By Katy Mariotti
Music Is Important
You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.
“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
Colossians 3:15-16 English Standard Version
Christmastime for musicians. If you are a musician reading that phrase, you know what I’m talking about. This time of year is crazy. Yeah sure, this time of year is crazy for everyone, but for a musician that gets turned up a notch, and even more so when you’re a working musician and that is your job. Let me give you an example: just this past week alone my family had 12 rehearsals/performances. And that does not include all of the piano tunings my husband does this time of year as people prepare for all of those rehearsals and performances. That’s just this week alone… it doesn’t include the past month or the next couple of weeks, which are just as busy. It’s hard to fit anything else in, and sometimes fun Christmas activities and events get put on the back burner.
So why do we do it? It makes this time of year so stressful. And yet… for one thing, we love it. When you’re a musician and that’s your life, you can’t deny the love you have for it. But more than that, it’s important. Back when I taught middle school choir, I would do writing prompts with my students, and one of my favorite ones was “what’s a song that’s a tradition for you?” At first some kids would say “I don’t have any. We don’t listen to music.” But then when they thought about it, they’d realize how much music is everywhere and is a huge part of their lives, whether they notice it or not. It plays in stores. It’s in the background of shows. We sing songs to learn, especially with really small kids.
When I was teaching, I often found myself having to defend the importance of my subject area. People considered it fluff, and secondary to math, science, and others. One thing I love about working in a church is that music is valued. And it’s valued in the Bible. Singing is mentioned SO MANY times. There are entire books in the Bible that are just songs. Musicians are specifically listed in the book of Chronicles. How can we ignore the importance of music? It helps us express and understand our emotions, and it helps us praise the Lord! After all, despite the craziness of being a musician at Christmas, I sign up for it again, year after year.
This Christmas, I pray you will notice and appreciate the music you hear, and worship the Lord loudly with singing! And fellow musicians, I pray the Lord fills you with gratitude and with His peace!
Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
