Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Hallelujah!
(Ps. 150:6)

Martin Luther believed that, “Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world,” and certainly, when we think of all the music we engage with, all the beautiful songs we sing, all the melodies and harmonies and rhythms that stir us, how blessed we are!

Music is not a gift that is confined to Heaven of course. The Lord God perfectly balanced the gasses in Earth’s atmosphere to give us air that we can breathe – and if we have breath, then we have the ability to praise Him, for it is the vibrations in air that produce sound. We can make percussive rhythms, or we can choose to tune the sounds by making the air vibrate at a certain frequency. There is no biblical record of Adam singing, but we know for sure that instrumental music was being played just six generations later, for Jubal is described as ‘the father of all who play the harp and flute.’ (Gen. 4:20)

So whether music is planned and written down or improvised in the moment, whether it is ‘sweet singing in the choir’ or trees clapping their hands, and cymbals and waves crashing, let everything that can make the air vibrate, everything that ‘has breath’ praise the LORD!

Music grounds us, connects us, carries us. It releases us, settles us, lifts us, encourages us, and can touch the very depths of our soul. Physically, as we listen to music and sense its vibrations, our brains release waves of neurochemicals throughout our body, including those familiar ‘feel-good’ chemicals, dopamine and oxytocin. If we are making the music ourselves, particularly within a group, these benefits are amplified.

And it can do all this even before we add words and sing songs! Just one anointed note or chord can lift us straight out of whatever mood we are in and into the Lord’s presence. There’s no limit to His ability to stir and fine-tune our hearts through His inspired melodies and rhythms. Deep calls to deep, and our minds are drawn away from worldly distractions and toward the things of Heaven. Yes Lord, let it be so.

The Music of Heaven – and the counterfeits it arouses

When John tells of vast orchestras of harpists, and of choirs of thousands upon thousands, singing new songs and proclaiming the worthiness of the Lord, He is showing us that Heaven is full of music. (See Rev. 5:8-9; 11-12; 14:2-3) I myself was privileged to hear the inexpressibly beautiful melodies and harmonies of the angels worshipping God for a few all too brief hours when I met with Him in a powerful encounter in Paris in 1976. It was like being surrounded by the Top Ten of Heaven!

But with such beauty, and such power, it is perhaps inevitable that music will be used not only in worshipping God, but to soulishly manipulate minds and emotions. Alex Robertson writes about this in his book, Playing With Fire on the use and abuse of music, a thought-provoking examination of the immense power of music for good or ill, and its impact on both society and the church. Drawing on scripture, music theory, history, and personal insights, Alex offers a balanced perspective on the spiritual implications of music and challenges us to thoughtfully consider its role in our faith and worship.

Many commentators think that in his depiction of the King of Tyre, Ezekiel was prophetically describing something far more cosmic than a neighbouring ruler – nothing less, in fact, than the characteristics of Lucifer himself, the ‘light bearer.’ Once the most beautiful and highest angel of all, tradition has it that he was the original worship leader in the heavenly court. But worship is all about service, and Lucifer wants to be served rather than to serve. As pride, envy and resentment rose in his heart, he coveted for himself the worship that was given to the Lord, and rebelled against what he perceived to be his subservient position. (See Ezekiel 28, and Isaiah’s depiction of the king of Babylon in Isaiah 14).

No wonder, then, that he should want to dominate, distort and hideously corrupt God’s priceless gift of music, and no surprise that we so often see strong spiritual attacks coming against worship groups, as he lashes out against those who are now the distant inheritors of his former role.

How important it is to remember to pray for the wellbeing of our musicians, to cover their ministry, and those who oversee it. Here are key aspects of our spiritual ministry and warfare, so that we might keep in step with by the Spirit. Lord, may the flow of Your Spirit be enhanced. May many may meet with You through worship and music, and connect deeply and truly with You. May the emotions it inspires be wholesome and healthy rather than soulish.

As God used Gregorian chant to bring something of the music of Heaven to Earth, so He does now through Harpa Dei!

God is more than happy to move through many modes, methods and styles of music in worship. Many in our day are rediscovering the impressive beauties of Gregorian chant. Legend has it that a dove came down from Heaven and visited Pope Gregory, singing these heavenly chants to, inspiring him to write wrote down the melodies that have become familiar to us. Although that particular story is most probably apocryphal, it is certainly true that many have found deep peace and ‘settling’ as they have immersed themselves in them. Voices joined in unison, singing texts taken from the Latin scriptures, particularly the Psalms, undoubtedly have a special quality about them that promote inward stillness and meditation.

They also proclaim God’s truth, and with so much superficial trivia filling the ether waves, not to mention downright untruths, sounding forth the praise of God and the declaration of His Word, that’s a matter of no small importance! I deeply appreciate the classic simplicity that the four siblings who make up the ensemble Harpa Dei bring to their music as they do just this. They gather from all around the world the richness of music written in response to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I love their version of The Spirit and the Bride saying “COME, LORD JESUS!” in twelve languages. It is wonderful invitation to pray for all the peoples of the countries who speak the languages they sing in, and for the world at large.

Some of you will be blessed by this extended and unaccompanied singing of The Jesus Prayer. The fact that the chant is in Church Slavonic, (which some of us may be bit rusty in!), helps us focus directly on the Lord.

Yet no matter at all if this is not a style of music that appeals to you: there is no limit to the immense variety of music and creative sound to be found amongst the Body of Christ.

Let word and music sound together!

As composers began to write more complex polyphonic pieces to fill the spaces of great churches and cathedrals, the sheer ‘swirl’ of their beautiful music could not be readily replicated by people on their own, and sometimes also obscured the words, despite the best efforts of certain Counter-Reformation composers such as Palestrina, who longed that their sacred pieces should powerfully communicate spiritual truths.

This became easier when that great architect of the Reformation, Martin Luther, himself a keen musician, began to write hymns in the language of the people rather than sacred Latin, combining words and music ‘so that the Word of God may be among the people also in the form of music.’ Now, not only trained singers used music in their worship and prayer, but the common people, who did not necessarily have any great musical skills, could do so too. Praise God!

Hearty and heartfelt as such hymns undoubtedly were and are, it could be argued that congregational singing was still primarily ‘impersonally objective’ rather than a response to the Lord’s goodness that involved the whole gamut of our senses and emotions. Isaac Watts, widely acknowledged as the ‘godfather of English hymnody’ felt deeply the constraining effect of the strictly metrical psalms sung in his day. He longed to break free of the shackles, and make it possible for people to connect more directly with the Lord in their worship, just as he did in this brief, almost entirely monosyllabic prayer:

May I live to know and fear Thee,
Trust and love Thee all my days,
Then go dwell for ever near Thee,
See Thy face, and sing Thy praise.

Watts had a great gift for encapsulating the essence of complex theological desires into simple, memorable, and deeply personal poetry. We are so accustomed to this today that we may never have realised the extent to which his justly celebrated hymn, ‘When I survey the wondrous cross’ marks a departure from the format of the hymns of his time. It breaks new ground precisely because it shifts the focus from the objective details of the crucifixion to the believer’s intimate, emotional response to it.

Once the mould was broken, a flood of subsequent hymn-writers followed in his wake, and explored not only the great theological themes and doctrines but also the emotions and perceptions that come from being in the presence of God, and walking with the Lord. They allow us to give expression even to our fears and doubts, just as the psalmists themselves did millennia ago.

To be sure, too much emphasis on our feelings can risk crossing the line into the maudlin and the sentimental, and mislead us into mistaking ‘feelings’ for the authentic leading of the Holy Spirit. Some of the Victorian hymns for children were undoubtedly on the sentimental side, just as certain popular worship songs today seem to have substituted reverence toward the Lord for over-familiarity, and others introduce dimensions that are contrary to the core of Kingdom dogma with dodgy doctrine. But within the totality of Christian experience, however, there is room for enormous creativity, and inspired writers of music and words, such as Graham Kendrick, have long been doing a great service to the body of Christ.

Jesus loves it when we pour our love out to Him in songs of intimacy and adoration, as well as our concern for particular people and situations. I remember our dear friend Laurie Klein telling us of a time when she was feeling intensely low and isolated, she started singing to the Lord that she loved Him, and praying that she would be ‘a sweet, sweet sound’ in His ear. Who could have imagined then that one lonely young mother sitting on her sofa, singing a simple song, and accompanying herself with her guitar, would become one of the most popular songs in contemporary Christendom?

You can read more of the story of that precious moment here.

It is so special – and so important – to honour the Lord Jesus by singing and making music in our hearts to Him, singing out the joys and truths we have come to know in Him, as well as sharing in His heart for a hurting world. (Ps. 27:6, 98:5, Eph. 5:19)

Sing to the Lord a new song!

So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded” . . .
So David set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals.

He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD.
(Ex. 36:1; 1 Chron. 25:1; 2 Chron. 5:13; Ps. 40:3)

Laurie sat with her guitar and sang a new song to the Lord – and many of us have found our trust renewed as we have sung her simple words. We might not all be musicians, or be called to be part of ‘David’s band of anointed musical prophets, we might even consider ourselves completely tone-deaf, but that does not mean that the Lord does not love to hear us worship Him in song – He hears our hearts, not our tunefulness! An anecdote from my student days springs to mind: as we were waiting for a meeting to begin, a couple of people who were anything but pitch perfect were singing to the Lord from their heart, but hopelessly out of tune. When the appointed musicians came along to lead the service, these two were swiftly swept from the stage. ‘Pity,’ rued the Lord. ‘I was enjoying that!’

Whether we are having an up or a down day, it is always good to take a moment and sing a new song to the Lord. And, to develop that theme further, may I spur you to hone your own creative skills of whatever ilk, this year? no matter whether you are a budding Bezalel or an experienced Oholiab, with a ‘skill and ability’ given by Him, God will surely have specific areas of interest and particular expression of creativity that He is drawing you towards. Now is always a good time to ask the Lord to reawaken or develop it!

There is so much we can offer Him, even at the simplest level. I love to sit at the piano, for example, attempting to capture something of the essence of what I am sensing in the spiritual realm. I used to call these improvisations ‘doodles’ because most of them are little more than a minute long – but ‘offerings’ feels a more appropriate and honouring term for them.

Sally Mowbray loves to offer up ‘new songs’ to the Lord in this way, and so we are including a selection from some of our most recent pieces. First comes this lovely piece that Sally improvised before church service began the other day. It ‘ripples’ layer upon layer with ever-growing strength and beauty.

Here next is an uplifting piece that Jane Horsfall from Jersey originally wrote for harp, and which she called Joysprings. It is lovely.

As we listen, to these pieces, let’s expect the Lord to speak to us, and to give us specific thoughts and impressions. Humble as they are, these pieces spring from hearts stirred by Him. Your own skill may not lie in music, of course, but as you listen, may He inspire you afresh concerning your own talent. I enjoyed being imaginative in the themes I treated when I composed the poems that make up the albums such as Connections, Reawakenings and Spirit of Prayer.

Perhaps you also write poetry, or dance, or you have the ability to take colour, apply it with a brush or palette knife, and make a canvas sing. Maybe you are skilled with a needle and thread, like the makers of the tabernacle, or maybe you know just how to combine flavours and textures to create a banquet fit for a King and His guests.

When we bring all our multitudinous gifts and treasures to our Lord, we are contributing to a wonderful, ‘many-fold’ manifold, and are playing our part by doing our best to offer everything up to Him.’ When she was a student, a friend used to write ‘TGG’ (to the Glory of God) in the margin of all her pages, just as Johann Sebastin Bach prayerfully inscribed the initials ‘JJ’ (Jesu Juva – Jesus, help) on the scores of his sacred music, and, at the bottom, ‘SGD’ Soli Deo Gloria – may the glory go only to God) at the bottom. What do you have in your hands that you could offer?

I do hope you are feeling inspired! As you  make room for more of the creative power of the Lord in your own life, here is a track set to a delightful oboe quintet by Mozart, to send you on your way.

Prayer

Continue to raise up anointed musicians for Your glory, Lord, we pray! Thank You for all that Richard Williamson has done through Epiphany and the Musicians’ Network in equipping and inspiring people with musical skills for Kingdom purposes. As Ai-creations increasingly flood the market, Lord, let there be a constant renewing of inspire and inspiring human skills and resources. Let music, worship and praise flow and combine in powerful ways we pray. Thank You for the power that is released from Heaven when we play and improvise in the Spirit. Let churches recognise the value and potential of bringing in and blending classical instruments into their worship groups, and be both imaginative and creative in giving them their head in this – and then recognise the progression from praise to worship, and from this high place in worship to prayer and fervent intercession, the one inspiring and fuelling the other.

Come in power and depth on the music we play and the words You give us to sing, play and say in Your presence; speak powerfully through the one and the other! Let there be songs that address the challenges of our day, and that share Your heart concerning them we pray. In Jesus’ name and for Your glory.