I love the sound of a band playing a rousing march. I find myself sitting here leading the band as if they were all sitting somewhere in the screen of my computer. It is hard to sit still while it is playing. It is hard to imagine what it must have been like for John Philip Sousa to feel the melodies in his heart and mind.
Johan Strauss had a whole different feeling as the melodies of his waltzes came to him. The music does not make you want to march, but it makes you start to sway with the music and feel the delight of the flow of the tunes. Although I am not a dancer, the music makes a person feel as though they have to get up and dance when it is playing.
When we listen to Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance, we can imagine that we are at a graduation ceremony and we can see the people walking across the platform and receiving their diplomas.
In the same way Debussy takes a person to romantic places where the flowers are blooming and the clouds are so beautiful. Dirges make us feel the pain of death and the somberness of the funeral. There are ditties that make us want to laugh and feel like a child again. Every piece of music has an effect on the listener.
Just as music has it impact on the listener, words move us as we read them or hear them spoken. What would it have been like to have been at Gettysburg and heard the words of Abraham Lincoln that day. The words conjure up pictures in our minds and help us to understand the purpose of the speaker or writer.
The Bible is a book of words. We call the book, The Word of God, because the words are all inspired by Him. This means that they are God-breathed. God did not dictate them to the writers, but the Bible tells us that these men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. It is no wonder that the words of the Bible move us to decision, commitment, and Godly living. If the Bible does not do that for you then there must be something missing in your life and that something is that same Spirit of God. God gives His Spirit to all those who come to Him in faith and understand His Son, Jesus, took their place on the Cross of Calvary. The words that describe His death, burial, and resurrection are words that bring life to the one who believes. The Bible describes that life as the Abundant Life.
Think about it. God promises to the one who knows Him that they will have peace, joy, love, and as we listen to His words, we learn to become like His Son. Wow! Move over Sousa! Your music is stirring and great, but it can’t do that. The words of the Bible will take away hate and bring love. They will take away sadness and bring joy. They will take away despair and bring hope.
Think about the fact that we can say with the Psalmist,
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
And we can say with Paul,
My God shall supply all my needs.
Move over Mr. Strauss. Those are words to which to dance.
Johan Strauss had a whole different feeling as the melodies of his waltzes came to him. The music does not make you want to march, but it makes you start to sway with the music and feel the delight of the flow of the tunes. Although I am not a dancer, the music makes a person feel as though they have to get up and dance when it is playing.
When we listen to Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance, we can imagine that we are at a graduation ceremony and we can see the people walking across the platform and receiving their diplomas.
In the same way Debussy takes a person to romantic places where the flowers are blooming and the clouds are so beautiful. Dirges make us feel the pain of death and the somberness of the funeral. There are ditties that make us want to laugh and feel like a child again. Every piece of music has an effect on the listener.
Just as music has it impact on the listener, words move us as we read them or hear them spoken. What would it have been like to have been at Gettysburg and heard the words of Abraham Lincoln that day. The words conjure up pictures in our minds and help us to understand the purpose of the speaker or writer.
The Bible is a book of words. We call the book, The Word of God, because the words are all inspired by Him. This means that they are God-breathed. God did not dictate them to the writers, but the Bible tells us that these men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. It is no wonder that the words of the Bible move us to decision, commitment, and Godly living. If the Bible does not do that for you then there must be something missing in your life and that something is that same Spirit of God. God gives His Spirit to all those who come to Him in faith and understand His Son, Jesus, took their place on the Cross of Calvary. The words that describe His death, burial, and resurrection are words that bring life to the one who believes. The Bible describes that life as the Abundant Life.
Think about it. God promises to the one who knows Him that they will have peace, joy, love, and as we listen to His words, we learn to become like His Son. Wow! Move over Sousa! Your music is stirring and great, but it can’t do that. The words of the Bible will take away hate and bring love. They will take away sadness and bring joy. They will take away despair and bring hope.
Think about the fact that we can say with the Psalmist,
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
And we can say with Paul,
My God shall supply all my needs.
Move over Mr. Strauss. Those are words to which to dance.
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