Dear Editor,
While listening to a cantata recently I was reminded of
voice lessons that my daughter had taken. At one lesson, her teacher, Ralph
Wooley, told her to not just try to read the notes, but to feel them. It was
the difference between technical perfection and artistry. And it occurred to me
that many musicians consciously or unconsciously choose sides when performing.
Do they focus on the technical perfection of each note, making sure it is
exactly as written? Or do they concentrate on the song, taking liberties with
the foundation before them? The former takes the chance that they will lose
sight of the song by only seeing each note. The latter takes the chance that
they will lose sight of the document that got them there.
Now why is this important? Because it is not about music at
all. This is basic Christian theology. Where did Jesus come down on this issue?
Some might say that he focused on notes. I see the notes as the teaching that
comes from the law and the prophets. That was the foundation on which he was
operating. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I
have not come to abolish them but fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until
heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a
pen will by any means disappear …” (Matthew 5:17-18 NIV).
Jesus told the people to look at the notes of the
composition. And as he explained those notes, he took them to a much greater
depth than anyone could imagine. It is not just murder, but anger and hatred.
Not physical relationship but lust. And on and on. Obviously Jesus was focused
on the notes.
But others come to a different conclusion. They look at
Jesus and declare that he thought the song was much more important than the
notes. Consider this encounter with the religious leaders: “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue,
and all other kinds of garden hers, but you neglect justice and the love of
God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone …
And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with
burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to
help them” (Luke 11:42, 46 NIV).
Obviously Jesus was telling the religious leaders that they
were focusing so much on the notes with such strict adherence, that they are
losing sight of song, the melodies that God wants to hear coming from the
hearts of humanity. Obviously Jesus was focused on the song.
The reality is that both sides are wrong. He could not lose
sight of either the notes or the song. And neither can we. In fact the notes
and the song need to be in a supportive relationship with one another. The
notes are the law by which we are directed to make decisions; by which we are
to act. The song is the grace in which we are expected to live and give to the
world around us. If we lose one or the other, we are not, cannot fulfill who we
are ultimately called to be. The law is necessary to provide standards and
principles in life. Grace is necessary because we are called to forgive rather
than condemn.
In the United Methodist Church there is a cantata being
performed over issues of same sex unions and gay and lesbian behaviors. One
side is accused of ignoring the notes, the law. The other side is accused of
ignoring the song, the grace. And to some extent, both sides are wrong. Can we
find a way to live in grace without leaving the law, the standards, the notes
behind? Can we find a way to uphold the law without sacrificing grace to
judgment? Can we be the Church Christ calls us to be without embracing both law
and grace? Our Lord and our world await our answer.
Rev. Chuck Sprenkle
