an article i wrote for marianne abt a week ago on Music and the Bible

but this article is more on my musical journey with God... how much will be editted and cut out for her article is another thing.. ha ha... anywayz.. here's my writeout:

A Journey In Music With Abba

My encounter with music I believe is His calling in my life. Getting musically trained in itself is always something I consider to be a miracle. My family’s financial status did not make it natural for me to learn a musical instrument, especially the piano, a prestigious instrument in the 1980s. My elder sister bugged my parents for a piano. And finally they relented, and purchased an old second hand piano. I did not dare ask to learn, since I was never the ‘achiever’ or ‘ambitious’ sort. My journey started with tinkling on the piano the melodies from soap dramas on the TV. That prompted my parents to encourage me to take up piano lessons (which I declined in the beginning fearing failure) and that was how it all started.

Compared to my peers taking music lessons, I started late. But that did not stop God from putting me in the position of being the school pianist in secondary school. Over time, I progressed to playing for youth services and now church main services. I was also a school music teacher and now teaching some private piano lessons. Whenever opportunities arise, I also conduct basic music and worship dynamics sessions in other countries. Currently, I’m pursuing a career in music, if the Lord wills.

While all the above seems very ‘technical’, a ‘flowchart’ of my ‘progress’ or resume in music services, underlying the actions are what the Lord has impressed upon me about how He uses music to bless me, to bless others and over and above, bless His name.

How others are blessed from music

There are many ways music affect people. We have often heard about the effects of music on one’s learning (e.g. Mozart effect), on one’s health, etc. There is a reason for this. It was mentioned that

“beyond its capacity to entertain and enrich, music gives structure and expression to both time and place, defining circumstances and meaning….music (can be) so engaging that time becomes timeless, reality changes, and life is created anew.”
(Mazer & Smitch 1999)

That is a secular interpretation of the effects of music. If we consider how God has created music as a part of His beauty, then instead of saying that reality changes, it is actually our awareness of the true reality that incorporates the spiritual climate that has been sharpened. Hence in worship services, as we worship God with music, our spiritual senses are awakened / sharpened as we commune with God. Even out of the sanctuary, when music is played with the intention to glorify God (in the secular understanding, to glorify beauty, which inevitably points to God, whether intentional or unintentional), the listeners’ souls / spirits are blessed from the music.

How music is a blessing in my life

For me, music is a journey I travel with God. It started with the ‘miracle’ when I got to learn music. It’s a form of communication I have with the Lord, that flows beyond words. I remember once when I was on the piano by myself in March 2007, playing whatever I felt led to play. Suddenly, I sensed God telling me this, that He was watching me perform for Him. I had the honor of the Most High being my audience, my sole audience. I had the full attention of the I AM as I played. Other than His full attention, I thought I could feel Him smiling, that He was pleased and liked the music that flowed out. That form of communication and communion is beautiful beyond words.

Months after that encounter, He gave me the vision that ‘One day, I will bring His songs to the ends of the earth.’ Till today, I have no idea how that will take place. I place my step of faith into that by quitting my teaching career in a government school last year. Today, I’m equipping myself with musical skills performing wherever opportunities arise, learning and growing in skills, in character and in faith in the Lord. So music to me, is a form of communication we have in our courtship for one another. It is also to me an exciting journey with the Lord. (There are moments my faith wavers, but thank God He is faithful!!)


God uses music to bless His name, to glorify Himself just as how He created the stars and galaxies, naming them one by one. For everyone, music is a means He speaks through to us. And for most of us, music is a form of avenue we communicate back to Him. For some of us, it becomes a passionate pursuit - a passionate pursuit in creating new forms of harmonies to communicate with Him; a passionate pursuit to want to let this form of communication be heard everywhere else, such that Jesus be heard and therefore worshipped everywhere else.

These are what the Lord has revealed to me. These are what I live my life for. There will be more revelations in time to come. My job is to remain faithful in the pursuit He’s called me into – a journey in music with Abba.





Reference:

Mazer, S. and Smitch, D., 1999. Introduction, Sound Choices – Using Music to Design the Environments in which You Live, Work, and Heal. Carlsbad, CA: Hay Press, pp.11