Our topic for today is music.
The following post was sent to me by J Fowler (of Wisely Woven) It was first published on Sustainable Traditions.
Like Jason I love music and love attending an Episcopal church where we often sing the liturgy. Also when I travel one of the things I find connects me to people even when I can’t understand their language is music. It truly is a language of the heart that transcends heaven and earth. ______________________________________________________
I love music! When GOD created the universe I believe He sang it into existence (some Bible scholars suggest this). It’s as if music itself is spiritual in nature; a universal language of the heart that transcends heaven and earth. I’ve heard somewhere that the ancient prophets of Israel sang their prophecies.
Music plays a major role in the life of most church congregations and Christian communities. Our worship times often involve some form of musical expression as we lavish our love and pour out our hearts to GOD. But what about GOD pouring out His heart to us…through music? What if GOD was always singing and speaking, pouring out His heart to us through song, even through prophetic voices outside the scope of Christian and ‘sacred’ music? I believe He is.
Listening for the voice of GOD in all music (including ‘secular’ music) is a spiritual practice that requires an openness to the Holy Spirit and requires a discerning of what voice you’re listening to. Jesus said: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me…” (John 10:27) I believe the echo of GOD’s voice is heard where we may not be expecting Him. When the Beetles sang ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand‘ and Nora Jones sings ‘Come Away With Me‘ do you hear GOD’s heart of love towards us His bride? When you listen to The Band’s song ‘The Weight‘ (“I pulled into Nazareth, Was feelin’ about half past dead…”) do you hear JESUS whispering to you: “…put the load right on me.”? My recent favorites are Coldplay’s ‘Don’t Panic‘ and Railroad Earth’s ‘Storms‘ which may not be new but I hear GOD’s voice afresh speaking peace to me as I contemplate the uncertain future.
Lately I’ve been taking this habit of the heart (and ear) a bit further. I use to only passively receive His musical voice wherever it showed up: random songs on the radio, a song in a commercial on T.V. or at the grocery store. It was like beautiful wildflowers sown by the wind on the side of the highway.
Now that I don’t listen to the regular radio as much anymore and we gave our TV away, I spend most of my media consuming time online. I’ve shifted to actively assembling songs and artists that speak most to me using social media sites like Blip.fmand Last.fm. Now growing my music library is like cultivating the voice of GOD in my life and the best part is now others can listen in.
A Closing Prayer:
your wild voice
uncontained,
a wind, a flame
fills, ignites
sinners and prophets alike
open our inner ear
turn our heart’s dial
to be in tune with
your speaking
your singing
your fire
your thunderous
whisperings
surround
us
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Filed under: blogs, Christianity, life, music, Rhythms of life, spiritual practices Tagged: | jason Fowler, music, spiritual practices, Sustainable Traditions, worship
[...] Jason Fowler – Listening for God’s Voice in Music [...]
i hear it too how far have u gotten????? I think there are 2 spirits which form our existence mother life and father logic. When referring to the active listeners of the past. (ancient africa, or the prophets u were talking about) i belive they are referring to spell casting. with this i think that jesus was a listener (he listened to god) the best the world had ever seen obviously. remember this was a time when messiah was a title for listeners. check out some joss stone, kid rock, its in ever song man its in every sound its in the wind its in the trees dancing to the music that you are playing for mother and father. ( mother represented as O father represented 0 take these and use L.O.V.E. the language of varied existence (voice of god) to connect them and u have ∞ <—– this is the symbol for god in scientology. (remember all inspiration comes from serendipity and it make alot of sense) all mainstream religions all music every sound every breath is a code put here for us believers!!!!!!!
[...] Jason Fowler – Listening for God’s Voice in Music [...]