German women, lost shepherds, and integrity.

Music is a mysterious thing.

I have heard it said that music is unique in that it has the ability to speak to a persons soul without their permission. What a weird thought. Something so beautiful can violate our beings.

I think that it is true. Music has the ability to trigger emotions in us. It can provoke us like nothing else, it can mesmerize us, and inspire us.

It can make things seem very sincere or passionate, like in church when someone is praying or nearing the end of a message and the guitar and keys fade in and gently manipulate peoples feelings. A pet peeve of mine... for the record.

It can even strike fear in us.

If you have ever seen a scary movie you know what I mean... the music used creates stress and tension in the viewer... the screeching strings irritate your mind and increase slightly in volume in order to prime you just as the psychotic masked killer jumps out. boom. scared.

or maybe, the killer doesn't jump out and it was just a cat.

instant relief from anxiety.

not nearly the same without the music.

major keys feel different than minor keys, and key changes are emotionally charged and epic.

My gramma used to sing songs to me when I was a little kid. She would sing hymns to me (rarely were the emotionally charged or epic - that would have been amazing though) they were, however, very soothing. They were old Lutheran hymns, so it is very likely they were at one point drinking songs. I would argue that there are few things more soothing than a sweet old German woman singing you modified drinking songs as you are falling asleep. Not always the case, but this particular combination was angelic.

Now, we can use music for better or for worse, and I am sure there are many opinions about what makes music good or bad. People feel very strongly about music, don't we?

Yes... yes we do.

Maybe it is because when there is music we identify with we have actually allowed the music to become a small part of our identity. therefore, to challenge my style of music is to challenge a part of who I am. Seems to make sense. Let's say that is in fact the case.

I am honored to live in a house filled with music. Most of the music you have likely never heard before because it is still in the process of being created. All of my roommates are very talented, and in a variety of ways. One is particularly gifted as a musician and songwriter.

seriously, it is like he was born to make music... and his music reflects this.

There is deep meaning in every one of his songs... the lyrics are saturated with deep thought and symbolism. It is poetic.

He pairs that with amazing melodies and harmonies, presented creatively with just the right sounds, rhythm, and tones in order to weave the lyrics into an ocean of beautifully produced sonic waves.

The music is a piece of him.

In case you were wondering, his name is Eben and his band is Lost Shepherds .

Music is a mysterious thing indeed. There was a musician who was very influential in enriching my faith and challenging my preconceived ideas. His name is Derek Webb, and he has continued writing and recently produced an album called Stockholm Syndrome. Good music, good message.

I was listening to some of his earlier albums from 2004 and 2005.

I See Things Upside Down
&
Mockingbird

... and in doing so was reflecting on how this music had presented deep truths and in doing so challenged me and as a result... I grew.

As I said earlier, there is good music and bad music.... we all have opinions on this, but maybe one way we can classify the music is not necessarily by how it sounds.. but on what it does to us... or in us.. or for us.

Some music is neutral, some is beneficial, some is detrimental.... but it all has the power to speak to our souls. Which is why we shouldn't just listen passively to what is being communicated and we should actually focus on the message.

Now... the focus of this is not on listening to "secular music" vs "christian music"... which I could see as an assumed next wave of thought, but something I care very little about.

I want to talk on "worship music" for a bit. If you are a Christ follower and have not recently taken time to examine the words you are singing during worship, I would strongly urge you to do so and to think through what is being declared.

Many times hidden behind a veil of melodic distractions are terribly self-centered or insincere cliches just waiting to echo through the church walls...inside which, they will remain. It is not the beauty of our voice or the passion in which we project our songs, but the sincerity of our hearts that will be pleasing to the Lord. If we don't deeply consider the words we are singing, how can we sincerely mean it?

Worshiping through music and song is an incredible form of praise and adoration, and because music by it's very nature is so powerful, we must approach this behavior with wisdom and maturity, especially as we become more accustomed to it. To sing with your heart is to know every word that flows from your mouth and to mean them. Just because something sounds extremely passionate, flowery, or spiritual doesn't mean it is true worship... true worship is a matter of offering praise and adoration to God in honesty, integrity, and sincerity.

Music is a gift we have been given.

Let us use it wisely.