Celestial Gifts

It is one of the worst sounds in the universe... an instrument being played around on by an individual without musical ability. Call me a snob, I don't care, it hurts deep in my spirit. I get incensed when someone says that they've never had a lesson, perform horribly on an instrument, and then have the audacity to try and blame God for the debacle. "God gave me this talent." No, sir or ma'am, He didn't. 

God-given Talent

I recently felt the prompting of the Spirit in my own life showing me how very much like these non musical performers I had become. I was trying to force my will through in a situation that I had no business trying to control. I gave lip service to the fact that I did not have the ability to run things on my own, but did not feel I had the time to "wait' on the Lord. So it was in very quick order that chaos and confusion reigned supreme. It was also in very quick order that I went crawling to the Creator to make things right. The sufficient grace that He always provides was once again more than enough to set things in order, amaze me anew, and tweak the imperfections in my life so that I grow a little more like Him. 

Divine Revelation

I imagine my efforts were much like the offering of a non musician on an instrument intended for beauty giving off offensive and ugly sounds. I also see that if the Master Musician is so merciful to me, then I had better be careful how I approach the offenders of my delicate aesthetic sensibilities. If He is willing to be patient with me then I can get over myself and become more of a teacher than critic with those dear, sweet, sincere souls... who are making a racket.

An die Musik

“Oh gracious Art, in how many grey hours,When life's fierce orbit ensnared me, Have you kindled my heart to warm love, Transfigured me into a better world! How often has a sigh escaping from your harp, A sweet, a sacred harmony of yours Thrown open the heaven of better times, Oh gracious Art, for that I thank you!”

Sometimes you just have those days. I was having one of those days today – thinking to myself that a job selling books door-to-door wasn’t sounding so bad after all! I really love music –obviously, but sometimes I think I just can’t hear it anymore, can’t write it anymore, can’t teach it any more, can’t grade it anymore!

Today was one of those days. But then, ironically, the words to one of the hundreds of lieder by Franz Schubert started running through my mind. Schubert’s hymn to the art of music, “An die Musik,” was written in 1817 and, in German, is still sung the world over today. So what is it about music that is so captivating, so ensnaring and inescapable? I can honestly say that some of my deepest personal hurts have come at the hands of music – or I should say musicians. But on the flipside, some of my deepest joys have come as a result of it. I guess that’s what happens with things we love, right?

I often wonder, what is it about the power of music, of song? Surely we have all talked about its ability to captivate our emotions, to order the atmosphere, to shape the very direction of our lives. What a fascinating creation it is! What a fascinating creation any art form is– as my friend Laura Jurek has taught me. Her beautiful paintings, stained glass and simple drawings have shown me a dimension of beauty that could never be expressed the same in any other venue. (Thanks, Laura)

When I contemplate all this – the beauty, the captivating power – I have to stand back in amazement that the Lord whom we worship created such a thing. Surely it has to be one of the most special of all His creations. I believe it is part of the essence of his being:

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

Imagine the sound of His music!

I realize my ramblings here seem more like a stream of consciousness than organized thought, but I do have a point here. When gratitude rises in my heart for this art that I am privileged to be a part of, what my heart is really speaking is praise to my heavenly Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, who chose music as His means to express the essence of His being – His love- to me, his daughter. “Oh gracious Art,” oh gracious Lord, “for that I thank you!”

Motivate Me...I dare you...

My Christmas tree is still up. Don't judge me. You don't know what it took just to get it up. Like I mentioned before, the Christmas "thang" just wasn't happening for me. What gets me is all the motivational music that you have to get you in the mood for decorating. All one has to do is pop in Nat King Cole, Mariah Carey, or whatever your preference, and KABOOM! You have instant impetus to string lights on...anything!

So where is my motivating music to take it all down? What, no jingling bells? I need some motivation! My sister shared her play list for motivational housecleaning music. It included (mostly) hits from the '90's, uh, remember the Spin Doctors? There was some old school gospel jamz from New Jersey Mass Choir and Dean Martin. Yes, Dean Martin. The whole housecleaning soundtrack I get. But what does one do to deconstruct a feeling? Did I mention twinkle lights? Who wants to take away the twinkles? Not me. If I have to do it I want to feel like I have a cause in mind. That by keeping the tree up I'm causing harm to my children's psyche. Or perhaps that I'm causing the allergen count in my house to multiply times ten. The trouble with that logic is that if it was true, I would never put the blasted thing up in the first place. But those twinkle lights! If I was not such a sucker for those twinkle lights!

I'm coming to my point here: Is there enough motivational music out there to deconstruct the human will? I'm talking about repentance here. I know we have a gazillion praise songs in our repertoire. We have worship songs on our song lists that make me want to cry by just humming the opening refrain. Incredible songs that create the atmosphere for worship. I understand the concept of praise for all who breathe and that it breaks down the walls to allow us to come into the inner court of worship. The soundtracks for that are immense. But are there enough songs that reveals the dirt behind surface decoration? Gorgeous songs. Songs that drip with majesty. But are there enough songs that say, "Your tinsel is out of place now. The twinkles are insignificant. There's dust on the baubles. And it's time to make a change."

Perhaps this is for the songwriters and psalmists to tackle. Which leads me to my next question (look for it in March): Is there a difference between songwriters and psalmists? I'm going to go unplug my tree now. Each small step brings me that much closer...

Liminality

I was leading song service last night, #172, He Set Me Free. As I went through the three verses, I came closer and closer to singing the notes as written, until finally, on the third verse, got almost the whole verse correctly sung. And the whole congregation was singing it the way we always sing it, that is, differently than written.

Would that instead of "smartphones" we had "smarthymnals" (songbooks, if you will) that would rewrite the notes in the book to match the notes being sung by the congregants.

I reminded myself of my initial response to "Apostolic" music. It's been almost 13 years so the specifics may be a little off . . . I do not relive the memories to criticize. These are more memories of how I experienced it as an outsider looking in. Now that I have the "insider" view I have a completely different viewpoint.

Too loud and too repetitive. The music and the preaching. The only respite from the cacophony is the altar music.

Come on, do you really have to sing the same chorus fourteen times in a row?

Oooooh- kay. You're all singing this chorus and supposedly I am expected to sing along but I don't know the words or the melody. Maybe that's why you're singing it so many times.

Having come from a culture of music reading, I do not understand this "just listen, you'll pick it up as we go." Adding to this misery bordering on the criminal, you don't even sing the same songs the same way each time. I mean, how does the melody go, exactly??

And eventually, there was choir. No written music. Just pick out the tenor part based on the third part down from "lead."

WHAT?? This is craziness. Surely you can't be serious. Really??

Oh yes. Not only are we serious, we actually consistently have a nice three part choir.

But what is the correct part?

It really doesn't matter what notes you sing as long as they sound agreeable and you don't stick out. And it would be nice if all the tenors are singing the same thing. But if you can't pick out your part or it's too high for you, just sing it an octave down, or sing lead an octave down.

In sum, there is no wrong way to sing "Pentecostal" -- except not to sing at all. But please try to sing in tune. And with a modicum of respect to traditional harmony or else sing vewy qwiet.