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Okay, well first off, just typing that title makes me start singing, ‘That’s the power of love…da–da–da-da…’ by none other than Huey Lewis and The News. Music is crazy like that. One little thing can trigger it. And there’s a reason we use music in worshiping God……because it’s powerful. It moves people. It can help us to feel emotions we wouldn’t normally feel, and take us to a place where being emotional in front of a person who literally died when we should have, is okay.
And I know you’ve probably all seen these, as they’ve been on the internet for years, but there’s not too many better ways to show the power of music. Ever watch a horror movie on mute? Or turn the sound off on ‘Goonies’ while turning the stereo system to Barber’s ‘Adagio for Strings’? Ya. I figured not. I’m quite sure this is just me in all my musical nerdiness (and just a side note, when it comes to music, the term ‘nerdiness’ is interchangeable with ‘glory’). But you’ve gotta try it! Go get ‘The Others’ soundtrack, and play it to ‘Anchorman.’ The bears get real scary. I’m so serious. So check these out. (Wow, I sound like a 10-year-old from 1981 when I say phrases like that.)
and then, of course:
You can’t tell me Julie Andrews isn’t really, really frightening in that. And when Peter Gabriel starts in with ‘Climbing up on solsbury hill…’, I honestly think freaky Jack Torrance would be a cool foster dad. (Oh, and by the way, if you’ve never seen these movies and want to know what they’re really about…I’m not endorsing either. Hey, gotta cover my bases. Some people get real offended when Dick Van Dyke pulls his pants down and walks like a penguin (an obvious slight towards homies and their gangs…oh, I’m sorry…I believe they like to be called home-shizzles and their crews, now), and there’s also horse racing, gambling, and calming kids down by giving them pharmaceuticals.)
Anyway, music is powerful. And for some odd reason, God has entrusted us with not only using it to bring Him glory through songs, but to bring Him glory by helping lead and perform it for other people to join in and give Him glory. So it is something to be taken seriously. I mean, one A minor when it should have been a C, and you might be turning ‘How Great’ into sounding like Mary Poppins is coming to take your kids. Ya. That was a horrible closing line. I’m tired. I want Edge. And obviously free-associating. But in all seriousness, let’s use this right.
Splendid.
Karl.
Guitar for Worship 