“Sounds like somebody’s got a case of the Mondays”
If you haven’t heard that phrase before, stop reading this and go watch Office Space. If you have heard it, I hope your day so far isn’t nearly as dreadful as any of the characters’ in the movie. So here’s your Metaphysical Monday to cheer you up!
As we discussed and seemed to all agree last week, music has a profound spiritual significance. That significance can be difficult to explain, but it’s not difficult to experience. Why does music weigh so heavily on our souls? Why does it move us toward worship (or at times toward anger or depression)? Scripture hints at ways in which music is linked to our worship experience, such as in the Psalms and in accounts of the early church in Acts. What do these passages say to us about the role of music in our communication with our Creator?
Perhaps our most real feelings can’t be spoken. Perhaps it’s similar to how the Spirit speaks to the Father on our behalf with “groanings which cannot be uttered.” Perhaps in music, we speak things to God that we can’t say without those notes and those rhythms. More importantly, perhaps God speaks through music in ways that He can’t otherwise reach us. This great mystery has spawned innumerable feelings about the spiritual aspect of music and I happen to know of a good collection of opinions on this subject.
Justin St. Vincent has compiled a great book called “The Spiritual Significance of Music” which explores what music means, spiritually, to musicians from a vast array of genres. It’s a compilation of page-long quotes from band dudes and musicians ranging from Ryan Clark to Ravi Shankar to me to Devo. I think it sheds good light on the universal connection that nearly all humans seem to feel toward music. And it completely astounds me to find out that even non-spiritual people realize the spiritual side of music. They know there’s something more, although often they speak in vague terms and can’t seem to put their finger on it. Perhaps they realize that music communicates something to them about the core of who they are.
Perhaps the feelings we associate with music are at the core of what makes us human?
I play music and write articles. I write the Metaphysical Monday article for IVM. I have a folk project due out later this year. I identify with the Reformed aspects of the Christian faith and I live in the Appalachian Mountains of North Georgia. Follow my musical life at facebook.com/sethhecoxmusic and my (lame) comedy life at twitter.com/sethhecox. 
| Phil metalhed, 40 mins ago.
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So is this book just different ways people adapt to worship or music in general?
It is comprised of about 100 or so quotes from musicians about what they think the spiritual significance of music is. It’s not about music made for worship, per se. It’s just about the spiritual feelings and thoughts connected to any music for that person.
Well expressed my archetypical friend. Music can bring out powerful feelings in most of us. When the music stops and the feelings fade away the truth still stands: on Christ the solid rock I stand, whichever direction the winds of emotion may have tossed us.
Peter Gibbons: Let me ask you something. When you come in on Monday and you’re not feeling real well, does anyone ever say to you, “Sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays?”
Lawrence: No. No, man. ****, no, man. I believe you’d get your *** kicked sayin’ something like that, man.
Good use of the “*” button!
*****!
Hahahaha I love Lawrence!
yyyyyeahh…that’d be grrreatt. Oh, and remember: next Friday… is Hawaiian shirt day.
I hate TPS-reports!!!!!!!!!! :-)
“It’s a JUMP-TO-CONCLUSIONS mat. It’s a map that has different CONCLUSIONS that you can JUMP to!”
That is literally the worst idea I have ever heard.
wow, its exactly like how you described it
“Good things can happen to good people. I mean…look at me!”
That’d be gggrreeeeeeat.
Yeah after I was saved I pulled the whole ‘get rid of ‘bad’ music’ thing; I mean obviosly anti-Christian bands, and I did notice a weight lifted. Now 95% of my music is Christian as a result, because I know how heavily it can weight a person down. I mean Dimmu Borgir are one of the best bands I know of, but, I can’t bring myself to listen to them anymore…
Good move! I know exactly what you mean. I was into Nile a few years ago and I had to literally toss the Nile CD out of my car window (Warning: IVM does not endorse littering in any way and I alone am responsible for my actions). It was just something about them reading incantations and such that made me feel uneasy.
Glad you made the decision and I hope you’ve found some killer Christian bands to listen to instead. Becoming The Archetype comes to mind…
Haha!
Yea Yorik. I can agree with you. When I was 13 I was obsessed with Marilyn Manson. It screwed me up really good. I don’t ever want to go back. It’s painful to think about the influence that person had on me. Yikes.
Demon Hunter hits hard with me on their song “No Reason to Exist.” It makes me think of when I was into that Marilyn Manson character:
This wreckage you’ll never be
If you were raised in Hell you’d own the sea
Don’t tell me it’s not your choice
You sold a blessed future for some noise
Definitely going to have to check that book out. And Yes BTA would be a good place to start as well as Living Sacrifice. Growing up as a PK, I can’t relate to people like yourself that came to Christ later in life (I’d love to talk with someone in that situation but I digress) so I guess I at least on the surface have never felt weird listening to secular metal/rock/what have you I think because I was always surrounded with some sort of Christ centered music (It was my way of rebelling). Now that I’m older, I still feel the same way but that’s not everyone. We’re all different and if getting rid of secular music or most of it is what one person needs to do then that is awesome that you’ve made that commitment!
Well, the benifit of living now (as opposed to the early 90′s) is there’s a ton of insanely good Christian metal bands that are pretty unrelenting in their faith. As it is, I have been able to basically ‘replace’ most all my old favorite sounding bands. Finding As They Sleep basically made my life complete.
Yorik, if you like As They Sleep you may want to check out Mirror of Dead Faces if you haven’t come across them already.
On topic, I do think music is a good way to speak and be spoken to. I’ve experienced this mainly through the creation of music. I’m not sure my experiences as a listener are as personal or spiritual as listening to what music came through me. I always presumed artists would be more likely to get sick of their own songs before those of another artist, but I’ve found it to be quite the opposite. It’s always a refreshing experience whenever I revisit my own songs.
I would recommend people craft their own songs. Even if you aren’t musically inclined. If you love music and put something together earnestly it will be an expression spiritually valuable to you.
I have, thanks. And they are also super rad. And, to the latter of your post, I make synth techno and always listen to it. It’s my art form of choice, besides writing fantasy novels.