Make a Joyful Noise

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty firmament!
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his surpassing greatness!

Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with clanging cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord!

 

I love music. Growing up, there was almost always music. Mind you, it was not being made by my family members or me - it was either the radio or records on the stereo (kids, you can ask your parents about records). Dad would turn on the opera every Saturday afternoon. My brothers and I had our favorite bands and artists - we had a wide variety of tastes. There was always music. We were raised to appreciate music, and I thank my parents for instilling that in us.

 

Our parents encouraged us all to play an instrument. My brothers all picked band instruments - trumpet, clarinet and trombone were their choices. I chose the cello. I played the cello through high school, but not very well. While I haven't played in over 30 years, I still love the sound of the cello, especially when it is played well.

 

There are three cellists that I have admired over the years. The first is Pablo Casals, who was born in Spain in the late 1800s, and was considered by many to be the best cellist of the 20th century. Casals was the artist I dreamed I would be, if I could do it without all the practice and dedication.

 

Over the past ten years or so, my cello idol has been Yo-Yo Ma. What I appreciate about his music is that his offerings vary from classical to contemporary, and all are flawless and beautiful and powerful yet soft. Yet even more than that, what I appreciate about him is how much he seems to be filled with joy in sharing his gift of music.

 

Most recently, I have become a fan of a group called "The Piano Guys." Steven Sharp Nelson is the cellist in the group who does some incredible things to both classical and contemporary music. Again, what I appreciate is the joy that is eveident when he is sharing the music. 

 

Music is an instrument of praise and a gift from God. The psalmist put it well - let everything that breathes praise the Lord! My hope and prayer is that, whatever gift God has given me, I can use it to praise the Lord, and that I might find great joy in the effort.

 

A couple of videos - Yo-Yo Ma and the Piano Guys version of Cello Suite No.1 - Prelude by J.S. Bach. (ignore the ads)

 

 

 

Peace,

Pastor Charlie