Daily Bread

Be joyful in God, all the earth;
sing the glory of his name;
sing the glory of his praise.
Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds!
Because of your great strength
your enemies shall bow before you.
All the earth shall worship you,
sing to you, sing praise to your name.’
Come now and behold the works of God,
how wonderful he is in his dealings with humankind.
He turned the sea into dry land;
the river they passed through on foot;
there we rejoiced in him.
In his might he rules for ever;
his eyes keep watch over the nations;
let no rebel rise up against him.

I'm no psychologist, but I do know that we are holistic beings and that our thoughts, moods, feelings, and behaviours are all linked. Our thoughts impact our moods, feelings, and behaviours, and our feelings impact our thoughts, moods, and behaviours, and so on.

For millennia, the people of God have also understood us to be holistic beings too — body, mind (emotions and intellect), and spirit. The scientific world, on the whole, being based on what is quantifiable and measurable, tends to ignore the spiritual aspect of our being, yet it is just as much part of what it means to be human as all the other interconnected parts. For example, we all know the benefits of what we might call 'spiritual practices' such as prayer.

Anyway, I digress. What I want to reflect on today is music.

In March 1924, deaf and blind since infancy, Helen Keller gathered around a radio with her family. The New York Symphony was performing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and she placed her hand on the radio receiver to feel the vibrations. She described the experience as, "a sea of sound breaking against the silent shores of my soul." When the chorus soared into Beethoven’s triumphant, "Ode to Joy," she said it was like hearing, "angelic voices rushing in a harmonious flood."

Music is a vital and essential part of the human experience. It is reflected in every culture and speaks to every aspect of our being. It energises our bodies through dance, it enhances our emotions, stimulates our intellect, and connects with our spirits through meditation and worship.

For most of my life I have worked with sound and music. I have been a composer, recording engineer, music producer, sound designer, and music teacher, and I can tell you that there is nothing like being immersed in music where we connect on every level — including the spiritual. When I participate in what some would call 'religious' music or sing in worship, it is the most invigorating, refreshing, and soul sparkling thing I have ever experienced. It is like having every part of me 'plugged in' — my body, mind, and spirit.

When it comes to the Psalms found in the Bible, they provide a window into the ancient world of creative expression. The tunes are long-forgotten, yet the words still resound with praise for God. We still read them today, not only because they contain truths about God, but because they still connect with us on multiple levels.

Whatever your preferred music style, today, may you find music that doesn't just enhance your mood, but sparkles your soul.

Holy God
Thank you for the free gift of music
with which I connect on every level.
Whether alone or with others,
in my head or out loud, still or moving,
thank you that I have opportunities
to sing or listen to spiritual songs
that refresh my being and sparkle my soul.