimes I hear strange music,
   Like none e'er heard before,
   Come floating softly earthward
   As thro' heav'n's open door:
   It seems like angel voices,
   In strains of joy and love,
   That swell the mighty chorus
   Around the throne above.
Refrain
   O sweet, celestial music,
   Heard from a land afar
   The song of heav'n and Homeland,
   Thro' doors God leaves a jar!

   I will never forget this hymn as long as God gives me life. I believe it was a further step towards a complete commitment to Him. Elder Vanderman was being used to reach me for the future work that God had in mind for me. This hymn also says the same thing we are told through inspiration about the music of heaven. Read the appendix on music of heaven. This song became a big part of our mission as a quartet. It was one we sang with Marilyn Dillow on many occasions after that. I have already shared with you an example of how God used this song.


Clive Nevell

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Re: Music in my life
« Reply #9 on: December 06, 2000, 10:39:00 AM »
Praise the Lord for your testimomny in music.
Clive

Elder John Thurber

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Re: Music in my life
« Reply #10 on: December 07, 2000, 04:07:00 AM »
A NEW SONG

      "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord."  Psalm 40: 1-3  (NIV)  We want to make sure we are choosing the new song that God wants us to have, that's why  I have entitled this chapter, A New Song.. That puts a lot of responsibility on us and we want to make the right spiritual choices.

Through my years at collegedale I was finding more evidence from my teachers and study that God is concerned about our choices.

   
      1)  HE WANTS US TO MAKE CHOICES

   Eph. 5:10, (KJ) is a keynote for me in choosing the music for my life.  It says very simply,  "Proving what is acceptable to the Lord."

   Do you suppose that would go into all phases of our lifestyle?  Yes.  I think when 1 Cor. 10:31, (NKJ) says, "Do all to the glory of God..."  it means everything including music. You see our own personal taste is not the issue.  It's whether it is acceptable to God.

   "As I was pleading with a young man to turn to the Saviour, he said:  'I am not ready.  This band of music would be broken up should I leave it.  I am needed in this circle of society.  And besides, I want my liberty.'  But he did not know of what he was talking.  There is no liberty save that which is brought to us by Christ.  We can find in sin nothing but slavery..."  (Youth's Instructor, August 21, 1902)  This young  man was not ready to prove what is acceptible to God.  He was in love with the world.

         2)  I FIND I CAN TRUST SCRIPTURE

     I wondered before what could be my guide.  Some look at people who are saying, I can tell you the right way to go, the right choices to make. But those always seem to be dead end streets.  The Scripture says in Psalm 119:9, (NAS)  "How can a young man keep his way pure?  By guarding it according to Thy Word."  That means we can make God's Scripture the basis for our choice.  It is dependable and is the sure Word.  That takes a tremendous burden off our shoulders.  We are going to God's Word to help us and we are not going to rely on our own taste.

   My son , Mic, composed a survey in 1985, and sent it to about one thousand Adventist academy young people at different schools across America.  He asked them a number of questions.  One was, "Do you think rock music is compatible with the Christian lifestyle?"  Would it surprise you to learn that fully seventy-five percent of the young people said no?  Rock music is not compatible with the Christian lifestyle.  

   In another question he asked,  "Are religious lyrics enough to make a song sacred?"  An even larger percentage, eighty-two percent said no.  Religious lyrics are not enough to make a song sacred. There is an interesting link with rock music and today's contemporary Christian music as it uses the same flavor background, beat, instrumentation, same type of arranging and the same type of sound. Yet,  it has religious lyrics, words that are suppose to make it a religious song, but even our own young people said that is not enough to make it sacred.

   Here are some thoughts from a young man whose name is Phil Wilson:

   He spent about seven years playing drums in a rock group mostly in night clubs and dance halls

   He became a Christian and felt he should leave the crowd he was with and stop playing the music he loved.
   Some well meaning friends encouraged him to use his talents for the Lord. He formed a group to play what they considered the new Christian sound.  He thought the music they used and the length of their hair and the way they dressed would be more effective to reach young people.
   They gave their testimonies with soft slow music in the background.  When they gave the invitation sometimes a hundred or more teenagers would come forward.  The question on their  minds was, were those conversions genuine?
   They began to follow up those who came forward.  They were shocked to find that almost everyone who gave their  address had gone back to their old ways. They couldn't think of one person they considered  to be fruit of their ministry.  Phil ended his article by saying He realized  that they were responding to the music, not the Holy Spirit.
.
   Religious Rock is being heard all over the country.  There are so many groups today that come alive with this kind of music and many of them are very popular.  In fact,  one of the most current popular gospel singer's today,  was having a concert in a large southern city and earned these words of praise from the local paper's music critic: "As it's beautiful  a cappella opening chorus echoed through the hall to the cheers of the audience the band slowly filled in behind and as the drums and guitars built to a crashing crescendo the artist bounced onto the stage.  This wasn't sweet hour of prayer, this was rock and roll, sometimes soft and tender as the sweetest love song, sometimes hard edged and growling, but it wasn't words alone that brought the crowd clapping and cheering to their feet.  There was some hefty assist for sing your praise from booming guitar lines and crashing drums."

       The young people as we are told from the Spirit of Prophecy, "Have a keen ear for music and Satan knows what organs to excite, to animate, engross and charm the mind so that Christ is not desired." (1 T. 497)  I am sure that many came to this program hoping to have a spiritual experience; but most of them came because the music satisfied their normal music taste.  I think that is probably where it is today among the current gospel concerts.  
To be continued     


Michelle

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Re: Music in my life
« Reply #11 on: December 12, 2000, 07:10:00 PM »
I have enjoyed reading so far.  I grew up listening to the King's Heralds (Jerry Patton was a classmate of my parents' at Union College), and the names of the songs makes them replay in my mind.

I've been listening to "CCM" with a more critical ear recently and have to agree with you on a lot of issues.  I have a hard time hearing Jesus rather than the singer/group glorified most of the time.  I do not say all of the time, because there are some great singers and musicians out there who are devoted to God's glory and their music shows it.  However, when I can't find the Christian radio station because I can't tell if it's the Christian one or the neighboring rock station, there is something wrong with this picture!

Keep up the story.  I'm increasingly interested in it!  Michelle


Elder John Thurber

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Re: Music in my life
« Reply #12 on: December 13, 2000, 06:24:00 AM »
Thank you Michelle, I believe you love the Lord, I see it in your posts. I also agree that there are many fine songs being written today, and yes good singers to.
I am still searching for God's music everyday.
Friend John

Elder John Thurber

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Re: Music in my life
« Reply #13 on: December 13, 2000, 06:26:00 AM »
The theology sometimes is not scriptual, but can be (not always) pretty far off in some contemporary Christian music.  This all fits into one of Satan's most incredibly useful devices, as we talked about in the last chapter. He has set up an entire counterfeit system in religious music.  He has taken that realm of music that is used for praising God  and  he  has crafted  a  delusion  that makes it seem like the same thing,  except   there are elements in it that somehow very subtlety pulls you away from God.  That is what you would call mixing truth with error and probably the hardest thing for a Christian to distinguish at times.  You would think if it is mixed with error it would be easy to see, but the Devil is too smart for that.  He is going to make sure the overwhelming balance of it is truth.  If the overwhelming amount of it were error it would be easy to detect and no one would be fooled by it.  This is a real problem for our church today.  It scares me to think of some of the choices that we have to make because the Devil is so crafty.  While the choices are scary, the solutions are very comforting.  I do believe there are problems,  and some are spiritual, not just a matter of taste.  But God gives us spiritual solutions in scripture
.
   I am going to be suggesting some Scriptural tools, not our opinions, not opinions of other people, but Scriptural tools that will help us distinguish the religious from the scared.  Actually these tools could be applied to most any area of our life.  It could be applied to our entertainment in general, what we eat, who we hang out with, and any of  the activities that we do.  It could be applied to anything.  I think for the purpose of our discussion we will make them applicable to music.  This way if we have real Scriptural tools that we can use, each person can read them and pray for  the Holy Spirit to guide them. He will then convict us  so that our choices will be made with His power and with His understanding.  

   When we begin to discuss this subject some might say, but it doesn't say anywhere in the Bible, 'thou shalt not listen to rock music, or thou shalt not go here or there, or thou shalt not eat this.'  However there are Biblical principles to which we can point that are applicable for any situation.

   3)  REST YOURSELF IN THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE

    In Psalm 119:11, We read "I have hidden Your Word  in my heart, that I might not sin against You."  That was David's plea.  So  we must  hide God's Word in our heart,  to make it a part of us, to read it, digest it, to have it be a part of our everyday life.  You will find that once you begin to ingest the Word of God into your life you will be able to make judgments much easier than you could before.  The choices will be obvious.  I remember  growing up as a Christian  often my parents and my preacher would say to me, daily devotions are so important.  You should read something out of God's Word every day.  I never realized as a young person how much it could really guide me, and how many times I could have avoided the traps of the Devil,  if I had just taken the time to read God's Word.  

   11 Tim. 3:16 (NAS) says, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching,  for reproof for correction, for training in righteousness;"  That shows the authority of God's Word in dealing with music or any other type of choice that we need to make.

   4)  SCRIPTURE IS VERY EXPLICIT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU
       ACCEPT CHRIST   


   Scripture shows us very clearly that there are old habits and  new  habits. These represent the differences between the old man and the new man, the old life and the new life.  There are several excellent references that we can point to for that.

    Eph. 4:22-24, (NAS) "That in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."

    Col. 3:1-4, (NAS)  "If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on
the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When
Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory."

    Rom. 6:1-4, (NAS)  "What shall we say then?  Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?  May it never be!  How shall we who died to sin still live in it?  Or do you not know that all of us that have been baptized into Christ Jesus    have been baptized into His death?  Therefore we have been  buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life."

   Gal 5:16,17,  (NAS)   "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.  For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please."

   The texts show the tension between  what the natural bent in life wants to make him, and what Christ is doing.  The things of the old life are not compatible with the new life.  They can't work together, and here are a few texts that underscore that a little bit more.

   James 1:27, (NAS) " This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

   James 4:4, (NAS) "You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?  Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."

   I John 2:15,  (NAS) "Do not love the world, nor the things in the world.  If any one loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."    

   James 4 and 1 John 2,  are basically saying the same thing--that friendship with the world puts you at odds with Christ. You can't hang on to both.  They are not compatible, and it actually puts you at opposition with Christ.    

   5)  JUDGE RIGHTNESS

   This is the last  of the tools that we will mention and perhaps the most important, to judge rightness.  When we do something and  it is pointed out to us, our first reaction is, well, what is wrong with that?  Why don't we turn that around and say, what's right with it?  What have we done that is right?  That is very important.  You see, 1 John 4:1 says, "We should test the spirits because many will come in My Name."  The Devil will work out ways for influencing people, music in this case, to come into our lives claiming to be from God.  But God says you had better test it all because not everything that comes in My Name is really from Me.  Proverbs points to the gravity of that in Chapter 14, verse 12:  "There is a way that seems right to a man,
but the end thereof is the ways of death."  We can make choices that appear right to us.  But unless they are found in the Scriptures  the end of those choices might be something drastically different than we would like to admit.


Elder John Thurber

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Re: Music in my life
« Reply #14 on: December 13, 2000, 06:30:00 AM »
next
Some defenders of Christian rock say, but many hymns tunes were played in bars? Even A Mighty Fortress is Our God was a bar tune.  (I have heard this argument many times through the years.)  Let's remember that Martin Luther was a poet and songwriter himself.  He wrote 37 chorales, 15 of the melodies he composed.  The majority of others were taken from Latin hymns, and German religious folk songs. Only one tune came from a secular source, and that was not a beer hall tune. ( Thoughts from Robert Harrell's, "Martin Luther, His music, His message."  Musical Ministries, 1980,  p. 18

   "Luther did not use the ballroom songs of his day...in fact he was extremely cautious in protecting the Word of God from any admixture of worldly elements."  Ibid. p. 36

   Luther speaks himself about his music.  "These songs were arranged in four parts to give the young--who at any rate should be trained in music and other fine arts--something to wean them from love ballads and carnal songs and teach them something of value in their place, thus combining the good with the pleasing as is proper for the youth."  Leupold, U.S., Ed.,  Luther's Works;  Liturgy and Hymns,  Fortress Press, 1965, as quoted by Dwight Gustafson,  Should Sacred Music Swing?  Faith for the family, Jan/Feb.. 1975 p. 40

   The same argument has been used concerning  Wesley's hymns..Eric Routley, noted Hymnologist, and authority on the Wesley brothers writes,

   "The Wesley hymns were 'pop' only as much as they used music derived from the bourgeois culture of the day, and the upper class culture, rather than the traditional church styles.  The poverty-stricken drunks  of Redruth and Wednesbury were not providing this music for the Wesleys"  Eric Routeley,  Twentieth Century Church Music   Herbert Jenkens, London, 1964,  p.155

    The reason for the bar tune theory is not hard to understand, if the early hymn writers used them , then it must be alright for today's rock to be used.  To liken the pop music of Luther and Wesley's day would be a gross misunderstanding of popular music then in comparison  of today's scene. There was no great teenage society that was catered to, and no big music industry that poured millions of dollars to lure the youth away from respect, love of country and authority.  Popular music was just that.  It appealed to everybody from children to grandpas and grandmas. The songs were usually simply folk tunes that had been around for many years, and sometimes for centuries.

   There was another type of melody popular in Luther and Wesley's day.  In Germany it was the chorale.  In England it was hymn tunes, written in simple meters that could be used in different settings.  Most hymn writers were not musicians,  they  were  poets.  They wrote poem's

-6-
to fit the meter of familiar songs that matched the mode and message of the hymn.  Even today we find hymns in the hymnal that can be sung with several hymn tunes.   An example would be, O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing,  you use the same melody to  sing , O For a Heart to Praise My God.  You can find many examples in our Hymnal.        

   Phil. 4:8, (NKJ) probably gives us the best encouragement to choose things on a right basis.  It simply says, "...whatever things are true, whatever things are noble,  whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, ...meditate on these things." and that puts it in a whole different light.  We can look at things that we do such as the music we listen to, things that we perform,, do they fit into what God wants us to do?  
   
   This all takes us back to Psalm 40.  It's God that gives us the new song.  Some worry, "if I accept Christ as my Saviour, will I have to give all this stuff up."  I can't listen to this type of music anymore.  Well, my experience with the Lord Jesus has been that whenever He asks me to give something up, He replaces it with something better.  But the point is--it is God that gives us the New Song if we follow Him.    

   As Christians we ought to be very careful about judging someone else's song.  We need our own heart in tune with Jesus.  The closer our relationship becomes to Him the more pure will be the song He can give us.  So we must, on an individual basis, choose what we are going to do for the Lord in music.  

   Our youth are under great pressure and we need to love them and be patient with them.
We must understand that there are many voices to listen to that make it  difficult  to choose what is God's, and what is counterfeit.    We have great young people who will rise up to be faithful to follow God's leading in their lives.  God is putting His hand on those with whom we are sometimes impatience   "Often those whom we pass by with indifference because we judge them from outward appearance, have in them the best materials for workers and will repay all the efforts bestowed on them." GW p. 208


Elder John Thurber

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Re: Music in my life
« Reply #15 on: December 13, 2000, 07:17:00 AM »
The trip to Carolina was important for an other reason.  I was introduced to a young lady that was attending Pisgah Academy, yet she was from Collegedale. I noticed her to be a very pretty and charming girl. The next year at the beginning of school I saw her in the Ad building, and my interest was again awakened. So Satuday night I asked if she would like to go skating in the gym.  She said yes, but her skates were home. Her dad was on the staff at Southern as broomshop manager, and I made arrangments to borrow my brother's car to take her home to get her skates.  What a wonderful time we had. So good that I tied her up for several Saturday nights in a row.  We became aware that our love was growing together. For the next three years we dated and finally decided to get married May 31, 1953.  This was the greatest gift God has ever given me. Another great reason to send our children to God's schools.  I was a junior in college at the time,  and my grades went up after marriage.  I guess the hunt was over, and I could spend the time on studying that we used to spend trying to be together. We prayed earnestly that God would have His will in our lives. Now, I would like to pay tribute to Patsy for being a wonderfull wife to me, and mother in Isreal to our children.  No marriage is perfect, but with God's leading it can be a wonderful experience.  That is what God gave me in my mate.  Our love has always been strong through good times and difficult ones as well.  Thanks, Patsy, for being so good to me.       
   Elder Ted Carsage  helded the week of prayer at Southern my first year of college. This preacher held me spellbound all week. He ended the week with a powerful message on heaven, and the privilege that will be ours to sing on the Sea of Glass with Christ, our great choir director.  He made it so real to us that I committed my life to that end.
   Then the summer of '51, Elder Edward Banks who taught Bible and Evangelism at the college, planned a field school of evangelism in Johnson City, Tennessee. We witnessed some real conversions during that summer, and it gave me a further push toward ministry and music.
    In 1952 many experiences come to remembrance.  We were still singing for the college,  and the Faith for Today television program was interested in getting a quartet together.  We received a call to come to New York City to sing for the broadcast. This was an audition for they were wanting to hire a quartet for the broadcast fulltime. We had a great time.  It was during Christmas, and New Year's break. The schedule was full getting ready for the broadcast and filming the show.  Elder Fagal had a long talk with us about the prospects of joining the team. We were so young, and had a lot of school ahead of us, that after much talking together we decided not to pursue it.   Again music in my life afforded the opportunity for me to see how God uses music to win souls for the kingdom.
   1952 was our last year together as the Adelphian quartet.  My brother took a call to be the youth and education director for the Alabama-Mississippi Conference,  and Don Crook graduated from college and took a call into the ministry.
   After the quartet broke up we were looking for some new member's to join us.  Jack was really a baritone, and my voice range was really 2nd tenor. We hoped for a bass and 1st tenor to join us.  Two young men from Mount Vernon Academy came to college and they fit the right parts.  Jim McClintock, bass, and Duane Stier, 1st tenor.  It seem to be just the right voices and blend.   We named our new quartet, The King's Men.  We had a wonderful year together.  In fact, we made an album entitled, God is Love.  Most of the songs were arrangements by Wayne Hooper.  We knew that we would owe royalties to him for recording his arrangements.  We wrote him a letter and asked what he would charge for the use of his songs. He wrote back and said the cost would be eighty dollars for 500 albums. Then he added, since you are all in college and expenses are high, each of you make eighty dollars first, and then if you sell enough you can send me the royalities.  I don't remember making enough to send him any  money.  You see, the King's Heralds was the quartet all of us looked up to that sang quartet, and Wayne's arrangements were being sung worldwide in our schools.  You notice that our new name was as close as we could get to theirs, for they were our heroes.
   After that year Jack was drafted into the army.  Of course, that broke up the quartet, but we had a wonderful  year with very special memories for all of us.
   The summer of '52 I received an invitation to be a music leader from the Carolina Conference, and to work with Pastor Archer D. Livingood, in Morgington, North Carolina.  It just built on the foundation of ministry from the summer with Elder Banks. The Western part of North Carolina is very beautiful country. The hills and mountains are awesome to behold. I led the music every night in a tentmeeting.  I had never met a man more skilled in memory of scripture, and communicating it then Pastor Livingood.  He took me visiting with him to teach me, and then he gave me a stack of cards to visit on my own.  I was a bit nervous at first, but soon looked forward to my visits.
    I remember very well one lady that I visited was in her early thirties.  She was a heavy smoker, one right after another.  The magazines in her home were all love and sex novels. My first visit she said, "I have never heard anything like this before. This man really knows the Bible. I feel God sent me to the meetings because I need help."  She began to relate her story to me.  She was a married lady, but left her husband in another state to come home to her parents and begin divorce proceedings.  She was eight months pregnant with a child when he came home drunk one night and started to beat her up. Soon it got so violent that he threw her on the floor and repeatedly jumped on her and killed the baby, and left her for dead. God saved me, and now I feel I have a reason to live. The Holy Spirit was working on her and she wanted to respond.  She said how do I become baptized.  What a challenge for me, a college student, to try to help her. I just bowed my head and prayed for guidance in what to say.
   Ruby, you have had a very difficult life and you have turned to many toys of the Devil to hide your sorrow. Alcohol, tobacco,  magazines full of filth and crime, and coming to Jesus means turning away from the world and leaning on Him for a new life free from continuing sinful habits. This was my first experience praying for God's power to change a person's bad habits into God's lifestyle. I had heard testimonies to the fact that truly repentive people have been given, through the working of Holy Spirit, victory over the things of the world, but this I saw firsthand.
   I told her that the things of the world had to go because they will continue to separate us from living with and for God. She was sincere about wanting to change and asked how to begin. I said first we pray for God's deliverance from these habits, and do our part to keep from being tempted. First, get rid of the magazines you have and stop buying anymore. When you pass a magazine rack in the store pass on by and make no provision for the flesh. Then we have alcohol to ask  victory for. She didn't feel that would be a problem for she was not a heavy drinker. The next one was her toughest battle which was tobacco.  We prayed together every night after meeting before she went home, yet she was having a hard time with it.  I said to her one night you need to get rid of the cigarettes you have around the house, so bring me what you have and I will keep them for you. When you need one so bad you can't stand it, I will give you one.  She agreed and that was it for her.   God gave her the victory.  Now we were coming down to the last week of meetings and Pastor Livengood was asking for those who would like to surrender their lives to Jesus and be baptized to come forward.  At the beginning of the next meeting she said, " I believe I'm ready to come forward.  A few times you have led the congregation in the hymn, "Pass Me Not Oh Gentle Saviour", and the words ring in my mind. I am not going to let the Saviour pass me by while on others He is calling.  I want to respond to His call. If you will sing it at the close, I believe I will respond to His call." This is  another experience God gave me to understand how important music is. "Song is one of the most effective means of impressing spiritual truth upon the heart.  Often by the words of sacred song, the springs of penitence and faith have been unsealed." (Review and Herald, June 6, 1912)
    The second semester of  '53 the Georgia Cumberland Conference called me to work with Pastor Nasval, in Albany,Georgia, for an evangelistic meeting. Since I would have to go before the year was out, I decided to go home to Keene, New Hampshire, and work for my Dad in his print shop.
   However, the major thing happening in my life was very exciting. That spring was the culmination of a three year courtship with my bride-to-be. I met Patsy Fogg  as I have mentioned before, at a youth congress in Asheville, North Carolina.   We made God the center of our lives and ask Him to lead us in our decision of marriage, and in His calling to the work He had in mind for us.  
   We set the date for May 31, 1953.  One week after her graduation from academy.  I don't think that her getting married so young was the most popular thing to happen with her folks.  But we were in love. In the month of April, I went to Albany, Georgia, and we started the meetings right away.  Elder Ray Nasval and his wife were very special people that knew how to hold a successful series of meetings.  I was song leader and tentmaster. Of course, my mindset was divided between the meetings and getting married.  They seemed to be patient and understanding with me. Patsy came to visit me the first weekend of the meetings. I got so nervous and on the way to the meeting I ran a stop sign and hit a car broadside.  I was embarrassed when I told the preacher, and of course, he had to tell it to every one at the meeting.  
    The Lord really blessed with a good harvest of souls.  Elder Nasval wanted me to preach one sermon before I left, and I was not sure how to do that. He suggested I preach on music in heaven. I believe it was a God-sent idea, because I started to study the Scriptures and Spirit of Prophecy on the subject of music surrounding angels,  heaven, and the redeemed. It became so fascinating to me that I'm still researching the subject.
(See appendix Angels and music.)
      My first voice teacher was Harold A. Miller, one of the biggest influences in my life. I loved to go to his studio for lessons.  He was never in a hurry and would spend time with me talking about using my voice for the Lord.  He drew me to a closer relationship with God.  I will always be thankful for his love to me. He continually gave me encouragement to become a music teacher.  He had such talent in composing music, and has had many of his songs published through the years. I remember when the college had week's of prayer for the students, the speaker would start his sermon and Professor Miller would listen to the theme of the sermon, and would go backstage to his studio and compose a chorus and come back at the end and teach it to us. On one occasion the speaker was talking about being ready for Jesus to come.  And Prof Miller wrote this chorus to close the meeting:.

   I want to be ready when Jesus comes,
   I want to be ready when Jesus comes.
   Earth's pleasures grow dim,
   While I'm waiting for Him.
   Lord keep me 'til Jesus comes.

   I still remember the chorus and sing it once in awhile. Memories flood my mind as my spiritual soul is fed.
   I remember the Friday night vespers when he would lead the students in the song service. One of his favorite hymns was "Under His Wings".   W. O. Cushing wrote the words, and Ira D. Sankey wrote the music.  Both of these men lived in the Ellen White years, and much of the beautiful lasting hymns were written in those years.  Let's read the words to this hymn:

   Under His wings I am safely abiding;
   Though the night deepens and tempest are wild,
   Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me;
   He has redeemed me, and I am His child.

   Under His Wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
   How the heart yearningly turns to it's rest!   
   Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
   There I find comfort, and there I am blest.

   Under His Wings, O what precious enjoyment!
   There will I hide till life's trials are O'er;
   Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me;
   Resting in Jesus I'm safe ever more.
Refrain  
   Under His wings, under His wings,
   Who from His love can sever?
   Under His wings, my soul shall abide,
   Safley abide forever.


   H.A. Miller wrote the music for many hymns. Here are a few that were published in the 1941 Hymnal:
   
   1.  Praise - Hymn 23  -  Poem by Frances Scott Key
   2.  Sabbath - Hymns 28  -   Poem by Thomas Raffles -  59  -  Poem by Anon
   3.  Majesty and Power of God - 79  -  Poem by Harriet Auber
   4.  Holiness of God - 80  -  Poem by Charles Wesley
   5.  The Love of The Saviour - 147  -  Poem by Anon
   6.  The Life of Christ  - 170  -  Poem by Daniel Turner
   7.  The Holy Spirit - 216  -  Poem by John Stocker
   8.  Forgiveness of Sin - 236  -  Poem by Simon Browne
   9.  Repenting Sinner - 240  -  Poem by Isaac Watts  

   H. A. Miller's most popular songs were: "Saviour Divine", and "Like Jesus"

   Dr. Adrian R.M.Lauritzen, prehaps the most influential musician in my life, came to Southern my last three years of college as chairman of the music department. What a man to look up to as a mentor for me.  Many hours were spent in his office just talking about the joy of serving God in music.  Without a doubt he showed me how Christ could be honored in teaching music.
   My senior year I became president of my class, and He was chosen to be the class sponsor.  This also gave me more time to get acquainted with him from a different viewpoint.  Again, it was a wonderful experience.  He led  in a spiritual way that was a blessing to the whole class.  Our graduation exercises were very spiritual.
   I remember the beautiful Friday night vespers that Dr. Lauritzen led us in musically. A very reverent and spiritually moving service.  One hymn that he loved to sing with us still comes to my mind. It was number 550 in the old hymnal, Beautifull Valley of Eden. Notice the words that talk about the homeland, and the role music will play there.

   Beautiful Valley of Eden,
   Sweet is thy noontide calm;
   Over the hearts of the weary,
   Breathing thy waves of balm.

   Over the heart of the mourner
   Shineth the golden day,
   Wafting the songs of the angels
   Down from the far away.

   There is the home of my Saviour;
   There, with the blood-washed throng,
   Over the highlands of glory
   Rolleth the great new song.
Refrain
   Beautiful valley of Eden,
   Home of the pure and blest,
   How often amid the wild billows
   I dream of thy rest, sweet rest.

   Yes, I found him to be an inspiration to me that still lasts today. Godly teachers in all areas of education will have many stars in their crowns when they get to heaven.

   I can see now how God guided me in my love for music. He put some very important people in my life that gave me direction into Gods music. I was blessed to be given the influence of Godly Teachers, and Ministers during my molding years.

                       
     
     


Richard Myers

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Re: Music in my life
« Reply #16 on: December 14, 2000, 09:25:00 AM »
Thank you, Elder John, for sharing this beautiful testimony.  It reminds me of the precious promise Jesus has made to us parents, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it."   :)

Richard

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Dugald T Lewis MD

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Re: Music in my life
« Reply #17 on: December 14, 2000, 02:57:00 PM »
Dear Elder Thurber,

I can only read of the goodness of God through your powerful testimony. May God give you the strength and recall ability to finish this book.

Sincerely
Dugald


Elder John Thurber

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Re: Music in my life
« Reply #18 on: December 17, 2000, 01:11:00 PM »
Thank you Richard and Dr. Lewis, you are both special to me in my spiritual walk, and I thank you for your love and prayers.

Teaching Years                         
Chapter 3

   During the last few weeks of my senior year in College Dr. Lauritzen talked with me about joining the  music staff right there at Southern. I was excited about the idea of working under his leadership. He gave me a lot of guidance in teaching, and got me off to a good start in my working years of teaching. There were many special times with the choirs and voice students that were very spiritual. Under his leadership I felt he helped mold me in the right direction in understanding what a responsability a teacher has in presenting God's music to the students. If I could choose anyone  to be my music teacher I would still choose Dr. Lauritzen. .
   Teaching music was different than studying music. Sense all my classmates from the year before that didn't graduate were still there it was hard to go from the buddy status to teacher status and yet as I look back they were very kind to me
   It was quite a responsibility to have an anthem ready  for church every Sabbath,  and prepare for Concerts and travel. I began to see the work involved in college music ministry, but I loved the choirs I had there. There is a spiritual bond between student and teacher that is wonderful to experience.
   I had been at collegedale for about six years, and felt it was a special place for me, for not only did I get my college degree there, and taught there, but found my wife there. So Southern holds a dear spot in my life.
   My next experience was to teach music and be the assistant Dean of men at Atlantic Union college, and South Lancaster Academy.  That was going home to me, and I had always thought that I would like to try deaning sometime.  I was under the leadership of Paul B. Riley truly a man called for the purpose of being a dean of men. The men just loved him, and his influence over them is still paying dividens. Many souls will be in the kingdom as a result of his ministry.  I loved Paul right from the start and we have shared many wonderful experiences together.  My dorm was the old Thayer Mansion that the college purchased from the Thayer family.  I had half College students and half Academy students in the dorm. The mix was difficult at times but the fondest memories were the worships when we sang and prayed  together.  To see a young man come to the Lord is a beautiful experience. I recall one young man that came to my dorm as a junior in the Academy. I smelled smoke on him right from the start. I called him into my office and asked him how long it had been since he had a cigarette, he said about an hour ago. I said you know the school does not allow smoking here, yes he said I know, Well I said what do you want to do about it? I want to give it up, that's why I came here to stop it. He was honest with me, and I told him that was good enough for me. It is interesting how God gives a dean enough hint as to the direction a student is going, and a few weeks later I smelled it on him again. Have you been smoking I asked? Yes he said but this is the first time since you spoke to me at the beginning of school. Do you want to give it up? Yes dean I do. So I made a deal with him. If you give me your cigarette's and when you just can't stand it I'll give you one is that a deal? he agreed and went and brought me about of a half a carton, and I put them up in my closet.  I didn't hear from him for a long time, but finally he got so fidgety that he just had to have one. So I went and got him just one cigarette and a match. I sat them on the edge of my desk, and told him he could come and get one. He came over to the desk, and reached out to take it, when I said just a minute, lets ask God to help you get the victory of smoking. We knelt together and I started to pray, he wept through the pray, and after finishing I said OK you may take it. Through his sobbing he said I Can't take that cigarette, and thanked me for praying for him.  The day before Christmas break he came to my office and told me that he would not be returning to school because he was not getting the victory over smoking, and he told me he loved me and was thankful I was patient with him, he assured me that he loved the school and respected the standards we up held. It was a sad day for me to see him leave. I stayed in touch with him and found that God did help him gain the victory, and become a leader in his home church.    My hat is off to all deans through the years that gave of themselves for the eternal decisions and commitment to the Lord.  Many young men and young women have their deans to thank for the loved shown them. Again music  was a big part of my deans life. Friday nights after vespers we would go outside and sing and pray together as a follow up of the meeting. I had two choirs and several voice students, and stayed to busy for my family.  I was working on a masters degree each summer at Boston University,  and half the summer I spent recruiting students for the next year.  It was  a  real eye opener to me to visit the homes of students, and see the sacrifices made by parents to send their children to God's school.  It made me humble to think that they put so much trust in the teachers and staff to give them a Christian education. I had some very serious young people in the Academy choir many of whom went on to serve God with their talents all over the world.
   In the spring of 1959 I received a call from Chuck Watkins Principle of Glendale Academy in Glendale California.  He said I understand you are working on your masters degree and we will put you through it if you'll come and teach her at the academy. It was a big temptation as he told us that it was a day school and no night work. I needed more time with my family. Patsy and I prayed and talked it over for some time and felt this was the Lord's leading. We had three young children at the time and a small car with no air-conditioning . little did we know what we were facing to get way out there across the country, but we were young and adventurous.
   The pacific union held a music camp every summer, and I was asked to take the choir that summer.  I had about 80 in the choir.  I remember trying to get them to sing oo and one of the soprano's was having a hard time catching on, so I told her she needed to learn to pucker her lips to get the pure sound I was looking for.
   After the rehearsal a bass singer came down and asked me if he could teacher her how to pucker.  Several years later I saw him and asked him if he did teach her to pucker, and he said yes and we have been married for several years.
   My year teaching there was a wonderful experience for me. I had some of  the  most talented young people you could imagine,  wonderful, serious students that were eager to learn.  Many of them became spiritual friends that still keep in touch.  It was quite a shock to me to see student drive to school in flashy cars, such as Corvettes, , BMW's, and every kind of sport car.  The number of Adventist doctors in Glendale was unreal to me coming from the east.  I found them and there children very supportive to the school.   
   In the Spring of the year about two months before graduation I had a very important visitor come to my studio.  His name was Wayne Hooper from the Voice of Prophecy.  Wow I was excited because at campmeeting time in the south the College Quartet would wait to see the  Kings Heralds, and perhaps sing with them.  They surely were inspiring to us every time we met with them.
   Way back to my young years while living in Lebanon New Hampshire my Dad and Mom would tune in the voice of Prophecy broadcast and we would listen to the quartet sing and Dad just loved it and I began to dream about someday maybe I could sing in a quartet like that.  Little did I know that When Wayne came to talk to me, he would invite me to audition for the quartet. From that time on my life began to change, my goals were different, my outlook on life became changed.
   


Richard Myers

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Re: Music in my life
« Reply #19 on: January 15, 2001, 08:01:00 PM »
Thank you, Friend John.  Your posts are important and are becoming more important.  The material that is posted online here is copyrighted.  Would you consider allowing members to copy your postings and share with their churches?  There is a great need to rightly use music in the church.  I look forward to each post you share with us!  :)

It might be good to place some stipulations if you allow distribution. Like not taking it in pieces, but rather maybe a whole chapter or something that would keep it in context. Just thinking out loud.  :)

Richard

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.