I've had rather a strange thing happen to me over the past few months - I've started listening to classical music! To some of you that may not seem that strange, but the truth is that I've never really listened much to classical music before, so why the change now? It all started one day when I noticed the very non-christian world view promoted by many pop songs that play on the radio. I'd never had that much of a problem with it before, reasoning that I could filter out the trash and just enjoy the music, however that day it really got to me and I changed my car radio to the concert program, and so far I haven't looked back. Now, not only do I listen to classical music in the car, but I find myself downloading Bach and Beethoven onto my smart phone and listening to it in the background when I'm working away on my computer. What has happened to me? I think two things have happened:
The first thing relates to how classical music is so full of passion and power. You are able to "feel" the music without being told how to feel it (particularly when there are no lyrics - or perhaps Italian lyrics). I have found this fact to be quite therapeutic...it's almost like having permission to express the emotions on the inside in a healthy and God focussed way, without the distraction of words.
The second thing follows on from this and I have found that it gives me space to turn the music into worship. No longer am I bound to lyrics that say "forget you", or "*issing the night away" (btw, the * is not a "k"), but I can make my own words of praise to God, or simply allow the silence to minister deep inside me and allow for a worshipful response "from the inside out".
I am so excited about this new thing that I have even taken a break from listening to my favourite bands (from the 80s and 90s) and am now almost exclusively classical. Who knows how long this lasts, but I hope that somehow I can weave in the principles of this "classical worship" into the fabric of my life.
Arohanui,
Pastor David Auty
The first thing relates to how classical music is so full of passion and power. You are able to "feel" the music without being told how to feel it (particularly when there are no lyrics - or perhaps Italian lyrics). I have found this fact to be quite therapeutic...it's almost like having permission to express the emotions on the inside in a healthy and God focussed way, without the distraction of words.
The second thing follows on from this and I have found that it gives me space to turn the music into worship. No longer am I bound to lyrics that say "forget you", or "*issing the night away" (btw, the * is not a "k"), but I can make my own words of praise to God, or simply allow the silence to minister deep inside me and allow for a worshipful response "from the inside out".
I am so excited about this new thing that I have even taken a break from listening to my favourite bands (from the 80s and 90s) and am now almost exclusively classical. Who knows how long this lasts, but I hope that somehow I can weave in the principles of this "classical worship" into the fabric of my life.
Arohanui,
Pastor David Auty
RSS Feed
