Music and Spirituality

A very dear friend of mine mused about my Jazz program I gave at his church and innocently said something like 'I hope we see some spiritual good come out of this secular program'. As if there were some kind of great divide between secular and sacred. I want to address this briefly anecdotally, but not necessarily cursorily.

Over the past number of years I have come to understand my Jazz programs to be intensely spiritual, and moving. I suppose most serious performers realize this in some way, but it has taken on a new reality for me since I have been providing music programs for various churches. I see the way people react (in all settings) -not to me -but to the music itself. I use music backgrounds and play Trumpet, and add my own phrasing and musical comments along the score. I glance at the audience and I see smiles that come from deep within. You musicologists out there can tell me that studies have been done that show that music is processed on both sides of the brain... giving an indication that somehow the music experience affects us in ways we cannot understand, and probably reaches deep within our souls.

Having said that, it is interesting that when people hear music they like, they stop everything and 'groove' to the music. Take a look at audiences and watch what happens when they are connecting to the music. They put down the fork or coffee and start clapping in time or dancing in their seats - or jumping up and dancing. I suggest there is something mysterious (and spiritual) going on.

Ok, let's work with this for a moment. I am at a church event (usually in a hall) and people are listening to "secular" music (classic Jazz and Pop), and they are suddenly happy, and connected to the music. They are disappointed when the music stops, (and also when I don't move fast enough between pieces.) Sometimes this produces comments... like 'aww... don't stop now' at the end of my program.

Getting back to the spiritual discussion, I too had similar thoughts as my friend that you can't mix "secular" and "sacred". However my theology (Reformed) had led me to believe that everything in our lives is "sacred" - but somehow this one aspect of "securlar music" somehow escaped me and I never thought very deeply about it until I started providing Jazz for churches - my own and several others.

Here is the 'long and short' of it for me:

Since God in His sovereign wisdom created us in His image, creativity is clearly a reflection of God in us. By "common grace" God has gifted people musically and the world sees (hears) the voice of God in the deepest part of their souls. Think about this when you see someone crying (or yourself crying) at a concert where music is played that has somehow affected you in the past or in the present). It is not uncommon to see people shed tears at my Jazz programs, especially the ballads like "Misty" or "Someone To Watch Over Me"... not with superficial tears, but the kind that come out of nowhere unexpectedly. Why does this happen? I suggest it comes naturally because God has placed in all of us humans with a very sensitive "move me" button. Emotion, long denied to Evangelical "mainstream" Christians. You cannot deny the emotion. It simply flows up from somewhere inside. Your spirit.

I said in my poem about music:

The privilege is mine
To be the chauffer
Of such persuasive rhythms
That move the heart.
Then… I smile.

See the poem in full here

That poem will give you a clue about what is on my heart about this subject. Yes, I believe that music, in general, has a deeply spiritual quality. (I did not address here the negative impact that some music has on people when that music distorts the image of God and causes spiritual harm. But the starting place is the same... a heart that is somehow moved to create! I suppose another way to state my thesis is that music is inherently spiritual.

Most of my life, I have stumbled into things. I was not raised in a privileged home where music lessons were a stepping stone to wealth and fame. Nothing against that, if God has placed you there. However, in my life it seems that my musical career has been a stepping into the unknown, unguided, unplanned. And I have experienced an outlet for my natural abilities to play the trumpet (guitar, mandolin and other instruments). And in that sharing of my full soul for music, other souls are moved. That to me is the point. Making a connection spiritually, not just to the music, but the one performing. Let me illustrate. You are sitting in an audience listening to some really grooving music, and you suddenly find yourself all alone in the crowd, the musician is playing for YOU and that connection carries you beyond the moment, your surroundings, your self-awareness... and you are transported, if but for a few moments, into a place of soul soothing rest. I had one lady give me one of the greatest compliments I have ever received in my life. It was at an Assisted Living, and this dear woman was perfectly aware of her surroundings and situation in life. I played my usual playlist, knowing that people will 'like' it. But she came to me afterward and said... "you know, I was sitting there listening to you play those familiar tunes and it just enveloped my soul." This was not a church setting! Those words burn in my heart even now. By the grace of God I was able to convey to another human being something that moved her spirit. How cool is that!

I play now with a deep awareness that whatever the tune may be (e.g. "It don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing") it is "spiritual" and in some mysterious way is penetrating a cold heart and "enveloping" a soul.

test post

Logos Bible Software gave us this "Tag" to put Bible verses on the blog, and when you hover over them the Bible verse appears. This is a test entry to see if I can get it working.

Romans 6:1

"by golly" it works!! Now when I have a Bible verse to point to, all you do is hover your mouse over the verse! Cool beans!

Norway... cool shot

I just can't get away from looking at my Norway pics! This shot is on the top of a mountain looking down into the valley below from an observer's viewing area. I have several other shots like this and it seems that all you have to do is point your camera in the right direction and you get a beautiful picture. I did crop this a little, and it came out even more interesting. I did not "adjust" colors etc. The bus ride to the top was quite scary. Hair-pin turns in a rather large bus, with cars coming down the mountain. and passengers looking out the bus window almost straight down, remarking in numerous indistinguishable languages... expressions of fright! My favorite English phrase was "oh boy!" But we made it to the top, and the riders gave the bus driver a spontaneous round of applause. Truly, it was a memorable trip!

Harold...

Harold...


Harold came of age
during the depression.

Never idle.
No bread lines...

Finally...
Foundry work.

Never groused...
Kept shoveling.

Wry wit,
Winking eye...

Self made,
Slept well.

Short on words,
Tall in humor,

Story teller...
Over and over.

Loved life,
Loved his wife

Lonely in time,
Longing for Heaven.

Once happy...
Happy once more.




....

Harold was a remarkable and simple man. He was humorous, lovable and always joking. This quiet man made a huge impression on my heart.

You need new strings on your guitar...

"New Strings"


Little adjustments
Force the instrument
To Sing a different song

Strings argue
With me
Fighting back

Sound rings
Notes rise
In tune

Harmony comes hard
With newly born strings
Crying out in pain

Music flows
Over my heart
Past my soul


R D Harris

The Oil Spill.... and your Heart

The oil spill is beyond comprehension now.

People in the gulf area are suffering, and will suffer in job losses, and in may other ways. We add our prayers to those already engaged in the 'great prayer' for the Gulf. Pictures of the sludge and the dead wildlife are truly heartbreaking.

I don't want to be overly dramatic in using this as an illustration.... but...

Isn't sin a lot like the oil spill? It runs deep underwater and surfaces eventually to create a gooey slime that is dangerous to clean up and continues to stink even after the visible goop is in plastic bags. It also damages the sea floor so that once fertile seafood production areas are now going to be dead for a long time. Sin is gooey stuff!

We don't like to think about it. For the people in the gulf, many can smell the strong, sickening odor every time they go outside... it follows them around- sticks to their clothes. Sin does that too. It follows us around and wants to stick to our clothes! Multiple washings don't do the trick. Hamlet couldn't wash his hands enough either!

OK, so what do we do now.

It is not as easy as 'wishing' the oil to go away. The reaction of some in the government is to want to kick something! But that 'ain't' going to work. It will take something far larger than good intentions and crocodile tears. It will take something BIG to contain this sinful sludge in our hearts. Only the GRACE of God will clean you up and get rid of the odor of sin in your life! It is only reliance upon the Sovereign God to take away my sin that will finally set me free from it's gooeyness. For believing Christians this is a daily exercise in faith and repentance. It is the only way to be clean and whole. By coming to Christ in sorrow for your sin, and faith working in your heart, by his Sovereign grace, we have "peace with God." And our oil spill is contained!

About the Poem "Lord I Am Thankful"

Addendum to the poem "Lord I Am Thankful" (two post's below)...

This poem was written by Janet Chapman, a dear Saint of God who was a member of my church. I had the privilege of officiating at her funeral, and read this poem that she wrote some years ago. Janet was 80 something and had dementia. She did not speak during the last year of her life, but she sang the old Hymns... every word, every verse... and her voice was sweet and clear. She was very helpful to me and my wife when one of our children had chosen to go his own way a number of years ago. She said at that time "I understand what you are going through... I was a rebellious child, and broke my parent's hearts too". This very deeply spiritual Scottish Presbyterian lady was a person who prayed for not only us, but for everyone in the fellowship.

Upon her death, her dear husband gave me this poem written in her own hand-writing. And I made copies for everyone at church. I am a poet of sorts and can recognize good poetry when I see it, and this is a gem. Allow me to give you some background for this piece.

Janet grew up in a strict Scottish Presbyterian home, where she thought her father was being severe in his desire to raise his children in the way of that communion. (e.g. - no play on the Sabbath; multiple services etc). She rebelled as a teen, and walked far from God. Later she came to realize the truth of the Gospel and became thankful for the training she had as a child.

Later on in life she married an incredible man who loved her as Christ loved the church! Jim treated her like the queen... and although they had no children they adopted and took in numerous Chinese immigrants who needed a sponsor and a place to stay. They had a large extended family of wonderful Chinese who all called them "mother" and "father". What an incredible legacy!

Some time ago Jim was teaching her how to drive, and was in the garage directing her into it. Janet hit the gas instead of the brake and crushed both his legs, which he lost and even now is using prosthetic legs. Jim never blamed her. He was never angry with her, and accepted his disability as "from the hand of God." He never once, ever brought it up again to Janet, or to anyone else. He kept on serving God, legs or no. Janet was covered with the GRACE of God through Jim. For that she was thankful!

How many of us could deal with this situation in a similar way. Even those of us who have a mature faith, it would be difficult. Janet was the recipient of extraordinary Love and Mercy.

Last of all, Jim and Janet had a hobby of tending roses outside their garage. It was a testimony of amazing grace, as those roses bloomed and died, and came back to life each year... a testimony of God's forgivness in Janet's life especially, and she commemorated this in her poem.

I asked for permission to publish the poem, and Jim was glad for this. I hope and pray this explanation of the poem's origin will give you a sense of God's Amazing grace freely offered to you.