The Spirituality of Sound

“Music confers upon human language addressed to God the appropriate silence and mystery required by prayer.  Music is the language of the soul made audible especially as music is the performative mode of the prayer and ritual engagement of a community” (Don Saliers) The author is saying that ordered sound shapes our thoughts into distinctive forms of affection and receptivity.

Let me illustrate.  For those of you who ever played jump rope—especially double dutch—you will recall that there was a narrative ritual to the game.  As you jumped you recited a verse. Ours was “Cinderella, dressed in yellow/Went upstairs to kiss her fellow/Made a mistake/And kissed a snake/How many doctors/Did it take/1, 2, 3, 4, 5. . . . “(with a speed up of the rope turning for the counting). As you analyze this you discover that children have to learn to accent the words just so.  The movements could become quite complex yet the rules remain simple: “don’t miss the skips, know the words, and do it all in a right spirit.” The words, the singing, and the movements were learned together. This image becomes a wonderful metaphor for the formative and expressive power of congregational participation in worship through established rituals.  When you fuse together ordered sound, and ordered movement the result is a communal sense of shared narrative.

I haven’t tried it for a while, but I would be willing to bet that my body still remembers and would react accordingly if I were to once again engage in the game of jump rope. The body remembers shared music making long after the mind may be dimmed. This is very evident to those of us who have participated in nursing home worship services.

“Music has the power to encode and convey memory with powerful associations.”  Ask those of us who lived through the civil rights movement and associate the song “We Shall Overcome” with courage, pain and suffering.  Because we live through time, music is probably the most natural medium for coming to terms with the relatively short time span we are all given.  Music helps us to transcend time and come to terms with it.  “Our lives, like music, have pitch, tempo, tone, release, dissonance, harmonic convergence, as we move through times of grief, delight, hope, anger, and joy. In short, music has this deep affinity to our spiritual temperament and desire” (Saliers).

It is no small thing when a congregation comes together for worship and engage in song for to do so effectively requires deep memory.  The act of singing praise, lament, thanksgiving, and intercession goes beyond the surface of words and musical score.  If the text and musical form are adequate to mystery, suffering, and to the deeper range of emotions then the soul becomes open to the transforming grace of the Spirit.

Since I have already quoted heavily from Don Saliers let me end with his words: “Music can thus express the verbally inexpressible.  For the tension between what we see and have not yet seen, what we hear and have not yet heard, is the pattern that a theological interpretation of life offers.  Music has the power to engage more than the sense…This means that ordered sound must make connection with attitudes, beliefs, and sustained ways of viewing the world…shaping and expressing that [which] leads to a theological interpretation” of the Christian life.

A Time of Personal Worship

It only seems fitting to take a break from the usual topic.  I would like to share with you a bit of my time of personal worship and invite you to join in.  Easter has come and with it a sense of hope and new beginnings. While we look forward to Jesus resurrection appearances I would like to focus on his last command before ascending into Heaven.  "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."  Mark 16:14

 

Pastoral Prayer

God of glory, we celebrate your victory over the power of sin and death. The empty cross and the promise of the resurrection are tangible signs of hope in our broken world.  I pray that as we move forward in the hope of the resurrection that we will be inspired to fulfill your last command to us to preach the gospel and to make disciples.  I pray that the officers of the Empire State Division will be blessed by the moving of the Holy Spirit in their ministry.  Lord, we pray for revival; prepare our hearts and minds that we may be used as instruments for you and not stumbling blocks or obstacles.  Father, above all, let our lives be signs of your unending love. In the name of our risen Lord, Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

Scripture

Mark 16
14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

Sing aloud or follow in your heart the song "In Christ Alone" led by the band.  The words are below the video.

 

In Christ alone my hope is found,

He is my light, my strength, my song;

this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,

firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!

My Comforter, my All in All,

here in the love of Christ I stand.

 In Christ alone! who took on flesh

Fulness of God in helpless babe!

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones he came to save:

Till on that cross as Jesus died,

The wrath of God was satisfied -

For every sin on Him was laid;

Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain:

Then bursting forth in glorious Day

Up from the grave he rose again!

And as He stands in victory

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,

For I am His and He is mine -

Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,

This is the power of Christ in me;

From life's first cry to final breath.

Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell, no scheme of man,

Can ever pluck me from His hand;

Till He returns or calls me home,

Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

Meditate on the following written by John Bakewell:

Hail, O Once Despised Jesus

Hail, O once despised Jesus! Hail, O Galilean King!
You suffered to release us; Free salvation did you bring:
Hail, O agonizing Savior, Bearer of our sin and shame!
By Your merits we find favor; Life is given through Your Name.
Paschal Lamb, by God appointed, All our sins on You were laid;
By almighty love anointed, You have full atonement made:
All Your people are forgiven, Through the virtue of Your blood;
Opened is the gate of heaven, Made is peace ’tween man and God.
Worship, honor, power, and blessing, You are worthy to receive;
Loudest praises, without ceasing, Right it is for us to give:
Help, you bright angelic spirits, Bring your sweetest, noblest ways;
Help to sing our Savior’s merits, Help to chant Immanuel’s praise. 


Be blessed by The New York Staff Band Male Chorus a beautiful arrangment of "Rock of Ages."




Devotional Thought

Preach

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:14

God called me to do 'my preaching' through The Salvation Army as an officer. I was fearful of this call for so many reasons but the greatest worry for me was that I was terrified to speak in front of people.  (I was so painfully shy that as a child I would skip school on the days when oral reports were to be given.) Nevertheless, with the intent to obey Christ’s command I answered God’s call to officership.

I will never forget the first sermon I ever preached.  It was as a cadet during my field training assignment at the Times Square Corps.  It was bad enough that I had to stand at a pulpit and preach to a group of people in the chapel, but I also had to contend with the fact that it was broadcast outside.  While the message (and the meeting in general) was going on inside, there were cadets outside handing out tracts, talking to people (about the message, etc.), and inviting folks to come inside.  This assignment to preach became a powerful turning point for me. 

As I stood to read the scripture I was so scared that I was shaking all over and could barely speak—I could even see out of the corner of my eye that the bow on my bonnet was shaking!  I sat down in great fear and near panic. As the next item on the program was taking place I began imploring God.  I  prayed this simple prayer: “God you have called me and I want to be here but I can’t do this without your help. Please, help me!”  At that moment I felt the peace of God envelop me from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.  No more shaking, no more fear. The band finished playing and  I stood and delivered that sermon with confidence.  I even remember the opening line: “Have you ever stood in the midst of a crowd and felt completely alone?”  Now I don’t know how effective that sermon was for anyone else (or the grade I received) but it was a game changer for me.  God showed me very clearly that He had indeed called me and that He would equip me and help me to do the work and ministry involved in that calling.

Jesus command is to all, not just to those who have been called to be officers. We are all called to preach. 

What to preach?  "The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

We must preach that Christ died and that Christ was resurrected, which means that the old person in us must die so that the new person can be born again. We must therefore preach repentance and forgiveness. For it is a gospel of reconciliation. This reconciliation is extended to the poor and the oppressed.

He commanded us to preach the gospel of love. What the world needs today is unselfish, agape love. What the world needs today is caring and redemptive love. We too often hear a gospel of hate touted by a plethera of hate groups. We hear language of contempt hurled about - menacing words, excoriating words, words that maul and hurt, afflict and convict. We must preach the gospel of love using both words and our daily behaviors.

Love is still the most powerful force in the world. The gospel is a message of love for all people; preached and taught with unwavering fire and enthusiasm.

Why preach? There is a physical war being waged for people's lives. There is a spiritual war being waged for people's souls. Everywhere we look in society we see this awful specter of warfare. Young people carry guns to schools and murder their classmates in cold blood and then kill themselves. There is the war on poverty and the war on drugs. There is a cultural war being waged for the hearts and souls for the people of this nation.  We see this through the music and the movies as they desensitize individuals to the need for self-respect and respect for others. Where moral values have become relative and unimportant. Everywhere we look we see the devastation and fallout of this spiritual and physical warfare.

When to we preach? Jesus commanded us to preach the word in season and out of season. No matter our circumstances, we must preach. We must preach the word with power, authority, joy, and goodness. God gives us the strength to preach the gospel unfettered and unfazed by the constraints and impediments that would hinder the word from reaching the hearer! God gives us strength to preach the word with fire, compassion, joy, and praise. By the way, preaching is also giving testimony to your relationship with God; preaching is living in a way that brings honor and glory to God--living the Word so that your life can be an example and you can say with Paul, "follow me as I follow Christ."

God commanded us to preach a gospel of truth, love, reconciliation and forgiveness, freedom and liberation; a task that we should cherish. After demonstrating his love for us by dying a horrific death on a cross and rising from the dead, Christ commanded us to preach! So preach, and do it in ways that will bring honor and glory to the Risen Christ!


One thing more....

In closing I share with you a song that is very precious to me.

Behold Him now on yonder tree,
The Prince of Peace, the heavenly King;
O what can his transgression be
Such shameful punishment to bring?
And lo, a thief hangs on each side;
Who justly suffers for his crime,
But why should Christ be crucified,
The one so holy, so divine?

O sinner, see, for you and me
He freely suffers in our stead;
And lo, he dies upon the tree;
Behold, he bows his sacred head!
So pure, yet he has born our guilt,
By death our ransom he has paid;
It was for us his blood was spilt;
Our every sin on him was laid.

O loving Saviour, take my heart,

No longer can I live from thee!
With all unlike thee  now I part;
Thy wondrous love has conquered me.
I yield to thee my little all;
Accept me now, Lord, as thine own;
I’ll be obedient to thy call
And spend my life for thee alone.

It was for me, yes, even me,
That Jesus died on Calvary;
My soul to cleanse from all its guilt,
His precious blood my Savior spilt.

(Song 108. George Samuel Smith)

Benediction

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.  Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!  (Colossians 3:1-4)

There is Power....

Andy Piercy writes: "I am beginning to think that writing worship songs is far too important to leave to just the singers and musicians.  For some reason, contemporary worship music seems to have taken on board the rock-and-pop model of the singer-songwriter without questioning it and assumes that the singer-musician should be the one to write both the words and music of the song.  Why?

"I know we have some great songs around, but let's not be too easily satisfied.  We need to get the theologians involved with the poets and lyricists, and get them all involved with the music writers.  We mustn't be "precious" about all this."

In the Army we have done--do--this well.  Unfortunately, I think that this is happening less frequently. I remember as a teenager how much Stan Ditmer's (he eventually became a Commissioner) chorus "I'm in his hands" helped me over many rough patches.  As young Lieutenant Gowans and Larrsons were inspirational and and often a reminder of my Army and Christian heritage.  "Kneeling in Penitence," "They Shall Come from the East," "How Much More," and "For His Love Remains the Same" to name just a favorite few.

Music is a powerful gift from God.  It has the power to penetrate all defenses and open the heart.  The encouraging and scary thing is the message which can then be planted there.  We all too often read about young people committing suicide after listening to certain kinds of music over a period of time.

Music can lift us to the gates of Heaven but it can also push us down towards the gates of Hell.  We all too often underestimate the depth and strength of music's power and influence. In one instance this causes us to underutilized a precious implement God has given us for both personal edification and spiritual growth as well as a powerful weapon in the war on sin.

As we plan the music for worship it is imperative that we do so wisely and with sensitivity.  "In our culture, choruses are flourishing and hymns are dying.  Here is my point.  Despite the many benefits of worship choruses, we must acknowledge that they tend to reflect values of popular culture that should not be 'bought into' without question--values that include instant gratification, intellectual impatience, ahistorical immediacy, and incessant novelty." (Kenneth Myers) "Used exclusively, choruses have real limitations.  Choruses excel at expressing celebration and intimacy but, in general, lack intellectual rigor and fail to offer a mature exposition of the broad range of biblical doctrines. Often choruses shortchange the full reality of sin and human weakness and fail to capture adequately the agony and suffering of Christ on the cross. They emphasize sin defeated and gloss over persistent sin in our lives. There's very little emphasis on corporate confession or repentance...The lyrics of choruses are often so short that thoughts about God cannot be developed or expanded."  (Barry Liesch)

If after reading the above, you are still with me....whew!...I am not advocating getting rid of contemporary songs and choruses.  I am advocating that we use them wisely.  Choruses can be very effective.  I still sing to myself those choruses to hymns that I learned as a child (while I may not remember all the verses, I know that they are there and can bring greater depth and meaning to the chorus when I need it).

Let me leave you with a chorus that had great meaning for me in my formative years by Alfred Akley.

"Take up thy cross and follow Me,"
I hear the blessed Savior call;
How can I make a lesser sacrifice,
When Jesus paid it all?