Who is playing you?
Sunday, February 23rd 2025 (week 99)
1 Chronicles 15: 16-22
I am a keen music fan with an eclectic taste and my choice at any given time will be guided by my mood. In my study at home where I write, Classic FM is constantly on the radio. As I write this piece the haunting sound of Rodrigo's famous Concierto de Aranjuez is playing, and my mind is taken off to Spain as I remember it in the 1960s. Catch me on a Friday evening after a long hard week in the office and I`ll be watching videos of Dire Straits and the widely acknowledged talent of Mark Knopfler’s guitar playing.
In the life of the church, few things have the power to unite, inspire, and move hearts like music. Whether through the melodies of a hymn, the uplifting chords of a worship song, or the reflective tones of a spiritual ballad, music has been a cornerstone of Christian worship for centuries. 1 Chronicles 15 reminds us of the importance of music and tells how “David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals”.
It is easy to forget that everything we have is a gift from God. Our families, our homes, our work, our possessions and our abilities are all gifts from God. We are merely custodians charged with managing, growing and enjoying everything we are given. It’s also easy to forget that this extends to things outside of the church and there are lots of people out there who are clearly gifted by God in certain areas whether or not they recognise it. “But it is one and the same spirit who does all this; as he wishes, he gives a different gift to each person” 1 Cor 12: 11.
I was recently watching an episode of the annual Kennedy Center Honors, given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture where the legendary guitarist Carlos Santana was receiving an award. The presenter, Harry Belafonte commented that Carlos had once said, “I don’t play the music, the music plays me”. Anyone who has ever seen him play will see that a force other than his own is clearly at work as he becomes entranced in the music. It’s forceful and made me question, who is playing me.
As Christians, our “director”, musical or otherwise has to be Jesus Christ because He gave up His life so that we can have everlasting life in eternity with him. Every day of life should be lived for Jesus, doing the things He has for us the way He wants us to do them. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith, our lives, everything, and everything we do should be for His glory.
There is some great Christian worship music available to us and I love lots of it. But let's not forget that we are reminded in 1 Timothy 6:17, that it is, “…….God, who generously gives us everything for our enjoyment”, and some excellent guitar playing is fine with God too.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for every gift you give so generously to us. Help us to pray for those you have generously gifted but who may not recognise you as the giver.
Neil has been a Christian for nearly thirty years and prior to joining Gatehouse Church spent all his Christian life at Christ Church with All Saints Blackpool, where amongst other things he was a leader in their Campaigner Ministries children and youth work.
Neil is an award-winning and widely published writer. Over twenty-five years he has written for a range of mainstream media including The Times, Sunday Times, Telegraph, Daily Mail, and Financial Mail on Sunday as well as Reuters and numerous magazines. How To Books published his first non-fiction title 100 Ways to Make Your Business a Success and he has recently added The Great British Property Scam.
He has also taught Creative Writing extensively for Blackpool and the Fylde College, The WEA, and Lancaster University and launched www.seasiderswrite.com a community-based creative writing project funded by Arts Council England. Writing as C.J.Neill he is also a published novelist.
You can find out more at www.neilbromage.com or drop him an email at neil@neilbromage.com
Neil Bromage, 23/02/2025