Musical Human Beings

This week after Holy Week and Easter Sunday, I find myself reflecting on the music and hard work of our musicians (thank you!) this past week and how the music we sang – both as a choir and as a congregation together – was integral to helping us more fully and deeply enter into the story of our salvation. I think it goes beyond the simple singing of beautiful music in an excellent manner.

At the core, human beings are singing, musical beings. We are beings who need music in order to tell and hear the whole truth. Music helps us to be what God means for us to be. Whether are creating music or experience it, it helps us live into the Imago Dei. Music helps us - a people created in the image of God - to live a creative and beautiful life.

I find it remarkable, that even though we all do not love music equally; respond to it in an equal manner, or appreciate the same music, music provides us all with something of extraordinary value. What would the quality of our humanity be like if music did not exist? It is difficult to see anything good in the loss of music. Music helps us to find ourselves and express ourselves and connect us deeper to the truths of humanity and they mysteries our faith,

wise person once said, “The gift of music offers us the message of scripture on wings of song that find nesting places in our hearts where words alone cannot go.”

            For the music of creation,
            For the song your Spirit sings,
            For your sound’s divine expression,
            Burst of joy in living things:
                  God, our God, the world’s composer,
                  Hear us, echoes of your voice –
                  Music is your art, your glory,
                  Let the human heart rejoice!

-- Shirley Erena Murray

Soli Deo Gloria!
Ben Keseley, Minister of Music