World View…

Walking through a store the other day, as I was browsing, I came across a world globe. As it caught my eye, I drew closer to it. Remembering from much younger years, and experiencing once again, a sense of joy and awe at the magnitude of the earth and all that it contains. Then, placing my hand on the globe, I began to spin it gently, looking more closely to see if it was a current day version or one from the past.

Despite its “old world” look, the globe was up to date in its representation of the countries of the world. Spinning the globe again, a little faster this time, I was struck by the smoothness of it and its spin. It is something how, what appears to be so smooth, can be so split and divided. Then as I began to walk away, I turned back. The globe no longing spinning now, still split and divided, but still together, still one planet.

It is amazing how God creates and sets things into motion, placing so many parts, of all kinds, together. Then, as different as they may be, and despite all that may go awry, hearts that truly seek goodness, find it.

Receive

The Lord’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For the Lord founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers…
Let the Lord enter… The Lord is king of glory. – Psalm 24

Many Dimensions Make Music…

The auditorium was full of people of all ages and backgrounds watching, listening and taking in the music that filled the air. As diverse as the crowd, were the students on stage and the music they performed. Between all the different ensembles (jazz, camerata choir, concert chorus, drumline, orchestra, and concert band) that performed it was remarkable to experience the many dimensions of both music and instruments. It was also moving to witness the result, or the fruit, of the time and effort spent working, at times alone and at times together, to learn and perform musical pieces with melody and in harmony… supporting one another toward the same end. So many pieces, so many dimensions, yet all in unity. Truly beautiful, and so very soulful!

Like music, many things, including humanity, are at their best, inspirational and Spirit-filled, when they are multi-dimensional. The more single note or single flavor something or someone is, typically, the more it is also uninspired and on its way to becoming less than, stalled or altogether extinguished. This is not how it is intended to be.

We are all created with a body, mind, and spirit. We are multi-dimensional from the very beginning, before we can even really do anything. Not only that, we are also created in the image of a multi-dimensional God. A God whom we can experience through each of our senses, and in so many ways, through so many avenues (e.g. prayer, music, nature, art, literature, etc.).

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.” – Revelation 1:8

With a God who is all encompassing… the beginning, the end, and everything in between… a God who is in the past, the present, and the future, all at once—beyond total human comprehension—our faith is called to be the same—bigger and broader than we can imagine—multi-dimensional. For that is what faith, as well as each of us, is capable of, whether we believe it or not. With and through God, and each other, we are always more… always greater than what we could ever be on our own.

Just like the music student who is called to learn and practice the piece of music both on their own and together with their fellow student musicians, we are called to learn and practice our faith on our own with God as well as together. In this way, we allow our hearts and souls to be moved, and our minds to be stretched, so that each breath that stirs us into action may arise from the depths of our being, guided by a Love so profound and beyond understanding, that all we can do is our part to listen in order to be in harmony, and in awe, of the beautiful music.

In each moment, in every situation, with each day, there is music waiting to be made.

MusicStaff