{"id":11658,"date":"2016-06-14T08:48:26","date_gmt":"2016-06-14T12:48:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=11658"},"modified":"2016-06-14T08:51:00","modified_gmt":"2016-06-14T12:51:00","slug":"pastors-ponderings-up-above-the-world-so-bright","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=11658","title":{"rendered":"Pastor’s Ponderings: Up Above the World so Bright"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pastor Jim submitted the following thoughts for the June issue of Steeple Notes…<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Greetings Friends:<\/p>\n

There is an old story about a young boy who had a great interest in playing the piano….<\/p>\n

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The boy\u2019s mother had arranged for him to receive lessons.\u00a0 As an incentive and wanting to encourage him, the mother bought tickets for her son to see a performance by Ignace Paderewski<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 Paderewski was an accomplished Polish pianist, composer, and statesman, who later became Prime Minister of Poland in 1919.<\/p>\n

When the night of the concert finally arrived, the mother and her son found their seats near the front of the concert hall.\u00a0 The boy was awestruck and sat in wide\u2013eyed wonder staring at the grand piano as it sat on the stage.\u00a0 The mother began talking to a friend who was sitting nearby and she failed to notice that her son arose from his seat and walked away.\u00a0 As the house lights began to dim and the spotlight hit the piano, the mother gasped as she saw her son seated at the piano bench!\u00a0 Her gasps quickly turned to fear as her son began playing \u201cTwinkle, Twinkle, Little Star!\u201d\"Sistine<\/p>\n

Before the mother could go to the stage to retrieve her son, the famous concert pianist appeared on the stage and quickly walked over to the piano where the boy was still playing.\u00a0 Paderewski whispered in the boys ear, \u201cDon’t quit…keep playing.\u201d\u00a0 Paderewski then reached down with his left hand and began filling in the bass part.\u00a0 Then with his right hand, reached around the boy encircling him, to add a running obligato.\u00a0 Together, the older master and the young novice mesmerized the crowd! \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/div><\/div>\n

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That true story reminds us that God continues whispering in our ears, \u201cDon’t quit…keep on playing.\u201d\u00a0 Even when it seems life is bringing us flat or sour notes, God is coming alongside to assist us in making His music.\u00a0 God will add to our best efforts and the result will be amazing.\u00a0 With God reaching around and encircling us, together, beautiful music can be made!<\/p>\n

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Here’s a video of Paderewski “in action” during a concert in 1937…<\/p>\n

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