Music is my Therapy

I Samuel 16:14-23

Introduction:

Today we turn back to an old, old story about the king of Israel. Samuel did not want Saul to be King over Israel. As a matter of fact Samuel did not want a king at all over Israel because Samuel thought that the Israelites ought not to have any king besides God. For years they had hounded the prophet – "Give us a King" - "Give us a king." "How can we be a kingdom without a king?"

Samuel was weary about this king business and stopped his ears. "Don’t talk with me about a king!" Give us a king was a common chorus of the people. God, finally, told Samuel to give them a king. All night Samuel argued with the Lord about this king business, but finally Samuel conceded. Okay, give them a king. And that king was Saul, but Samuel kept a close eye on Saul to make sure he fulfilled his obligations to God and to the people.

But Saul had problems. He couldn’t keep the commands of God straight, his sons were corrupt and he had fits of depression. Nothing seemed to help so several of his advisors suggested a certain young man to come to his aid. It was none other than David, the young shepherd, who incidentally was destined to become king over Israel himself. (But I’m getting ahead of myself.)

David was a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech and a man of good presence. In addition, David was handsome, ruddy in complexion from living and working outdoors tending sheep and (so the story goes) had beautiful eyes. Either the storyteller was hamming it up to make David look good or this was truly an outstanding young man and with all the right family connections. He was of the family of Jesse, from Bethlehem. It was none of these attributes, however, that first recommended David to Saul.

About the only thing that would ease Saul in his black moods was music. "Find me someone who can play well and bring them to me." Saul had problems. But David’s beauty, nor his great speaking ability, could help the king. Even though Saul was a great military leader, it was not David’s military prowess which commended him to Saul (remember Goliath). It was his musical ability. He could play the harp and sing. Music was Saul’s therapy. Whenever Saul was depressed, David sang to him. "And when David played and sang, so the story goes, Saul was refreshed, and snapped out of his depression. Saul loved David’s singing and playing so well that he made David his handyman so he would always be close at hand.

Music is the language of the soul. What is the point? Well, the point is not: "Music alone shall live!" .What is the point? The point is this! What do we do with evil? Evil is always at war with the good. David with his music was trying to ward off evil. And what is evil? It is mysterious; it is easier than the good, it is bad elevated to the unexplainable. Evil is anyone outside the tribe – in other words, it is getting people to think in categories. The Khmer Rouge sent to the killing fields all that spoke French or wore glasses or had soft hands. Some even want to blame evil on God. Some preachers imply that God makes bad things happen to people to make them repent of their sins and turn to him.

God is much, much more than that. God is still in control of the world and has defeated evil because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. But ole Saul did not know about Jesus. Evil assaulted him from time to time, and David sang to him and drove away evil and Saul was refreshed. Can you imagine what David sang to Saul? It’s no coincidence that many of the psalms of the Hebrew Scriptures are called "The Psalms of David." Furthermore, it is no coincidence that many of the songs of David are about the struggle between good and evil. Many of the songs of the Presbyterian Hymnal are the lectionary psalms set to music.

Conclusion:

Yes, God in Christ has conquered evil, but evil has a way of pretending that it still is around, and still in control of our lives, and still fooling us into falling into its snares. We need help conquering evil from time to time.

There is prayer, of course; there is the support and encouragement of friends; there are the strong bonds of the Church; and there is MUSIC. I confess to you that music is my therapy. Music is indeed the language of the soul. When my soul needs opening up to God, music for me is the key. Music can move me when words or encouragement or even prayer fails me. Through it I can open my soul to God; Music can inspire me to the heights. My most spiritual moments have been with music. Music like nothing else can connect me with God and lift me up from my darkest moments.

I remember singing in the cloister of the Iona Abbey in Scotland, emerging from Abbey worship singing in solemn procession "We are marching in the light of God."

Or I remember vividly singing Randall Thompson’s Peaceable Kingdom – especially the eight part chorus of "Ye Shall Have a Song." Or singing it again at the Montreat Worship and Music Conference with 500 voices and surrounded by 38 second basses. Why, I thought I had died and gone to heaven! Another high spiritual experience for me was singing the final chorale of The Seven Last Words of Christ (Theodore Dubois) with our choir on Palm Sunday:

Christ, we do all adore Thee
And we do praise Thee forever
For on the holy cross hast Thou the world
From sin redeemed
Christ, we do all adore Thee
And we do praise Thee forever.

Yes, Saul had a great insight into his life by making music his therapist. Music is my therapy. Let me invite you today as you engage in your struggle against evil and deal with the dark nights of your soul, to make music, good music, great music your therapy, too.