The Invitation of Sacred Music

This is the second in a series highlighting the simple and the sacred.

The “simple” invites us to relax and enjoy a variety of pleasant experiences – without analyzing or even evaluating. 

The “sacred” invites us to see something as special, set apart, not for common use. This definition could apply to a number of things, including taking communion, participating in a Sunday morning worship service, or even offering prayers that Christians have shared through the centuries. 

Today I want to highlight sacred music, because “music is the prayer the heart sings”. The point of sacred music is to experience God in a way that speaks to both our minds and our hearts. Such music can be experienced in any number of places, in any number of ways, with any number of voices or instruments.

· In a candlelit sanctuary in England, in a very formal service, I listened to a choir of children’s voices. 

· In a camp tent at a college retreat, a staff leader led us students in acapella singing.

· In a small rural church in Northern California, a guitarist led the small and vibrant congregation in informal songs of celebration. 

· Paddling in a kayak with my husband, we sang to the Lord as we surveyed the majestic mountains around us.

· Moving to Oregon, my daughter and I sang in the car as we drove for hours. 

To me, all of these are sacred music moments. 

The purpose of the sacred is to connect us with God. The challenge is that over time, we can become rooted in routines that preclude learning and growing in our relationship with him. We can resist allowing God’s Spirit to work in fresh ways, and expose us to new sacred moments…including new experiences of sacred music.

What makes it sacred? I think three things: preparation, posture and participation. 

For example, when we decided to attend the candlelight service in England, I knew this would be a very different experience, so I made a deliberate effort to prepare my heart to meet God. And when I sat down in the pew, my posture – open ears, closed mouth, leaning a little forward to hear – all said to God that I was waiting and ready; wanting to participate in the music and experience the Lord.

In a very different environment, on our move to Oregon, our car was continually overheating each time we made the long pull up a hill. Our conversations would turn to concern, our concerns would turn to prayer, and then our prayers would turn to singing. There wasn’t much preparation in that, but – when we realized our car’s issues – all of sudden our internal postures changed and our car became a place for sacred music as we raised our voices to God in song.

One of the most beautiful ways I’ve experienced sacred moments of music has been to attend church services that use different songs, or different instruments, or incorporate music into the service in different ways. I once attended a service where everything – the prayers, the meditations, even the devotional thoughts – all were sung! Yes, it was unusual. Yes, it was a bit uncomfortable. Yet it was a joy to let the newness and freshness of this musical experience help me encounter God in a new way.

That is the beauty of sacred moments. That is the beauty of moments of sacred music. 

Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! 

Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him 

according to his excellent greatness!

Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! 

Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! 

Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

Psalm 150 (ESV)