conjectural navel gazing; jesus in lint form

obedience and music: ringo starr and jesus

Risen Christ, when we have the simple desire to welcome your love, little by little a flame is kindled in the depths of our being. Fueled by the Holy Spirit, this flame of love may be quite faint at first. The amazing thing is that it keeps burning. And when we realize that you love us, the trust of faith becomes our song. - Br. Roger of Taize

As I work through this idea of obedience I keep running into my own need to be musical. Perhaps "need" is the wrong word. Not to be too dramatic, but I cannot help myself. Music is simply something I have always done. To be obedient to Christ, I must be musical. And any musical skill or talent I posess must speak of Christ.

Furthermore, I believe that all humans are musical creatures. This is not an issue of skill or talent, but physiology and anthropology. Singing includes the breath (ruah) and the body, our creatureliness (adam). Our anthropology, if your will, is a musical one. This analogy does not end with singing either. In listening to music, our heart rates will quicken or slow depending upon our engagement with the music we hear. Those who think of themselves as "not musical" are often avid listeners and appreciators of music. Music must be heard! Perhaps we dance like King David. Those who play instruments breath with the phrasing of their plating. Yoyo Ma is the supreme example of breathing through his cello. Eric Clapton has often spoken of singing through his guitar. There are many pedagogical reasons why most small children learn to play the recorder as their first instrument. We breathe through it. Toddlers clap and sway. They may invent their own tunes...ya ya do tooo bla...You all know the tune. Sing along. Heh.

Obedience and music, as I understand it are irrevocably tied. Our personhood is manifested in it. I would go so far to say that our personhood is musical.

[Editor's Note: This is a longish post for me. I think there needs to be a part two to this. Let me know what you think and I will post some more later.]

As a Christian, I want to tie music and faith together. Perhaps others will not be so inclined, but as we discuss our anthropology (our createdness), understanding the place of music is essential. If anyone remembers the scene in that bad Ringo Starr movie, Caveman, they may recall the scene where the characters "invent" music. B-movie happiness aside, the interesting piece is the understanding that music has always been with us. We see it, as I mentioned previously, in our children. We see it in the grand variety of cultures throughout history. Ethnomusicology, a subset or hybrid of anthropology and music, speaks to this and studys the many musical forms that exist, some on paper, some on cd but most handed down from person to person. Humanity, it would seem, has always expressed itself musically.

In the Judeo-Christian tradition, this is most clear in the Psalms (Selah). Also one can find it in the various hymns recorded in the gospels and the epistles. Singing to or about God has always been an expression of human experience and theology. To give a little more ligh to that, here is a quote from A Song to Sing, A Life to Live:

Don has heard many church people confess that it is weasier for them to believe certain things when they sing them instead of just saying them, much less try to explain them. These mysteries are the essense of religious belief and life. Saliers & Saliers p. 18

At times song is the only voice, the only means of expression that we have. On the cross, at perhaps the darkest moment, Christ will quote a Psalm. He quotes a verse from a song to express his utter brokenness. "My God. My God. Why have you forsaken me?"

Singing the liturgy was a huge factor in my converion. Hymnody, spirituals and even praise and worship music have given voice to my own musing and have shaped my theology. The sung word: "Ave Maria"...Bogoroditzye devo"..."ubi caritas et amor"..."You may walk the barren desert"..."Amazing grace, how sweet the sound"...The total engagement of breath, voice...my body and mind in reciting the creeds on a pitch shape my faith. It seems that even language does not matter as the music itself fleshes out the meaning of the words for us in ways that a lexicon cannot. The quote from Brother Roger at the begining of this essay suggests this as well. Our lives are song. As we grow in faith, our faith becomes our song. It is bodied, can be disciplined, thoughtful, passionate, playful, or provocative. Through our spirits, our very own breath, the Spirit and Breath of God is revealed. This is what can happen in song. Our spirituality is disciplined.

Spirituality is not an idea in the brain but rather a disciplined bodily experience that grows deeper as practiced. If we are to grasp why and how true spirituality takes root in human beings, attend to the power of sound...Saliers & Saliers p. 21

The power of sound is irrefutable. Even the deaf have ways of "hearing" or feeling music. The life of Beethoven or the scene in Mr Holland's Opus are wonderful illustrations of how embodied sound is for us. Sound engages many of our senses. Musicians often speak of music having color. There are memories, reflections, emotions...all connected by and communicated through music.

I have often spoken of singing Evensong at Seabury. Song builds us up in the faith. If you read Cliff's blog, you may stumble across liturgies. Much of what is posted is sung by the choir, congregation, deacon or priest. Stand, pray and sing for two hours or more. You may find that your whole body resonates with the Spirit of God manifested in the Body of Christ.

And, somewhat lighter, if the Orthodox Church does not float your boat, attend a Reverend Al Green concert. You will be in church! Wow.

cont...with a little reflection on Romans 12:1-2

Posted by tripp at April 14, 2005 12:06 PM