Prepared Piano

People may say, "What an odd term to choose for this meditation!" To be honest, I was a bit apprehensive about it myself. However, my heart was stirred within me as God began showing me His cues through prayer and scripture reading. So, as I collect my thoughts and share what He has shown me, I pray that God will cause all who read this to see Him in a new light and that they will be empowered in their worship of Christ, the Dayspring, the Rod of Jesse, the Desire of nations, the Key of David, the newborn King!


First, what is meant by the term prepared piano? 


Coined by American composer John Cage in the 1940s for his Bacchanale, the term refers to any piano in which the pitches, timbres and dynamic responses of individual notes have been altered with screws, rubber erasers and other objects placed between the strings. This level of preparation takes a great deal of planning, forethought, and practice. The result can be stunning or horrid depending on tastes but one fact remains that a serious transformation always takes place in the sound of the piano in question and, therefore, in the impact it has on audience members.


Every year, I do a lot of thinking during the holiday season between Halloween and New Year's. I see how people, church people, are divided about what to celebrate and what not to celebrate. Some people are offended by such terms as "Season's greetings" and "Happy Holidays." Others are consumed by the never-ending trips to malls and other shopping centers. Yet others are looking forward to the perpetual events and traditions that constitute a cultural holiday season -- presents, turkey dinners, Santa Claus rides, cookie-decorating parties, Christmas pageants, etc . . .


Do I dare ask the questions that keep coming to my mind? 


How should Christ-followers celebrate such holidays? 
Are we to fuss over traditions for the sake of appeasing consciences and maintaining status quo? 
Are we to be primarily concerned and consumed by political correctness, etiquette, decorations and lights, food gatherings, social outings? 


There is nothing inherently wrong with any of the aforementioned words per se; however, they all focus on the outside.


Perhaps, just like a prepared piano, we should endeavor to focus on the inside. Being the Master preparer, Jesus travails and traverses between the strings of our hearts in order to transform us, His earthen and clay vessels, and thoroughly prepare us to worship and welcome Him. He pulls, twists, pricks, prods, digs, urges, stirs, prompts, molds, and shapes the strings of our hearts in such a way that we are rendered prepared masterpieces “created in Christ Jesus to do good works which He prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)


I think of the lyrics of a worship song I learned while a freshman at Biola University,

“Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary

Pure and holy, tried and true,

With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.” 

(Jaci Velasquez)

How can we be refined, prepared, tried, purified? By allowing God to reveal to us the areas that have kept us chained, confessing them to God and others, and turning from old sinful habits while embracing the call to obedience. 


When we feel harassed, insulted, infringed upon, we are simply being prepared to extend grace to others. When the exorbitant bills are due and there is still “more month at the end of the money,” it means that we are being prepared to hope and exercise faith/trust in God. When we are stretched too thin by deadlines and responsibilities, we are being prepared to receive the solace and comfort that the peace of Christ provides. When tears and heartaches become our daily food, we are being prepared to experience full joy in our Redeemer and Friend. When we are served with divorce papers, marital unfaithfulness, and betrayals, we are ultimately being prepared to turn to God’s unfailing love. 


He is preparing us, dear friends, in good and bad times.


So, let us follow in the footsteps of David who humbly said in Psalm 139:23-24, 

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; 

test me and know my anxious thoughts. 

See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Let us enter God's examination room during times of preparation, asking ourselves:

• Can I find a quiet space in the busy-ness of my life to commune with God?
• Is my heart truly prepared to meet Christ during this season?
• Have I been thinking more highly of myself or more highly of God?
• Do I think that I can justify myself by following the law or do I embrace the blood of Christ?
• Am I trusting God to save me and keep my feet from slipping?
• Do I belittle others because of their wrongdoing?
• Do I honestly and completely recognize that without God’s intervention I am capable of committing heinous crimes the like of murder and sexual perversion?
• Am I submitting/surrendering my sinful tendencies and desires to God so that He can do away with them on a continual basis? 

Answering those questions honestly will bring to us an awareness of our need to acknowledge the Lordship of Christ and to express our gratitude to God for His amazing grace and the gift of righteousness He has granted to us.


Holy Spirit, do in us all you want to do in order to prepare our hearts for Your service. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.