Why Music?
December 22nd, 2005 by Travis Swan | Posted in Ministry Philosophy, Theology
Why do I spend so much time listening to, practicing, and creating music? There are many factors involved, but ultimately there is a powerful connection between music and worship expression. Music has the incredible power to reach through the intellect and go straight to the heart. It is something to experience, and a form of communication, rather than just “understanding” intellectually.
I don’t think I need to get into theory and philosophy to explain that music moves us. I believe it is self-evident. But why do we use music in worship? Romans 8:22-23 says,
“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”
We’re waiting for Heaven. Paul says earlier in Romans that creation is waiting in eager expectation – when we come to God in worship, I think the groans Paul is talking about as we “wait eagerly” come out as we worship. Romans 8:26:
. . . the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”
Groans that words cannot express. Communication. Music is a form of communicating, a very personal method of receiving and giving thoughts and feelings; places where words are not enough. I believe I have expressed things through music that I cannot express in words. For instance, look up the lyrics to your favorite song. If you had simply read the lyrics and not heard the song, would you be moved by them? Would you have the understanding of them that you have now, after hearing the music?
Ultimately, it comes down to this: we use music because we have eternity set in our hearts. It’s universal. In C. S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce, a famous “ghost” artist ends up in Heaven. “The Spirit” explains this to him:
“When you painted on earth – at least in your earlier days – it was because you caught glimpses of Heaven in the earthly landscape. The success of your painting was that it enabled others to see the glimpses too. But here you are having the thing itself. It is from here that the messages came.”
One of the reasons we use music in worship is to tell others about God. We see something beautiful, joyful, and powerful, and are driven to express it. As an artist paints a picture of something he has caught a glimpse of, we are composing a story, enabling people to see the reality and hope of the life to come. I cannot tell these things with mere words, I must use music to catch people’s hearts. I create because I am made in the image of the Creator. I sing because I catch glimpses of Melody. I enjoy music because I catch a glimpse of Real Music. I move about the stage because I feel Rhythm. It all points to Christ, and I want others to see what I see, to hear what I hear, and join me in worshipping Him.
This entry was posted on Thursday, December 22nd, 2005 at 11:36 am and is filed under Ministry Philosophy, Theology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Trav, cool site. I’ll bookmark it and read it often!
There is a truth in communication that can’t be explained in any other way than music. One word can be sung and thousands of emotions and thoughts can spring from just that one word, I love it. When nothing else seems right, music finds it’s way to speak.
WOW! This is really it! I agree this is truth and well said.