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!