I was raised around classical music. Even though we were poor materially my mother, who loved classical piano, always made sure we had a used piano in the house. She would often spend hours playing and I loved it. During my undergraduate years, with no musical talent of my own, I took Music History as an elective to learn more about this classical music I too had come to love.
This evening it occurs to me there is much we as Christ followers can learn from classical music, specifically a style of music referred to as a symphony. Webster defines the word symphony as, “harmonious complexity and concordant in sound.” Answers.com defines it as: “something characterized by a harmonious combination.” Orchestras, those collections of string, bass, woodwind and sometimes percussion instruments, are typically central in the performance of a symphonic piece. While each specific musical instrument appears to only play certain notes at certain times, seemingly without actually playing a “tune,” when all sections of the orchestra are playing together the music, the symphony, will provide a “harmonious complexity” that produces real music and deeply moves people.
Symphonies are typically structured in “movements”, with most having four although many only have three movements. Within each movement typically two competing themes play out in the composition that is either played in a fast or slow tempo. The traditional symphony I’ve grown to like is four movements in a slow, fast, slow, fast style. Beginning in the 17th century with the advent of standard definitions for what constituted a specific instrument, and standards for tuning those instruments, the composers of the day attempted to bring the voice of Opera – the music of the day – to the instrument. Mozart and Haydn brought this new approach to a real art form with the symphony.
However, in the 18th century Beethoven took it to a whole new level with his boldness in composition and then with the creation of his 9th Symphony where, during the closing movement, the fourth, he did something never done before he added chorale voices – symphonies are for instruments only - this was unthinkable, radical, and extremely dramatic, and with it he forever changed the symphony – most would say for the good, but not all. In 1903 Debussey declared that the era of the symphony had ended with Beethoven’s 9th – even though in retrospect it had not.
So, you may rightly ask, what’s all this got to do with being a Christ follower – simply this, have you ever thought of your church family as the orchestra, God as the composer of the symphony he’s written for your church and Christ as the conductor? Or, have you fallen into Debussey’s trap of thinking all symphonies have to have four movements and only instruments? Can you see that while each of us represents a different instrument and therefore set in a different section of the orchestra that when we play the composition as the composer has written it, and follow the guidance of a skilled conductor, we play at our very best and accomplish the original intent of the composer?
That, it occurs to me, is what is at work in the local church. That is, when something occurs outside the norm, like Beethoven adding voice, within the church such as a new ministry beginning, or praise songs are sung instead of hymns, or the order of worship changes, do we embrace that and incorporate it in our symphony or reject it out of hand and try to play God’s symphony the way we want, rather than He?
I’ve come to see God’s hand in so much of what happens in any local church body, and ours is no different, and I’ve come to realize that I was seeing God as a cookie maker, using the same cookie cutter in every church. Each church should have a certain size staff with specific positions and ministries, each educational system structured the same, the same music programs, missions programs, and community outreach – I reasoned that that must be what God intended, that we be uniform and the same, and that when that doesn’t occur something must be wrong or out of place.
Today I see that no, God is actually the great composer and conductor creating marvelous symphonies within every local church, each is different both in composition and in orchestra components but with a single theme, reaching mankind for an eternity. I’ve come to see that when we recognize each church has a unique purpose and mission and God is the one who draws the orchestra together to play that specific symphony that we can be harmonious in a way that glorifies Him above all else. Perhaps this week it’s a piece of jazz He has for us to play and perhaps next week a symphony – as long as we see Him as the great composer and see others around us as having a role to play then we can accomplish all that God intends – and while it may seem different we will indeed be a “harmonious combination.”
God is moving among us today preparing to have us play a new piece He has written. He’s moving the instruments around, and perhaps bringing in some new ones as well. In the year ahead He’ll do things with us He’s never done before in ways He’s never done before – a brand new piece of music, how exciting. Perhaps you’ve been in the string section and now you’ll be in the brass, perhaps you were first violin now someone else has been given that role, perhaps you’ve never played an instrument or sung a note in any orchestra before – this coming year might be your first ministry, first church, first Bible class, or first mission trip or perhaps your first time working with people you don’t know or have never worked with, all of which is true in a new orchestra or learning a new piece.
Committing ourselves today to the work ahead, to embracing and learning the new “symphony” Christ will accomplish with us this coming year is the first step in performing and contributing at our highest level. I’m excited and I hope that you are as well. Learning a new piece of music is always a challenge but exciting as well as we recognize that God’s not through with us, in fact He’s just beginning. I can hardly wait to hear the first recital!
Praising God with you,
Wes
