The Dot

Once again, music comes to my rescue in identifying ways to sow seeds of virtue into the common human experience. I was casually looking at a score and stumbled upon a revelation that has escaped my notice for as long as I have been studying music. It is the relational contribution of a simple, unimpressive dot to other symbols in music notation. 


Music professors and performers can talk about the dot in a multitude of ways to emphasize how important it is in deciphering, reading, and performing music. However, as I meditated on the dot this morning, a clear picture started to materialize in my mind's eye. Based on its position in relationship to a note, a dot can do two things that are diametrically opposed: 

• Lengthen or add to the duration of a note (called dotted notes)
• Reduce or shorten the duration of a note (dubbed staccato notes)

"Well, I knew that," each musician is inclined to say. It is undeniable that the effective uses of the dot have allowed composers, arrangers, and performers to offer such beautiful, expressive, and heartfelt music to the world. I am grateful for the gift of the dot in bringing exquisite music-making to the world through both dotted and staccato notes. 


However, let us focus on the implications of the action of the dot itself. To the eye, the dot is simply a dot whether it is supposed to represent a dotted or staccato note. It looks exactly the same; nothing about it changes in appearance. Yet, when it undergoes a shift in position, the dot can either contribute growth (longer note value) or it can call for a reduction or decrease (shorter note value). The importance of the dot is found in its contribution to the note that is closest to it. If it is placed to the right of the note, then it adds to its duration. However, if it is placed under or below the note, then it shortens its note value.


Let me suggest that each human being is akin to a dot. In relationship to the universe, we are small, insignificant, just like dots are tiny in comparison to the vastness of a musical score. Still, the Father thinks that we are significant enough to send His Son to earth and have Him die on our behalf. Furthermore, He gives us a charge to work/subdue the earth and to make a difference in the lives of the people with whom we interact. 


The more I think about it, the more I realize that every day I am either adding to the value of the resources entrusted to me or squandering them. 


I add value to my resources every time I choose to:

• love my neighbor as myself (partner with them, lend a hand, give a hug, share a smile)
• pray for and visit the sick
• feed the hungry and clothe the naked
• take care of animals and the environment
• practice the Great Commission (share the gospel with diverse groups, lead people to baptism, teach them to obey and follow Christ)
• encourage the depressed, downtrodden, abused, forsaken
• forgive and extend grace to my oppressors

So, that is an accurate picture of the life of a committed believer. Such is the way to put into practice God’s command to us to be fruitful and increase in number. His Word says we are to grow and multiply the resources He has provided for us. 


Unfortunately, I often do the exact opposite. I squander, deplete, or reduce my resources every time I opt to:

• put myself first and trample my neighbor underfoot (undercut)
• neglect to pray for and visit the sick
• stuff my stomach and discard wastes instead of feeding the hungry
• abuse animals and the environment
• keep the good news of Jesus to myself
• discourage, criticize, and poke fun at other people
• hold grudges and refuse to extend grace to people

A staccato creates a bounce in music. When we get under people's skin, then we are true staccati. We make people explode outwardly or inwardly. We irk, demean, aggravate, infuriate, or belittle them when we discourage them. However, when we are rightly positioned as partners in Christ walking side by side, we encourage, affirm, build up, uplift, comfort, strengthen, and empower them to do even more for the kingdom of God. 


Hebrews 3:13 tells us,

"But encourage one another daily, 

as long as it is called today, 

so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."

So today, be encouraged by the words aforementioned and may the God of grace fill you with all kinds of wisdom and confidence so that you may increase in good deeds and faith in the knowledge of His word!

Father, please teach us to be true encouragers. Grant that every little word or gesture we use be a source of encouragement to our fellow brothers and sisters. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.

Blending

“I was asleep but now I’m awake.”

The above phrase is a statement I often utter to myself when I am not completely awake but want to be up and about. I also say it when I need to shake apathy off of my system so I can be keenly aware of what is happening around me. 

On a more serious note, still, that phrase has lodged itself into the center of my brain and surfaces each time I think of the image projected onto the screen of our lives who are self-proclaimed followers of Christ. I feel like saying, “Wake up.” In fact, I do have to repeat it to myself more times than I care to recount.

Why should Christ-followers wake up? 
What is the slumber of which I speak?

I know a term that explains it well and it is one which takes me right back to Biola Chorale rehearsals in Crowell Hall 122 at the Biola Conservatory in La Mirada, CA. The word is blending.

When I was growing up in Haiti, I did not really know what that musical term meant in light of a classical choral sound. However, that word came wafting into the air as soon as I walked into that choir room during my freshman year of college. Blending is this wonderful fusion of timbre, acoustical properties, colors, and energy that make a group of singers sound as though they were one voice. Blending transforms a choir from a group of random voices to a single, homogeneous instrument.

This oneness or fusion can only happen if singers learn to listen to each other and give up the need to be soloistic in their singing for the sake of something that is even better for the ensemble. With a masterful conductor, the experience can be fulfilling and exquisite. Thank you, God, for the Biola Chorale!

Yet, in the hands of an inefficient and ineffective conductor, blending can be enforced to such an extent that it could be disastrous to the overall choral sound and negatively impact the whole group. It can destroy the unique properties of individual voices, causing them to lose their very essence and sheen.

The same can be said of us Christians. When followers of Christ blend effectively, they can be winsome, fragrant, and attractive witnesses to those around them on God's behalf. To that effect, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:19-22, 

“Though I am free and belong to no man, 

I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 

To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. 

To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), 

so as to win those under the law. 

To those not having the law, I became like one not having the law 

(though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), 

so as to win those not having the law. 

To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. 

I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 

I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

As disciples charged to share the good news to all, we will be more winsome and have a far better chance at bringing others to Christ if we choose to understand the language of the hearts of unbelievers. 

How do we do that?

Well, we need to know their names. We need to seek to understand what is important to them. We need to spend time with them, treat them as people, invest in their lives, and lend a helping hand to them when assistance is needed. Since our identity is found in Christ and not in cultural matters, we can modify some external patterns in order to be more approachable – as long as we stay true to God’s Word. In doing so, we can relate to non-Christians and they will trust us with important matters in their lives, giving us clear opportunities to share the gospel with them.

However, the Bible also tells us that we can go too far if we are not careful. We must be on our guard because we can easily violate the tenets of sound doctrine in our zeal to “become all things to all men.” If we blend too much – becoming indistinguishable from the rest of the world – the unsaved people who need to see Christ in us will fail to recognize the very traits that set us apart.

This blending business is quite a balancing act!

Are people ever surprised to discover that we are Christians due to our thinking patterns, choices of language and clothing, and our actions and activities? I pray not. 


Romans 12:2 tells us plainly,

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, 

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 

Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – 

His good, pleasing, and perfect will.”

Now, as I make music, I aim to remember that God is the Giver of all gifts – including my music. I strive to be the best musician that I can be for His glory. In my actions, I seek to blend with others bearing in mind God’s perspective. Jesus came to earth and took on human flesh. That means He has blended His divine nature with our human nature. 

He has become one of us. 

He relates to us.

He ate with the tax collectors and prostitutes without ever losing His essence. He was humble, generous, kind, loving, yet truthful and firm. What a powerful witness!

I wonder if you would ponder with me:

Do you and I blend the way Christ does?
Are we so self-righteous that all people see in us is legalism and no room for grace and forgiveness?
Do we go to the other extreme and not remain true to our very essence?

Blending as a follower of the Way is a difficult task – no questions asked. Yet, “I can do [even that] through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) 

Let us not shy away from connecting with others who are different from us. Let us bring a smile on the face of the orphan. Let us clothe the naked, feed the hungry, offer water to the thirsty, wipe the brow of the sweaty construction worker, visit with those who are friendless, share a meal with the prostitute, feel the pain of the cancer patient, and so much more for many more.

Lord, teach us to use our influence in a quiet, humble, yet infectious way, to spark the curiosity of those who do not know You. Help us to introduce them to You – the Friend of sinners, the Savior, the gentle Healer, the King of kings. Amen!

Talent

I was quite young when the word "talent" came to my attention. I was not entirely sure what it meant but it sounded flattering when, after I sang in church one morning, an elderly woman approached me with a wide grin on her face and told me I had talent.  Upon getting home, I went straight to my mom and eagerly requested an explanation of that word which, apparently, was something I possessed. 

Without missing a beat, my mom directed my attention to the Bible and told me to read Matthew 25:14-30. This is the passage where Jesus tells the parable of the talents (to one servant the master gave five, to another two, and to the third servant, a single talent). I liked the story as soon as I read it but I returned to my mom with a puzzled expression on my face and uttered, 

“Why did that woman say I had talent?”

This time, my mom did take the time to explain that by talent, most people refer to the finest and best skills each person possesses. Filled with pride, I beamed when I said, 

“So, that elderly woman paid me a compliment because she believes I am a really good singer?”

Wisely, my mom pointed out that it was nice of that lady to acknowledge my singing. She further assured me that singing was indeed one of my talents. Yet, ultimately, I have no right or basis to be prideful about any single talent I possess because each one of them came from God. In fact, every talent is a special charge or specific assignment a master entrusts to a servant. In other words, Jesus is the Master, I am the servant, and singing is one talent He has entrusted to me.

As the truth began sinking into my brain, she posed,

“Son, do you want to be like the guy with the five talents or the one who buried his?”

I will not forget that day.

I will not forget that powerful lesson.

I will not dare take my singing for granted.

In hindsight, I can see that one of my mom’s talents is the gift of teaching.

Since then, the parable of the talents has become one of my favorites because it is a good story which furnishes a memorable explanation of the word talent and provides a variety of good life applications.  

Through the years, I have heard people from all walks of life claim that they have no talent whatsoever, meaning they cannot sing or play an instrument or do anything that is considered artistic. Truth be told, there are music majors at colleges and universities in the world who do not sing or play that well either. Those of us who can sing and/or play well should be humble and grateful to the Lord who saw it fitting to bless us in this way. 

Nonetheless, I must say that every single person on earth has received many talents from God, the Maker of the Universe. Matthew 25:14-30 suggests that God charges each individual with specific tasks linked directly to his/her areas of giftedness. Some may have five, others two, and yet others one. Some may be gifted in music, others in preaching, and yet others in administration. 

We all have talents. Those talents or gifts we possess are nothing but daily chores that we must perform faithfully. They should never be used as self-promoting materials but ought to be used for the common good of the body of Christ as investment vehicles to further God's kingdom in the world.

How does that take place?

Firstly, each person needs to come to terms with the fact that there is no room for jealousy over somebody else’s talent. God has gifted each and every person uniquely. If I envy other people because of their artistic gifts, then I am merely telling God that He made a mistake in how He has blessed me. I ought to be grateful for what I have.

Secondly, every human being has to work diligently to generate a worthwhile product with God’s gifts of time, treasure, talent, and toil or task. We have to ask ourselves:

“What do I do in the 24 hours I am given each day? What do I do with the income I receive? How effectively and efficiently do I use my gifts of music, cooking, cleaning, athletics, or, even, frienship? How conscientious and patient am I with the tasks assigned to me at work, at home, within the body of Christ? Am I diligent with God’s resources in my life?”

Thirdly, God will evaluate our performance someday and He will measure our fruitfulness according to the way we handle our resources on earth, including each song we sing, each friendship we share, each gift we receive, and each rehearsal we attend. This point brings a wave of gratitude into my heart for God’s grace because without Christ, we can do nothing. It gives us a fresh opportunity to thank Him for all He has allowed us to do and for what He will enable us to do until this earth passes away.

Fourthly, we need to acknowledge that there is a continuum or scope for each talent we have been granted – it either increases or it decreases. The old adage "use it or lose it" is really true. So, when we invest thirty minutes in practicing a piece of music, it means that we are breathing life into that half of an hour. The neglect or refusal to exercise our gifts with purpose simply means that we are poisoning God’s resource to death.

Lastly, we need to admit that using God’s resources takes a great deal of faith. Faith involves taking risks. Most people do nothing because they are afraid of failure. God says we should only fear Him. So, it is much better to risk and fail than doing nothing at all. The first two servants doubled their talents and the master rewarded them with the title "good and faithful worker." The third one played it safe by doing nothing but the master called him "wicked, lazy servant."

How convicting!

My meditation on the word “talent” has brought me face to face with God. He has placed me on His operating table and wrought an intense surgical procedure on my heart. He has led me to see how unfruitful I am when I play it safe. He has shown me that my perfectionism, which often halts my growth in many areas, is nothing but a pitiful attempt on my part to take control of what I thought was mine. Just like the small boy who left his loaves and fish in the hands of Jesus, I need to surrender all I possess into the hands of God and wait patiently for His miraculous multiplication. 

I tend to think that if I just secure things and make sure that I lose nothing, then at least I will stay afloat. God is showing me that such a tendency will always prevent me from living a life of increase and fruitfulness; it will lead me to death. The words of Jesus confirm that truth in Luke 9:24, 

“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. 

But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” 

(NLT) 

The last part of that verse tells us the reason for surrendering our talents to Christ – it is for the sake of Christ. When we exercise our gifts, we are really investing. We are choosing to sow a seed and wait on God for the incubation and increase of that seed. Investing is linked to obedience and faith which are the quintessential elements of righteousness. Non-investing, otherwise known as doing nothing, is a form of rebellion or wickedness or unfaithfulness.  

Job 15:31 says it best: 

“Let him not deceive himself by trusting what is worthless, 

for he will get nothing in return.”

So, are we investing the resources God has entrusted to us? Are we striving for righteousness by spreading God’s fame through our talents or are we settling for wickedness by playing it safe and being lazy with His gifts? 

O Christ, embolden us to be good and faithful servants with the resources You have entrusted to us! In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.

Martellato

I love Easter Sunday! 

I get goose bumps each time I think of Christ’s victory over death and the grave. My heart is filled with excitement over the blessed hope I have in Christ because of the empty tomb and the ascension of Jesus to His Father. In the wash of mundane activities and the flurry of scheduled events, the vivid image of Easter sometimes fades away. Yet, thanks be to God, His Word reminds me to rejoice daily because every day is an act of His grace, an Easter celebration.

Still, we must remember that before Easter Sunday came Good Friday, the day that commemorates the passion of the precious Savior and Redeemer. On that day, Jesus was the recipient of countless injuries. One instrument of torture used that day was the hammer that drove long, rusty nails into the hands and feet of Christ. Imagining such a wrenching scene always sends tears rolling down my cheeks. 

Today, however, I feel differently about that memory. My mind's eye is opened to see that, in the eyes of the Father, the hammering done by the Roman soldiers was an energetic and powerful thrust yet a beautiful, melodious sound that brought about the redemption of all repentant sinners. 

The thought of that woeful yet life-giving hammer brought to mind the musical term martellato, an Italian word that means "hammered."  It is most often used in string playing indicating heavy, detached strokes with the bow. In piano playing, it is suggestive of a forceful, detached touch. When martellato is used with control and finesse, the sound comes to life and beautiful music emerges. 

This season of my life has provided ample fodder for my understanding of the excruciating pain our Maestro underwent on the cross. So much more than just the hammer struck Jesus: 

• the bitterness of His cup of suffering 
• the slumber that kept His disciples from praying with Him in the garden 
• the treason of Judas
• the fleeing of His disciples
• the mockery of His trials
• the denial of Peter
• the false charges against Him
• the 39 lashes at His flogging
• the numerous insults hurled at Him
• the slapping of His face
• the piercing of His side
• the persistence of sin in the world

. . . Indeed, Jesus was hammered on the cross by so much more. 

More striking still was the abandonment Jesus felt when He cried out to His Father, "Eloi! Eloi! Lama sabachthani?" –- “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46, NIV)

Well, why indeed?

Why would the most loving Father choose not to intervene in the wished-for manner? 

Why would He not call upon ten thousand angels to snatch the body of His precious Son from that cursed tree?Why would He refrain from making the angry, arrogant mob eat its filthy words of scorn, mockery, and shame?

One look at Jesus on the cross confirmed to the Father that His justice required holy wrath. Love-stricken, Jesus wore the cloak of our misdeeds, warts, blemishes, and crimes. He took upon Himself the iniquities of all mankind and the Father knew at that moment that His righteousness had to give the Son His biggest blow, His strongest martellato –- the separation of Jesus from the blessed fellowship of the God-head. The ultimate musician, God, played His instrument masterfully to the stupefaction of the accuser. 

Satan is vanquished!

What a profound mystery!

This martellato equally affects us who follow Christ. We are often the recipients of emotional, physical, and spiritual blows while on earth. We must remember that when life's pressures, attacks, and trials come our way, it is the Father's skillful hands playing martellato on the strings of our hearts to bring out joyful music for His glory and for the strengthening of our faith. This thought is echoed in the book of James, 

"Consider it pure joy, 

my brothers and sisters, 

whenever you face trials of many kinds, 

because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 

Perseverance must finish its work 

so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." 

James 1:2-4, NIV

Let us be grateful that Christ received the fullness of God's wrath, His heaviest martellato, in our stead. Let us rejoice that we are blessed to partake in His sufferings so we can lack nothing. Let us praise His name because Jesus is our High Priest, interceding on our behalf.

O Jesus, thank you for being my High Priest. I need not worry because in you there is a solution for every problem, an answer for each question, sympathy for each pain, and strength for each weakness of mine. Help me to be patient and growing in your love as I walk daily. Remind me that you are interceding on my behalf even right now. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Memory

"I've banked Your promises

in the vault of my heart

so I won't sin myself bankrupt."

Psalm 119:11, MSG

Perhaps, my absolute favorite week of the entire year is Holy Week -- the most sacred week in the Church Calendar. Throughout the Lenten season, I seek to engage in activities that remind me of the ultimate price that my Savior paid on my behalf. From Palm Sunday onward, my daily prayers serve as a means to recalibrate my mind and prepare my heart to celebrate Maundy Thursday (the commemoration of the Last Supper), Good Friday (the passion of Christ), Holy Saturday (the Sabbath rest of Christ in the tomb), and Easter Sunday (the resurrection of Christ). 

I was but a young boy attending Sunday school when I was given the answer to the why question of Jesus' death – He was crushed for my iniquities and was made to suffer because of the load of my guilt and shame. 

Yet, for the major part of my life, I have not lived as though I truly remember that He came to die for my individual sins as well as the collective sin of all of mankind. It is only human of me to forget so easily. However, God is in the business of reminding, of jogging my memory as His Word tells me to remember . . . remember . . . remember. 

Musicians are a special breed because, in music, the use of memory is constantly required. For example, music students have to memorize the names of scale degrees and the order in which they appear. They must easily recollect key signatures, nuances, rests, notes, etc. Singers and pianists, in particular, have to commit huge chunks of their repertoire to memory.

It is not too difficult to remember such facts in a theory classroom, a voice studio, or even at a rehearsal. However, the time when memory really matters is during a performance, when the stakes are really high. 

How often do audience members cringe during a piano recital because the performer has to deal with memory slips? In my own musical journey, I have had instances when I would forget important words while performing an aria or an art song. Though at times memory slips come out of nowhere, most often my forgetting occurs because those specific passages were not sufficiently drilled into my heart or absorbed by my body and mind. 

Contrary to common belief, memory in itself is quite faithful. The part that is unreliable in us is the process of memorization. For over two years now, I have focused much of my time on the virtue of patience in my personal study. As a result, the Lord has further instilled in me a desire to seek to memorize as small a chunk as possible and as frequently as possible.  As I patiently go over musical passages over and over, I slowly add a couple measures a day. I use the same principle for technical concepts as I do for memorizing music. Then, when it is time for me to perform, I do not have to fret because it is all in my system, my body, my mind, my heart. 

Such a process has brought me to this conclusion – memory serves us what we have already served it. If we give our memory the gifts of cramming, last-minute pointers, and nervousness, then it will serve us memory slips, disasters, and poor performances. If we give it steadiness and patient nurturing instead, then when the pressure is on, it will grant us a peace and an assurance that will defy all storms.

It should be no surprise to us that the Master modeled that kind of memory during His passage on earth. When Christ faced the big storms of His life, He turned to the Holy Scriptures which, as a man, He had committed to memory. At the onset of His ministry, Jesus used God's Word to fight Satan's temptation. When He upturned the trading tables in the temple, He used the Scriptures. Throughout His life, He used God's Word to pray, to heal, to comfort, to encourage, to admonish, to revive, and to save. So, naturally, when He faced the most excruciating pain of His life (the spiritual separation between Him and His father), He quoted Psalm 22 -- one of king David's Psalms, the Psalm of the Cross. There He was on the cross dying the most cruel death known to man and He was quoting Scripture. 

Why could He? 
How could He? 

I believe it was because the consistency of His memory work had provided for His human heart a real closeness with God to such a degree that when He felt separated from His father, He desperately clung to the Holy Word of God. I believe it was the only way He could have endured the atrocities of mankind and worn the ill-fitting outfit of sin, scorn, and shame.

Although only seven phrases have been recorded as His Swan Song (the last words of Christ), I wonder how many chapters from God's Word constituted the whole of His meditation on that forsaken tree. I am convinced that it was God's Word which gave our Master the endurance, patience, and strength He needed to die such a cruel death, be buried, and have victory over death.

We have all been called to imitate Christ.
Therefore, we have all been called to memorize Scripture. 

"Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts.

Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children.

Talk about them wherever you are

-- sitting at home or walking in the street --

talk about them from the time you get up in the morning

to when you fall into bed at night."

Deuteronomy 6:6-7, MSG

As human beings we change constantly because we tend to be guided by our emotions, and we all know how fickle those are. Since emotions affect the heart which fires signals to the tongue to speak, our words change and our resolve wavers. Unfortunately, our lives are such that we are constantly assailed by spiritual attacks and without God's Word in our heart and on our tongue, we are completely defenseless. To borrow the words of Dr. Donald Whitney, "a pertinent scriptural truth, brought to [one’s] awareness by the Holy Spirit at just the right moment, can be the weapon that makes the difference in a spiritual battle." 

So, in order to be victorious, we need to follow the example of Jesus and hide God's Word in our hearts so that it can be used by the Holy Spirit to rekindle the flame of our passion. We are all so emotionally run down that, on our own, according to Dr. John Piper, "We do not experience God in the fullness of our emotional potential." In order to remedy that situation, I believe we must explore the Bible, memorize the emotions depicted therein, and learn to express those emotions until they become genuinely ingrained in us.

As God’s people, we have claimed for far too long that we do not have a good memory and therefore, Scripture memory is not for us. God has gently nudged my heart and opened my eyes to see that we all can. We have all memorized our names, our phone numbers, our social security numbers, and our mailing addresses. We can easily remember the ignition key to our car and the trajectory of the fork from the plate to our mouths. In short, we easily memorize the things we use on a daily or consistent basis. 

We even memorize things we see others do regularly. For example, my 4-year old daughter has already memorized several psalms only because she is in the kitchen when I teach each verse to my 9-year old. She has learned all of that second-hand because Scripture memory is part of her environment. It makes me wonder, what is in our environment that we are memorizing second-hand? Is it gossip, slander, impurity, sexual immorality, triviality, laziness, impatience, apathy toward God? 

Oh, that we would consider memorizing a little bit of Scripture daily! God wants us to do so and has equipped us with the necessary skills to achieve it. We simply need to develop the patience and the tenacity to memorize one small fragment every day. 

As with any discipline, we will do much better if accountability is involved in the process of memorizing -- a memorization buddy, a passage with specific translation and number of verses, and a regular time to meet and quote scripture to one another. Not only will we grow in God's word and be equipped to do His work wherever we are, we will also develop a wonderful friendship with another believer.

May we all go and memorize God's Word, thinking on it and speaking it back to the Father! How amazed we will be to see our lives becoming transformed and renewed in Christ!

Meno

"He must become greater; I must become less." 

(John 3:30, NIV)

As piú brings a greater necessity for “more” into my life, I sometimes struggle to determine when it is a positive as opposed to a negative increase of activity. When I am not careful, “more” invites a hectic pace to my life. It is at those times that I need to make a concerted effort to cut back and carve out a few moments of silence and relaxation. Hence, meno imparts balance as it introduces the benefits of “less.”

Taken together, piú and meno help me remember that God is in control of everything. He is in control of the crazy schedules, the mounting piles of laundry, the exorbitant bills, the quickening pace of deadlines, the relational heartaches, and everything else that may jostle me from time to time. 

The musical term meno can be used as a means to achieve contrasts, especially in terms of nuances of tempo, articulation, and dynamics. In fact, boredom is settled easily in the minds of audience members when all they hear is a sameness of delivery in the performer's approach to sound production and communication. 

Since God included variety in His creation, it makes sense that most everyone is inclined to seek a variety of colors, tastes, shapes, and textures in music. To that end, meno provides the type of moderation that is required in order to achieve a product that is rich in timbre and meaning.

This moderation or restraint implies that great control is being exercised somewhere in the process of music making. At times, the performer may be the one who makes decisions regarding the sound being produced. Other times, this control could be emanating from another authority such as a studio instructor or a conductor. 

Some directives that are often given to performers are:

• Less shouty
• Less strident
• Less wordy
• Less mechanical
• Less flashy
• Less analytical
• Less notey (disconnected)
• Less bangy (harsh)

One that I particularly like is, "Less showy. Why don't you try to let the music speak for itself?" 

That specific directive makes me realize that I need to trust the music itself. I need to let go of the need to control it myself and simply let it come out through me as I trust the process given to me. Yet, how often do I try to muscle it out, or try very hard to "sell it" to the audience? 

How often do I see well-meaning students deliver a poor performance simply because they would not get out of the way and let the music flow out of them? How often do I hear trumpet players miss the highest point of the Haydn concerto because they were pressing too much and not letting the air carry their sound? In all of those cases, if less of self could be applied, a much more effective musical harvest would be reaped.

The issue at hand is that, in both music and life, my tendency is to focus on the result and forget about the process. I am convinced that the self-serving almighty “I” must achieve more of X, regardless of the cost. From my limited vantage point, it seems imperative that I be the one to make it happen since it appears that nobody else is going to get it done. I have, unfortunately, tasted the idiotic potion of self-worship, accustomed to the wielding of my selfish whims and desires as the underlying fortitude of my labor. 

Honesty reveals that this world functions with the prevailing notion that accumulation is both desirable and necessary. “More is better" is the phrase that feeds the heart’s hunger for a life of entitlement, luring people into believing that they can only experience happiness if they acquire just a little bit more. 

In music, there is the growing craving for more high notes, more solo opportunities, more virtuosity, more recognition, more applause, more audience members, and more excitement. In life, it is more stuff, more money, more power, more entertainment, more pleasure, etc. This hunger for more is as deadly as that of ravenous beasts hounding their prey.

I am aghast to recognize that same hunger within my breast. As a follower of Jesus, I know that I should be different. Indeed, the bride of Christ should be satisfied by the Bread of life. Yet, the church, too, wants more – more programs, more members, more of this music versus that music, more of this style of preaching as opposed to that one, more money, more ease, more fun, more of everything. 

One and all church-shop until they find the one that matches their escalation formula for personal success and fulfillment instead of finding a place where God is calling them to serve. The Bible is clear on this point – Christ has called the church to a life of sacrifice. This new life in Him recognizes that "more" can only be achieved through pruning, which can be translated into another four-letter word: meno or less. When less of self is promoted, then there is room for more love from Him, more strength from Him, more of His hand in all interactions.

This focus on meno brings a new flavor to the phrase "less is more" as it relates directly to the words spoken by John the Baptist on behalf of the Savior in John 3:30, "He must become greater; I must become less."

What a perfect example of selflessness! 

So, as I seek to do my work as a musician and thinker, my life ought to be about more of Him and less of me.

How unpopular! How selfless; yet, how true! 

My prayer for the bride of Christ is that the church would seek to reflect less and less of self and exude Christ more and more with increasing fruitfulness of talent, time, toil, and treasure. I pray that any resulting success will serve as a sacrifice of praise to the blessed Redeemer, Savior, and King. I also pray that even the relationships shared among believers will be more and more about Christ and less and less about human endeavor.

May my love for Christ be undying and may my love for my neighbor bring honor and worship to Christ alone! 

Grant to Your servant, O generous Lord, a grateful heart that will keep me aware of Your lordship and content with Your provision. Annihilate greed in me so that I may be free from the bondage of entitlement and the need to accumulate more perishable stuff. Help me to learn the benefits of pruning and may I rest in You, dear God, and feel thoroughly blessed and secure in the hollow of Your masterful hands! In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen!