Two Years of Musicians' Heart-Thoughts

https://www.sdgmm.org/single-post/two-years-of-musicians-heart-thoughts

THANKS to my friends for sharing your time, thoughts, and hearts in Café Jubalatte. Patrick and I began this ministry together, and I believe he, too, is thanking each of you, but from an Eternal Perspective. Here’s to (in photo order): Wes, Kristin, Daniel, Chip, Jonathan, Robin, Sara, Lori, Naomi, Sarah, Shannon, Christine, David, Terry, David, Gert, Annabelle, Cammy, Steven, Roslyn, Carter, Michael, David, and Steven.

I have taken the liberty to arrange one quote from each of you into a treatise, God Loves Musicians.

Knowing God Through Music

—“God gave us music not only to worship Him, or only to make us happy, but at times it can help us move through the stages of grief and find ultimate healing.” (Jonathan-piano)

—“As I listened to each of the pieces above, I found myself focusing on God’s unconditional love. Whether or not a composer knows this love, I believe God can use a person’s music to draw you closer to him.” (Annabelle-violin)

—“…it is a great consolation to the Christian that the Holy Spirit would use even a solo piano work by Brahms to remind us that He will always be our ultimate source of comfort and satisfaction.” (Carter-piano)

—“As the music and the words of the Requiem passed through the concert, the truth that God loved me just as I was sank deeper and deeper, and I heard the truth that chasing accomplishments to prove I was enough would never actually be enough.” (Michael-violin)

—“The world is a work of art and we are blessed to know the identity of the Artist. As musicians, we are also aware of how powerfully God can use artistic means to speak to our heart.” (Steven-trumpet)

—“May I never again forget the importance of playing with the pieces that God lays before me.”

(Cammy-soprano)

—“The music (Et Lux) is rather a very private prayer-cry. A weeping for hope moment. An absolute honest confused confession of one’s brokenness and a plea for redemption.” (David-violin)

God Cares For Us

—“It is more accurate to say that God sought me rather than I sought God. But now when I look back on my life I realize that there were many times when I felt the presence of God or the pull of His Spirit.” (Terry-bassoon)

—“…in His infinite knowledge, He knew that I would come to this crisis point in my faith. I will always believe and trust Him, because He has been so faithful to me, especially when I have needed Him the most.” (Lori-piano)

—“He has always been faithful to get me through whatever I’m facing. Cast your anxieties on Him, and you’ll see that He cares for you! (Shannon-violin)

—“I copied it (Colossians 2) down and prayed it before each performance before I went to the podium. It applies to any group of musicians, but especially to opera, where so many parts are involved, it brought me peace and purpose during the performance.” (Kristin-conductor)

—“The Lord God is the only one who can redeem and restore all of those broken pieces of our lives. He can take our brokenness and fit us, mold us and refine us into His beautiful creation. When will we fully receive the grace and mercy He abundantly gives? We are constant works in progress.” (Robin-soprano)

How We Are To Live As Christians, As Musicians

—“So what is my purpose in life, whether as a musician or at church? To glorify God. (Sarah-violin)

—“Why is it hard to wait on God when we know that great things take time to be revealed, while as musicians we don’t expect our performances to be ready overnight?” (Christine-piano)

—“But at that moment, I realized that I was placed there for His purposes and not mine. Colossians 3:23-24 says…’Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.’ Soli Deo Gloria.” (Steven-baritone)

—“We model and testify not through our striving, but through humbly yielding ourselves in all of our imperfection, sinfulness, and weakness so that He may do with us as He wills, however little or much we know of what He is doing.” (Daniel-piano)

—“Our hectic external schedules often do not allow us that space to hear the new things that God would wish to do in our lives. So this season is a time of opportunity. Let’s enter that quiet, with expectancy, ready to hear what our Father would whisper to us.” (David-bass)

—“I am still trying to understand how to practically build a sanctuary for His presence in my life, but I am growing in my faith and love for Him through the reading of His word and through worshipping Him.”

(Gert-violin)

Musicians as Members of the Body of Christ

—“You are a musician because you have something to say—else you wouldn’t be here. Every time you perform, write, speak, communicate, you are spreading a message. Know your message…And spread messages that are noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.” (Naomi-flute)

—“This is what brotherhood in Christ looks like. It’s very messy, not filled with convenient answers and predictable scripture verses (helpful as they may be). It’s living the difficulties of life together, shouldering the pain as well as the joys, loving one another, regardless the outcome.” (David-conductor)

—“Choosing to be content means…finding joy in our daily work, reaching out to love the people we encounter, and having grateful hearts for what God has given.” (Wes-trumpet)

—“There’s a reason we are called the body of Christ. We need one another in each other’s lives, especially in times like these.” (Chip-clarinet)

Thanksgiving and Praise

—“I encourage you to search diligently and find the blessings God has graciously bestowed on you even in midst of your storms. Let us wake up every day grateful for all the gifts that are ours and express that gratitude to Christ in song and thanksgiving.” (Sara-violin)

—“Today and every day I rejoice in God my Savior who is Love; and in whose great heart of love the true God has bestowed upon us His children—including me—gifts to discover, to delight in, to share with others; to bring challenge, to bestow assurance of the great diversity that is ours, from God in Christ.” (Roslyn-piano)