Sunday our musician reflection will be Robert Armstead, and I love music. My diverse playlist includes classical, jazz, spa music and classic rock. Music helps me think. It helps me relax. But most importantly, music reminds me that we are made in God’s image (Imago Dei). Music is a gift from God and allows us to participate in creative activity.

How many types of music do you know about? How many songs are you familiar with? The musical library we have in Western music is vast — and it is almost completely made up of 12 notes. It is amazing that such a vast amount of beautiful music is created out of such a small resource.

Johann Sebastian Bach signed all his manuscripts with S.D.G. which abbreviates Soli Deo Gloria: To the Glory of God Alone. For Bach, any time he was playing music his soul was praising God. He once said that he “played the notes as they are written, but it is God who makes the music.”

When we play music to the glory of God, we can communicate our emotions to God, just as we do in prayer. Music also has healing power. Have you ever heard one of your favorite songs or pieces of music and felt better afterwards? No matter if it is a secular composition or a sacred hymn, God can use music in our lives to make us happier. Music can convey emotions, oftentimes better than words can.

When listening to music, don’t let it just be background noise. Let it be a reminder that music is a wonderful gift from God and reflects our wonderful gift of creativity which is given to us as part of the imago Dei.

I will be the preacher.