6.13.2011

let it be a sweet, sweet sound

Our pastor began a new series on Sunday about relationships. The first message was a opener about how to live in harmony with one another. He kept using the word harmony in the context of "absence of conflict." And it reminded me of a thought that has been running through my spirit for about a year now:

"God is in the harmony."

As a musician/singer/songwriter, I know that harmony is a tool that adds depth and diversity to a musical composition. As a performer, I know that there are few things that shoot adrenaline through my system faster than a well executed 3-4 part harmony. I've seen people singing along as the team sings the melody, and then when the song builds and the voices break into parts, I see them fall on their knees, lift their hands, or turn their smiling faces heavenward. God is in the harmony.

Which isn't to say that He ISN'T in the melody as well, but I think there's a particular truth to be learned by considering musical harmony from a spiritually analogous perspective. Pastor said Sunday that most conflict arises from "differences" between people, and pointed out how our differences from our loved ones often rub us the wrong way. He said, "It would all be so much easier if we were all the same!" The church laughed, and I thought, "But then there'd be no 'harmony' because when everyone is the same, it's 'melody.'" There MUST be people singing different notes in order to get the richest sound. Sometimes the best-sounding harmony is "dissonance" (where two notes very close to each other are played producing a "clashing" sound).

So let us rejoice in our differences, and be "quick to hear" the harmony it brings.

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6.13.2011

let it be a sweet, sweet sound

Our pastor began a new series on Sunday about relationships. The first message was a opener about how to live in harmony with one another. He kept using the word harmony in the context of "absence of conflict." And it reminded me of a thought that has been running through my spirit for about a year now:

"God is in the harmony."

As a musician/singer/songwriter, I know that harmony is a tool that adds depth and diversity to a musical composition. As a performer, I know that there are few things that shoot adrenaline through my system faster than a well executed 3-4 part harmony. I've seen people singing along as the team sings the melody, and then when the song builds and the voices break into parts, I see them fall on their knees, lift their hands, or turn their smiling faces heavenward. God is in the harmony.

Which isn't to say that He ISN'T in the melody as well, but I think there's a particular truth to be learned by considering musical harmony from a spiritually analogous perspective. Pastor said Sunday that most conflict arises from "differences" between people, and pointed out how our differences from our loved ones often rub us the wrong way. He said, "It would all be so much easier if we were all the same!" The church laughed, and I thought, "But then there'd be no 'harmony' because when everyone is the same, it's 'melody.'" There MUST be people singing different notes in order to get the richest sound. Sometimes the best-sounding harmony is "dissonance" (where two notes very close to each other are played producing a "clashing" sound).

So let us rejoice in our differences, and be "quick to hear" the harmony it brings.

No comments: