"Summing it all up, friends,
I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating
on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious --
the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse."
Philippians 4:8, MSG
What a wonderful blessing to think upon it!
So, meditating on music has always been an exercise of sorts for me. What is different and new to me, however, is the connection between the idea of biblical meditation and musical meditation.
Aside from a few instances in Genesis, Joshua, Philippians, and other books, most biblical references to the word “meditate” are found in the Psalms, the songs of the Israelites. That is of particular interest to me because I am a musician. It tells me that music plays a significant role in meditation, a practice that God encourages us to carry out “day and night.” (Psalm 1:2)
What is meditation? It is the practice of pondering, thinking, ruminating, chewing on, or mulling over nuggets of a particular substance -- truth, perfection, beauty, etc. Said substance will increase one's hunger and thirst, and in so doing, will prepare the recipient to accept the nutrients needed for one's substantial growth in any given area.
Such is the purpose of the songbook of the Hebrews -- the Psalms. They represent a huge body of music in the Bible – a total of 150 songs of meditation. They are similar to journal entries that guide the believer in expressing intimate feelings of joy, sadness, contrition, frustration, anguish, peace, gratitude, and the like, to God. They also reflect to the mind and heart the true character of God in a memorable, poignant manner.
I often find myself retreating to the Psalms at times when I feel overwhelmed by my circumstances and need practical answers from God. Occasionally, I would notice literary headings at the beginning of the text. Yet, by laziness or ignorance, I would rarely pause to reflect on what they say -- they always seemed unimportant or even cumbersome.
Recently, however, I was meditating on Psalm 51 as part of my preparation for a worship service when I felt prompted to pause and reflect on its heading. That time of stillness and reflection proved to be one of the richest worship experiences I have had as it tilled and softened the soil of my heart for the fresh planting of God’s Word and the strengthening of my faith.
I have since equated that experience with the enriching practice of meditating on musical terms, concepts, and/or ideas in my quest of gaining a deeper faith. In an age when music literacy is waning, it is a timely endeavor to bring to the fore the benefits of gleaning a more fruitful harvest from the musical terms of our heritage.
It is my belief and experience that meaningful worship can, in fact, take place in every performance (sacred or secular setting). Yet, it only occurs insofar as one expresses gratitude to God for the gift of music while also grasping deeper insights into the musical terms and tempo markings that are encountered in a musical score. Worship, thus, happens because such aids prepare people's hearts for what is to come.
As I think of the role of the musician in leading God’s people to worship, I am endeavoring to mine numerous musical terms to find newer and richer nuggets of truth for the spiritual battle that faces all Christ’s followers. Heeding God's call to help prepare minds and hearts for the worship of Christ, I am endeavoring to dig deeply through each concept/idea in search of meaningful connections between music and faith.
May hearts be transformed and readied to welcome and worship Christ, the Music of Heaven!
No comments:
Post a Comment