blue like jazz
...Christian spirituality: A music birthed out of freedom. Everybody sings their song the way they feel it, everybody closes their eyes and lifts up their hands...
Song is mysterious in its own right. I have known no one to dislike music, or even dislike singing. However, few are gifted with the actual ability to produce song. I can imagine God creating certain "molds" of people. Some have been set aside as craftsmen, intellects, and healers, while others are artisans, poets, musicians, and inventors. Singers are another mold. They are widely heard and carry a deep responsibility to the public, especially if they are truly gifted. Singers have the special ability to captivate people with song, while communicating a message or a feeling. Astute audiences may be apt to understanding the content of the song, but most listeners merely allow the words to soak into their minds with little consideration for what the song contains. Sadly, there are perhaps too many gifted singers that sing strangers' songs and they infect others with melodious poison.
I love to sing. It is the single-most activity that I enjoy above all else. It is more than just an activity; it is an experience. Song births in the core of my being, gradually gathering momentum from all of my energy and from my heart, until it finally erupts unrestrained. As Rosie Thomas once said, "I play music, that's what I do. When I sing, I lose myself." When I sing, I no longer control my voice; it controls me. The emotional connection with a song gives way to the purest sound. I imagine singing with the heavenly host. Song echoing and resonating throughout the earth. It is not my voice that is distinguished from the rest, but we are part of a beautiful whole. And the beating of my heart keeps pace, my body grows numb, and I am in complete peace. If I were in captivity, I would sing. If I were persecuted, I would sing. Were I rejoicing and free, I would sing. Singing is as essential to me as praying and reading the Bible. It is not a hobby or a striving for attention; it is a spiritual discipline. Although this may not be true for all singers, I cannot rightly sing if it is not in adoration to God...my purpose would be lost. No one else and nothing else is worthy.
Song is mysterious in its own right. I have known no one to dislike music, or even dislike singing. However, few are gifted with the actual ability to produce song. I can imagine God creating certain "molds" of people. Some have been set aside as craftsmen, intellects, and healers, while others are artisans, poets, musicians, and inventors. Singers are another mold. They are widely heard and carry a deep responsibility to the public, especially if they are truly gifted. Singers have the special ability to captivate people with song, while communicating a message or a feeling. Astute audiences may be apt to understanding the content of the song, but most listeners merely allow the words to soak into their minds with little consideration for what the song contains. Sadly, there are perhaps too many gifted singers that sing strangers' songs and they infect others with melodious poison.
I love to sing. It is the single-most activity that I enjoy above all else. It is more than just an activity; it is an experience. Song births in the core of my being, gradually gathering momentum from all of my energy and from my heart, until it finally erupts unrestrained. As Rosie Thomas once said, "I play music, that's what I do. When I sing, I lose myself." When I sing, I no longer control my voice; it controls me. The emotional connection with a song gives way to the purest sound. I imagine singing with the heavenly host. Song echoing and resonating throughout the earth. It is not my voice that is distinguished from the rest, but we are part of a beautiful whole. And the beating of my heart keeps pace, my body grows numb, and I am in complete peace. If I were in captivity, I would sing. If I were persecuted, I would sing. Were I rejoicing and free, I would sing. Singing is as essential to me as praying and reading the Bible. It is not a hobby or a striving for attention; it is a spiritual discipline. Although this may not be true for all singers, I cannot rightly sing if it is not in adoration to God...my purpose would be lost. No one else and nothing else is worthy.
posted by jmf at
10:53 PM
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