Please take a moment to read this thought-provoking article on music and neuroscience from National Geographic magazine.
This discussion was prompted by our recent concert at Broadway from "Two and a Half Tenors." Here's what Pastor Rob wrote to initiate this discussion...
The music concert by Two and a Half Tenors Sunday night was a huge success on many levels: a packed house, great show with a variety on numbers, our sound system at its best, and a free will offering that, combined with our great sponsors, meant that we came out exactly $3 ahead! But there was one other aspect that made it such a special evening of music: it wonderfully demonstrated that we are made in the image and likeness of our Creator God.
Imago dei is the Latin phrase used by theologians to indicate that human beings bear the mark of our Creator. We are who we are because of who God is. The Bible describes heaven as a place where harpists play and singers join their voices (Rev. 14:2-3, Ps. 40:3). Worship that is pleasing to God involves music (Ps. 100:1-2) and music is an integral part of spiritual growth (Col. 3:16). We are musical because God is musical. In fact, there is so much music referenced in the Bible that as Genesis described God “speaking” the world into existence, C.S. Lewis imagined his Christ-like Aslan in The Magician’s Nephew creating the world by singing it into existence.
There are rules, patterns, and pleasing harmonies in music that transcend human construct. Animal brains do not react to music the way human brains do, and neuroscientists continue to be baffled by why music affects us the way it does. Chris Robinson summed up the mysterious heavenly quality of music when he reminded me that music is best expressed when it flows through us rather than from us. We are musical because God is musical and we bear the image of God. Thank you Two and a Half Tenors for the reminder.
This discussion was prompted by our recent concert at Broadway from "Two and a Half Tenors." Here's what Pastor Rob wrote to initiate this discussion...
The music concert by Two and a Half Tenors Sunday night was a huge success on many levels: a packed house, great show with a variety on numbers, our sound system at its best, and a free will offering that, combined with our great sponsors, meant that we came out exactly $3 ahead! But there was one other aspect that made it such a special evening of music: it wonderfully demonstrated that we are made in the image and likeness of our Creator God.
Imago dei is the Latin phrase used by theologians to indicate that human beings bear the mark of our Creator. We are who we are because of who God is. The Bible describes heaven as a place where harpists play and singers join their voices (Rev. 14:2-3, Ps. 40:3). Worship that is pleasing to God involves music (Ps. 100:1-2) and music is an integral part of spiritual growth (Col. 3:16). We are musical because God is musical. In fact, there is so much music referenced in the Bible that as Genesis described God “speaking” the world into existence, C.S. Lewis imagined his Christ-like Aslan in The Magician’s Nephew creating the world by singing it into existence.
There are rules, patterns, and pleasing harmonies in music that transcend human construct. Animal brains do not react to music the way human brains do, and neuroscientists continue to be baffled by why music affects us the way it does. Chris Robinson summed up the mysterious heavenly quality of music when he reminded me that music is best expressed when it flows through us rather than from us. We are musical because God is musical and we bear the image of God. Thank you Two and a Half Tenors for the reminder.