Aping Culture vs Changing It

American Christians, sad to say, are in fact aping culture more than they are changing it. Thus the exhortations of Scripture, Romans 12:1 and 2, for instance, are more timely and critical than ever. “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

The Christian who thinks that he must be like culture in order to positively influence culture is sadly ignorant of history, the true substance of conversion, and the clear teaching of the Bible.

Are you aping culture, or are you seeking through prayer, discernment, and a counter-culture lifestyle to change it? That’s the question for today.

(And that’s also today’s 60-second radio spot from KLCV, 88.5 AM)

"When Swing Was King" Is Keeping Alive the Spirit of '45

Claire and I have created a special volume of "When Swing Was King" for this month, one commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

In doing so, we are emphasizing our deep appreciation to the men and women who went into harm's way during the war...and to all of the men, women, and children here at home who sacrificed, supported, prayed, suffered loss, and worked so diligently to help the Allied cause be victorious.

We're calling the program Keeping Alive the Spirit of '45 as we seek to remind the seniors in the facilities we visit every month how much we admire the unity, courage, and resolve their generation demonstrated in fighting for liberty, justice, and the democratic rule of law.

The songs in the program all come from the war years and, not surprisingly, they include some of the most poignant, sublime music America ever produced. The photos accompanying the songs also reflect the critical times of 1942-1945.

If you, your family, your home school group, and so on have never caught a "When Swing Was King" presentation...boy, would this be a perfect time to finally do so. The schedule is right here.

And the Keeping Alive the Spirit of '45 song list?

1) Glenn Miller Orchestra — “American Patrol”
2) Dinah Shore — “I’ll Walk Alone”
3) The Ink Spots — “This Is a Lovely Way to Spend an Evening”
4) Bing Crosby — “I’ll Be Seeing You”
5) The Mills Brothers — “Till Then”
6) Vaughn Monroe Orchestra — “When the Lights Go On Again”
7) Vera Lynn — “The White Cliffs of Dover”
8) Perry Como — “Long Ago and Far Away”
9) Harry James Orchestra (Vocals by Helen Forrest) — “I Don’t Want to Walk Without You”
10) Benny Goodman Orchestra — “Jersey Bounce”
11) Bob Crosby Orchestra (Vocals by Dave Street) — “I Left My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen”
12) The Andrews Sisters — “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B”