Do you know any music therapists? Were you aware that you can get a master's degree in music therapy? A good friend of mine is a music therapist. He works in hospice, playing his harp and singing with anointing to minister to those who are near the end of their journey in this life. I don't think it's my calling. But I can't say for sure. I'm still looking for what I want to do when I grow up. I hope I'm not still saying that when I'm 80.
The therapeutic nature of music has been well documented throughout biblical history, from Saul being soothed by David's playing, to the disciples' bittersweet singing at the close of the Last Supper, to Paul and Silas encouraging themselves while locked in prison, not to mention the celebratory and didactic function of, say, the various poems throughout the biblical text (Exod 15, Judg 5, Phil 2, just to name a few).
But how many times has a song ministered to you, personally, in a time of need or crisis or low point in the deep valleys of this journey we call life? Just the other day I had one of those "God moments" in song. God spoke to me personally through the words of a psalm, but more importantly, it was the music that was the vehicle of the message. I could not have received that message through the words alone, but the wheels of song carried it into my heart.
Now here's the homework: get your pen(cil) and paper ready. Select a song that has especial meaning to you. Find a quiet space where you can sit and listen and think without distraction. Press play on the recording. Listen. Write. Tell what you love about this song. Write about how it has ministered to you in the past. What is the over-arching meaning of the song? Does it speak to you on more than one level? What, if any, biblical text(s) does the song reference? How effective is the song at communicating the true meaning of the biblical text? If necessary, listen to the song again. And again. If it's within your technical capacity, perform a cursory analysis of the form and discuss how the song fits within its own genre or whether it breaks the mold of its genre.
If appropriate, share your findings with someone. Or post them as a comment, here.
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