In the mid to late 1960’s our country was experiencing difficult times. The Vietnam war was taking many of our young American soldiers’ lives, and young people here at home were protesting it by burning our American flag and rioting in the streets. Much of the music of that time reflected the pain that people were experiencing.
Earlier, in 1959, a publisher had contacted one of his writers and asked if he could write a song that wasn’t a protest song. The writer, Pete Seeger, told his publisher that the only kind of songs that he wrote were songs that were defiant.
“You better find another songwriter,” Seeger wrote. “This is the only kind of a song I know how to write.”
As a songwriter, Seeger carried a small notebook he used to write down hook lines and lyrics that he read or heard. Looking through his notebook he found parts of the bible he had copied from a bearded fellow wearing sandals. The verses he had written down were Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. It says that there is a season for every purpose under heaven and in that season there are opposing actions.
After writing a song from these verses, he ended with a hopeful phrase: “A time for peace; I swear it’s not too late.”
In 1965, The Byrds’ released the song written by Pete Seeger, “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season) with an upbeat rhythm track, a guitar riff, and sung with a feeling of urgency. Turn! Turn! Turn! became a huge number one hit that was used in movies, TV shows, documentaries, and was re-recorded by numerous artist.
Seasons come and go, trouble is temporary, but for everything and everyone there is a purpose.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to gain, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Join us at The Gathering Place every Wednesday evening at 7 and Sunday morning at 9:30 and 10:30. Sunday evening at 6 we have youth group and recovery meetings.
