The Mystery of Music, Part Deux (Am I Guarding My Ears? Am I Causing My Brother to Stumble?)

Music can be a very personal and subjective thing. It is like a language that everyone can interpret, but these interpretations can be vastly different. Whether the music in question is instrumental, vocal, or something in between, it can be construed to be offensive to one person while another finds it encouraging or enlightening. (I'm not talking about a lot of the 'music' that is just an excuse to use a lot of obscene language or explicit material -- for the purposes of this discussion, we are not considering this to fit into the field of music).

Because music can demand a lot of interpretation and decoding from it's listeners, we should be wary of different ways that music could be seen as obscene. The last thing that we want to do is to listen to something without thinking about words or musical structure. If we don't actively participate in the musical experience, we are likely to become mesmerized, resulting in possible confusion for ourselves or others.

For example, let's say that Jim, a Christian, has just found this new musical entity that he can't stop listening to. After a few tracks on the CD, though, Jim begins letting himself go and not concentrating on what the singer is saying (or the music is implying). Once Jim has listened to the whole CD, he decides that he loves it because he really feels good after listening. He recommends it to his best friend, who listens and is offended by some inappropriate content on the disc. He confronts Jim, who is still oblivious to the fact that there even was anything out of line.

The previous scenario leads Jim into an uncomfortable position, and it's all because he wasn't guarding his ears. He did not take an active stance of vigilance, and ended up in hot water as a result. We should always make every effort we can to guard our minds. It would be far better to choose to listen to inappropriate music and understand that it is sinful, than for us to listen to it unawares, and be influenced by the lyrics or musical suggestions in a negative way without even realizing the hold that these things have on us.

I can think of several examples where I have been on both sides of a scenario which results from the unintentional lack of knowledge of a subject, whether that subject is musical or not. This isn't the place for me to write those down, however. The point is that these awkward situations are stuck in my mind. I can remember almost all of the recommendations made to me by others that resulted in offense on my part. I wish so badly that those things hadn't happened. Though I didn't yield to the perception that person who made the recommendation was not truly following Christ, most of the time the event adversely affected my idea of who that person was.

You may say that you have freedom in Christ; that you have been set free from these expectations. That is true, actually. The freedom that you have not been given is the freedom to hinder your fellow Christian's walk with the Lord. Please, feel free to use your freedom without hindering someone else's. (I think that this will make for an excellent new topic after I'm done with music ;) ).

In conclusion:

We should ask ourselves these questions before making musical choices

2. Am I actively guarding my ears from Unbiblical influences?

and

3. Am I causing offense to my brother or sister in Christ?

The Mystery of Music, Part I (Is this Glorifying God?)

I don't have much time, so this could be a quick post, depending on how fast I type and think.

Part I: Why Music?

Music is a natural function of man. If you're human, you have some tendency toward music. I believe that God has given this great gift which we use to express our feelings. Music adds a whole new level of emotion and expression to thoughts or ideas. It really is the "universal language."

Why has God given us music, though? Is it just to give us temporary pleasure, or does it have some greater purpose?

If we view our lives with a Biblical worldview, we believe that every part of our existence is meant to be used for some purpose by God. We are here to glorify Him and spread His light. This view applies to all aspects of our life, including music. I've heard arguments (and witnessed practical application of) the idea that music should be separate from the rest of our life. This couldn't be further from the truth. We must remain whole, and not segregate different parts of our lives. In Jesus' words,

And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. (Mark 3:25)

A similar rule applies to our lives. We cannot ''believe'' one thing and do another. As the old adage says, you should practice what you preach.

Whatever we do with our bodies, whether it be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, we should treat them as borrowed items. If you were entrusted with another person's belongings, you would treat them with the highest respect (hopefully). Perhaps this is not the case with things which belong to you. You may not be as careful with them, because you assume that if something happens to them, it's your personal loss. I'll be the first to admit that I'm less careful with things that are mine. One thing which we are forbidden to treat as a personal belonging, however, is our bodies.

In 1 Corinthians 6:19, Paul offers a warning about treating our bodies as our own:

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

We should give our bodies the respect that we would give something which has been loaned to us. We are not our own, we belong to God. We are the temple of His Holy Ghost. Think about that.

We are a temple.

Temples, Churches, Chapels, and Sanctuaries hold a peculiar place in the mind of man. Even the most conservative of us are moved by the solemnity and spirituality of high church proceedings. There is something holy about the reverence shown in these churches. The whole worship service helps an individual keep in mind that he or she is in the presence of God. We are always in His presence, but a service like this brings that to the front of our mind.

This brings me to my next point (well, it's really a question): What kind of music would you play in a temple? The ever-present knowledge of God's omnipresence that a temple elicits from a human makes many of us think that the music would have to be perfect. It would have to be purposefully glorifying to God before we would play it for Him, wouldn't it?

In conclusion (of this part), we see that God's plan for music is for it to bring him glory. We need to constantly keep this in mind as we listen to, compose, or play music. Question #1 for if the music is what it should be is this:

1. Is this glorifying God? Or: (Would I play this for God or his angels?)



And always keep in mind that

...some people have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:2b)

Would you play your music for God's angels, if you knew that they were in your presence?

Fun Pictures

I was going to write a little bit about music, but thought that maybe I'd lighten the mood first by posting something fun (something I have yet to do on this blog). So here it is, a Picture Blog.

These photos are from an event which was just held in Las Vegas, called Super Groom 2007. Pet owners (most of the 'pets' seem to be poodles ... meh) shave, sculpt, and dye their dogs' hair to dress them up. Some of the results are amazing.

So, without further ado, here are the pictures of

Dog Sculptures!
(as in sculptures made from dogs, not sculptures made to look like dogs)



















This first picture is sort of creepy ... instead of making the poodle look like a horse (which I would have expected), the owner decided to put a horse on the poodle. Sort of unusual, but isn't shaving and dyeing a dog's hair unique anyway?
























This one is really neat. Look at how the fishnet stockings, high heels, and jacket are all made of the dog's fur. I like this one a lot better than the last one (but the dog's outfit seems to be a little immodest, don't you think? ;) ).
























Here's my second-favorite of the bunch. I promise that that is really not Jack Sparrow. I know, I know, it's hard to believe, but just bear with me and I'll prove it.

Um...

Actually, I can't prove it. Maybe that really is Jack!


And now, it's time for the very best picture. (I probably think that because this dog isn't a poodle). This one tricked me at first, and I didn't even notice that the dog's hair was it's outfit.




















I love how real this one looks. I think I've found my desktop background for when Christmas Season comes around.

That's it for today's post. I'll probably write my first entry on The Mystery Of Music tomorrow.
I'm tired right now.

Noah

Introducing a New Series ... "The Mystery Of Music" (Just So You Know, This Doesn't Really Count As Part 1 -- This Is Just An Announcement)

I have been thinking a lot about music and its use in our lives lately. After an odd experience at college with a woman who is a music minor, I've been wondering what the purpose of music should be.

The common perception of music today seems to be that it's only purpose is to make you feel good. If it can do that, then it is 'good' music. Otherwise, it is considered to be too conventional or formulaic. If you doesn't give you a high, then it's not a good drug, right?

Many Christians today claim to believe that anything in our life should bring glory to God. This seems to simply be a catch-all phrase, though. There are exceptions to the rule. To many confessing Christians music and movies are 'different,' and should not be a part of an integrated Christian lifestyle (we're not going to focus on movies here ... that's a different discussion :) ). This type of segregated attitude is detrimental, and should be checked before it gets too far.

Music can be a useful tool to honor our great God with. It can help minister to others through its ethereal beauty and innate structure. Learning or listening to music can help to stimulate our minds. But what we do with the music we listen to, and what our purpose in listening to (or participating in) music is, make up an integral part of the science of music.

So, tommorrow I will begin an n-part series on music, its effects on our lives, and the importance of maintaining a healthy intent in our love (or hate) of music.

Haters beware -- what is about to follow in subsequent posts is a (not so) in depth study of an amazing tool which the human mind has yet to fully comprehend ...

The Mystery Of Music!

Bella

Let's face it. In our sinful world, abortion is always going to be an issue. Period.

Even if it's banned by law, it will still happen. It's a sad and scary fact, but it's true. Our self-centered society (and all those that came before it) will always hold a disrespect of other's lives. The easiest way to point this out is by showing that a woman and a man really are willing to kill their own babies so that their lives will be better. To reduce their own pain. The thought makes me cringe.

The new documentary-ish film "Lake of Fire" (read about this at your own risk - even Christianity Today's review was rather sickening), which releases tomorrow, is trying to show both sides of the abortion spectrum. The film, which I have only read about, and do not plan on seeing, seems rather to be a graphic depiction of what abortion -- and fighting for or against it -- can do to a person. However, the filmmaker, Tony Kaye, seems to think that he was objective and showed that both pro-choice and pro-lifers are rational. I find it hard to believe that he can show a doctor filtering through parts of a dead baby on a medical tray or a woman who is dead after performing an abortion on herself, and still believe that he is being reasonable. If you can show that and still think that there are reasonable arguments for and against abortion, I pity you.
I don't judge you.

God pities you, too.
That's why he turned you over to a depraved mind. I hope that doesn't sound too harsh, but it's the truth. God was too merciful to allow you to suffer in the knowledge of your sin. So He made you not care.

It truly is saddening to see how many people are deceived by a pro-choice position. It is, however, encouraging to find that not all filmmakers in Hollywood are so confused. One of them - writer and directer Alejandro Gomez Monteverde - has decided to show how a "choice" can 'change your life forever.' The plot of his film, Bella, which releases in a limited number of theatres on October 26, is being kept under wraps by the movie's ad campaign, but he has already received rave reviews for his work. Ted Baehr's movieguide.org urges Christians to support the movie, which is reported to have a strong pro-life slant. Catholic leagues around the nation are rallying to support this movie, and a pre-release promotional showing here in Colorado Springs has helped the movie to acquire the support of local religious leaders.

I haven't seen the film yet, but I plan to be there on opening day. I am going to help promote the film if possible (I've already signed up to receive promotional materials) and I hope that it will do well.

I urge you to check out the movie's website, www.bellathemovie.com, and see what you think. And after that, pray for Tony Kaye and those who think that abortion is an issue that has no right answer and depends on personal situations or circumstances.

Got to go.

Noah