Light Lenten Reflections

Week 6

Peeling Away the Music

“Mom? Do I sing good?” My younger self had been dancing around the house, singing loudly. I had sung solo in school for a second-grade music “test” about this time, and my teacher, Sister Joan Bernadette,* having briefly put her head down on her desk by the end of my performance, came up tiredly smiling, shook her head and declared music “tests” finished for the day. I had been puzzled at her reaction, and it led to the question I asked my mother. Mom, not an unkind person, but someone who held honesty in high regard, replied, “When it comes to singing, you draw beautifully.” The somewhat cryptic critiques of Mom and my second-grade teacher were further fleshed out in high school. We had to give a series of concerts in our mandatory tenth-grade music class, and as a practice would near a final performance, the nun in charge would declare certain singers were throwing the rest of the singers off key. Not wanting to embarrass anyone, she devised a system where she would walk among us during the final practice and discreetly tap certain singers on the elbow. If we got the tap, it meant that we were to silently mouth the words to the song during the concert performance. I always got the tap. It didn't bother me as much as it should have. By then, I had indeed proved I could draw beautifully, and I resigned myself to the fact that I would never be musical.

It was not long after this that God got hold of me, and I started to take my relationship with Him seriously. One of the first prayer groups I was involved with was made up of people similar to me in musical ability. The most musical among us owned a guitar, knew three cords and had been playing for a few weeks. This person was declared worship leader. We started our group with the few songs our guitarist was brave enough to attempt, and we sang as though we didn't sound terrible, which we did, and that God would love us anyway, which, of course, He did. We then moved on to worship God in other ways, meditating on scripture verses, ejaculatory praise, and times of intense silent adoration when the Holy Spirit's presence was so real I could believe if I reached out my hand into the silence I would touch Him. I have always thought it was God's mercy on me that He put me in that group early in my relationship with Him. I learned in those early days that if you peeled the music away from what is generally considered to be worship, you are still left with...Worship.

The simple dictionary definition of worship says it's the reverence and adoration for a deity, a.k.a. God. The early occurrences of the word worship in the Bible make no mention of music. Maybe biblical worship had singing or chanting or maybe “just” the reverence and adoration part. John's gospel states that God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. Again, no mention of music. But worship is often so closely associated with music that we forget that it is something that can stand alone apart from it. When we attend a church's Worship Night, we expect musical worship. When we structure church services, we say whether worship comes before the sermon or after or both, but what we are really noting is where the musical and singing parts of the service will be. But worship, true worship, is an intimate form of talking to God, revering and adoring Him for who He is. It can take place in many contexts and forms, but it is that intimate connection with God that makes it true worship.

Worship can sometimes be hard to wrap our minds about. It's not like asking God for something, though answered prayers often bring us into worship. It's not quite being thankful, but thanksgiving is often a quick track to worship. It's not seeing a breathtaking sunset or marveling at a star-studded dark night sky, but those are surefire ways to make me want to adore and revere the One who is responsible for both orchestrating them and giving me the ability and opportunity to see them. Sometimes it can be a quiet time, more like sitting and keeping God company than actively talking to Him. And, yes, for many people, music can be a big part of how we worship God. For me, it's the lyrics of the song rather than the music itself that draws me into God's presence. If the music is loud enough I may be brave enough to venture to sing along, though I really need to hear a melody 30 times before my brain can sing the song, but adoring, revering, praising lyrics will bring me into a place of worship every time. It's why praying the psalms can be a powerful act of worship. David, writer of many of the psalms, was a musician and most likely had music entwined with his psalms, originally composing them as songs. We've lost the original melody, but the lyrics remain intact, and many of the psalms can be entry ways into God's presence when we worshipfully pray or meditate on them.

Anne Lamott has written a short book on three essential prayers. She entitled it Help, Thanks, Wow**. We tend to be good at asking God for what we need and most of us are good at thanking Him for what He has given us. But are we taking the time to praise and give Him glory for just being Who He is? Are we allowing ourselves the time and space to look around us and be amazed at His overarching presence in this world, in our lives? It is good to remember that God delights in our worship, our “Wow!” moments, with or without the music peeled away.

Something to think about: How much of your interaction with God is worship, the adoring, revering kind? Do you tend more toward asking and thanking when you talk to God? These are both good things, but if worshiping God for who He is rather than what He will do/has done for you is only a small part of your time with God, think about what things can draw you into worship more often.

Something to talk (to God) about: In your sit-down prayer time or in your NEAT prayer time this week be aware of opportunities to worship. Ask God to teach you or make you more mindful of how to come before Him in an attitude of adoration and reverence, how to see His amazing presence in your life. Ask Him for more opportunities to say “Wow!” to Him.

*Yep. The same Sister Joan Bernadette from Week 1 - “Prayer is just talking to God.” She had to put up with a lot.

**Just a warning: It's a book written for people who don't normally pray or who might not even believe in God.