Song of My Soul

I recently discovered the joys of Pandora on my iPod (eye-roll from all my teenage friends who can't imagine it took me this long to figure this out!) It has put me back in touch with the power of music to stir the soul.
My tastes are very eclectic - everything from Bon Iver to Three Dog Night, Bobby Sherman to Ravel, Frank Sinatra to Chris Tomlin - but they all have one thing in common: they evoke emotions. Bon Iver is the power of music to call forth creativity. Three Dog Night was my first live concert. Bobby Sherman was my teen heartthrob; Ravel, my favorite composer; Sinatra reminds me of my dad; and Chris Tomlin is one of my favorite contemporary Christian artists. Music speaks to us on a deep level that often cannot be described in words.
The church has long known this powerful association. For a long time, the church was the greatest patron of the arts. Bach, Handel, and their contemporaries wrote predominately for the church and would have starved without their patronage. Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley the founder of Methodism, knew the power of song. He penned deep theological concepts, then set them to the tunes of English drinking songs, making them easy to learn and to remember.
There's even a songbook in the Bible - the book of Psalms. Many of the Psalms contain directions for singing. Some contain pneumonic devices to help the mostly illiterate Hebrew people to memorize parts of the Torah or theological concepts. Some were used in worship. Some were used for personal devotion.
There are many songs that hold a special place in my spiritual walk. Held, by Natalie Grant, gets me through the hard times. You Raise Me Up, by Selah, inspires me. Sometimes God speaks to me through secular songs, like Bette Midler's Wind Beneath My Wings, or Creed's Higher.
So this week, pull out an old hymnal, tune in a new radio station, and praise God for the power of music to bring you closer to Him. (I recommend 91.9 His radio or 94.1 K-Love.) Turn it up and sing along. Or better still, express yourself in song by writing your own! I guarantee you'll feel something - even if it's just embarrassment when the guy in the car next to you looks at you funny for having a praise party all by yourself!