The Trichotomy of Music

Ever have a sudden flash of insight or inspiration in the middle of a completely otherwise mundane situation? That happened to me in class today. There I was, sitting in my chair, semi-following the discussion (something about Lady Gaga, jazz and Jesus... or something) when it hit me. Someone mentioned music, and that single word sparked off a concept in my mind that ignited and spread like wildfire... for all of a minute. But after it had burned itself out, I was left with the embers of a singularly thought-provoking idea: why do I listen to music?

Now, I love music. I mean, I LOVE music. Playing, writing, listening, recording, experimenting, I enjoy every aspect of music. I think it's one of God's greatest gifts to mankind. I listen to pretty much every genre or style of music, and if there's one that I haven't heard yet I am more than willing to try it out. I listen to screamo, hip hop, hardcore, classical, country, pop, rock, gangsta rap, opera, techno, industrial, foreign, indie, acoustic... you get the picture. That said, with this idea in my head blazing away, I took a step back and asked myself, "Why do I listen to this? What am I getting out of this?"

Having the incredibly analytical and logical mind that I do (thanks, Mom!), naturally I broke music down into three separate categories, each with specific requirements and characteristics. So here's why I listen to music.

1. Emotion
I listen to music because certain songs, bands, and genres make me feel a certain way. If I listen to upbeat pop or punk rock, it'll make me feel happy, alive, and energetic. If I listen to classical and techno, it makes me feel sophisticated and smart. If I listen to screamo (not even good screamo, like just complete aural garbage), it's probably because I'm in a bad mood. One of music's strongest qualities is that it has the power to move our hearts and make us feel. Another sub-genre that ties into this segment is entertainment. I listen to some music because it's entertaining, that is, it keeps my attention and makes me feel a certain way. A lot of songs and artists in today's culture play off the concept of shock value. For example, check out these people. Or this person. Or this one. . See what I'm getting at? These artists all play off the idea that they are crazy, quirky, dangerously original people. They play off their fans emotions.

2. Meaning

The second reason I listen to music is for it's meaning. One of the biggest problems that I have with a lot of our culture's artists today is that while their music is sound, well-made, even catchy, it has no meaning. So much music today is so shallow and pointless. I enjoy listening to music that makes me think. I like my music to be thought-provoking, to question and even break societal, cultural, or religious boundaries. On the flip side, I also find meaning in the complexity of music, in figuring out how a particular artist created a particular sound. Meaning can be found not only in lyrical content, but also in the musical quality of a song as well.

3. Worship
Last, but certainly not least, I listen to (and perform) music in order to praise, glorify, and reflect upon my God. One of the most endearing aspects of music for me is it's ability to bring us as mere humans a step closer to God. Music has the innate quality of being just a little bit otherworldly... it's almost magical at times. And in that magic, in that otherworldliness, I find God.

So, there you have it. The Trichotomy of Music, according to me, your humble host. Hope you enjoyed it.

Veritable Quotage (A College Update)

College life seems to consist mainly of late nights, early mornings, epic quotes, and lots of coffee and music. I could totally live the rest of my life like that. Unfortunately, that's not ALL of college. Classes, work, relationships, these all also play an important role in maintaining a healthy life. I think I've adapted here pretty well, I've made a few good friends and a lot of acquaintances, and I actually kind of love dorm life. My friends are solid, classes aren't overwhelming, and I'm remembering to do my laundry. All in all, even though I miss my family and friends in CT, I'm actually liking it here. Thank you for all the prayers everybody! I'm going to leave you with some veritable quotage that made me laugh... though out of context, it probably won't make sense to most of you. :P

"I have that book by the old dead German guy!"
"My cousin sent me a dinosaur egg!"
"I feel like I'm being smothered to death by kittens!" "It's an adorable, fur-filled death!"
"George Washington hates skinny jeans!"

...that's all, folks!

College Life...

Hey everybody, I just wanted to post a quick promo message/update about what's going on in my life (COLLEGE). So, I am officially a student at Eastern University. It's been an insane couple of days, to be honest. I'm physically exhausted, and even though I've only been here for two days, I truly realize that it's where God wants me to be. The community, the teachers, the staff, this place is truly amazing. I'm almost overwhelmed. I feel welcome, accepted, and even loved here, and I've only been here a couple of days. I'm blessed to have two honest, chill roommates, and my dorm is pretty much fantastic (GO SPARROWK!). To be completely honest, my brain is entirely fried right now so I don't even know how much of this is making sense. The point here is, I am proud and very very blessed to be here. It's a God thing. And I want to thank everybody who helped me get here, my parents (I love you guys! Miss you!), Jon and Angie (you guys are the best), and all the support from my friends. I love you all, thank you.

Definition and Declaration of Faith

I just listened to a pretty amazing sermon by the Reverend Dr. Abraham Waya on the issue of what it means to be a disciple of Christ. As I've never truly discussed this, and as it's a fairly important topic to me, I've decided to post an account of my definition and declaration of faith.

I am a Christian, in the sense that I am a follower of Christ and His teachings. I dislike labels, but I'd rather be called a follower of Christ than a follower of Christian religion. I believe that Jesus Christ died, for my sins and the sins of the world, and was raised back to life. I believe that Jesus was the son of God, and as such, wholly mortal and wholly divine. My life is dedicated to learning, serving, and spreading the Word of God in as much depth and in as many ways possible. This is what I believe and it is who I am.

I am a scholar, in the sense that I am actively interested in learning and exploring God's Word.

I am a follower, in the sense that I willingly submit to and obey my God's commands, directives, and teachings.

I am a teacher in that I believe it is my duty and my calling as a follower of Christ to spread my testimony and the news of God's gifts of salvation and love to the world.

I am a leader, in the sense that I try to the best of my ability to lead and assist others in their walk with God.

I am a musician, in that I attempt to bring others into the presence of God through musical worship.

I am a warrior, because believe it or not, every human being on this planet is knowingly or unknowingly engaged in active spiritual warfare every minute of every day.

I am a servant, in the sense that I serve others out of a love for them and for God.

But more than all these things, I am a man. A simple, fragile human being, easily shaken and easily distracted. My wish and my fervent hope is that this declaration will not only aid me in further strengthening my roots in my own faith, but help bring others to a more complete knowledge of Christ.

If you have questions, I'm always more than ready to share how God has impacted my life, and I'm always up for honest, open dialogue and discussion.

The Big 150

I just wanted to write a quick blog post about the community in which I live, the Willimantic Camp Meeting Association, or WCMA. Today is 'Opening Sunday' here, which traditionally is the first Sunday of what is known as 'Camp Meeting Week', a 7-day series of prayer meetings, Bible studies, and sermons, punctuated by pot-lucks and times of fellowship. It's something that many people here look forward to all year round. This Sunday however, holds special meaning as it is the WCMA's 150th anniversary. That's truly an astonishing achievement. Not only is the Campgrounds an amazing Christian organization, it's a wonderful community and a truly beautiful place to live. I've lived here my entire life and I've come to feel very blessed to have been so privileged to be able to reside in such an unique community of believers. So, to everyone at the WCMA, thank you and congratulations on 150 years of fellowship, faith and service. And if you're in the Windham/Willimantic area (or even if you aren't) please stop by sometime this week and help us celebrate our 150th anniversary! Details are right here.

From Pleasure to Pain

In C.S. Lewis' book, "The Problem of Pain" he writes, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." I know, growing up in a Christian school environment, I heard this quote a lot (especially in Mr. Dietrich's class). But it never really hit me until a little while ago. Here are a few thoughts on this topic.

"God whispers to us in our pleasures": God delights in what gives us joy, (within reason. God has designed certain things to give us pleasure, such as music, food, sex, etc. But taken outside of the boundaries of God's law, they become a perversion, and He doesn't enjoy that. But that's a post for another time). When we follow Him and take joy in our world and each other, we can hear a dim echo of God's voice in us.

"(God) ...speaks to us in our conscience": if God is whispering to us when we are pleased and obeying Him, he raises His voice a little when we're not listening very well. When we stray off the path, when we begin to swerve away from what God has planned for us, He uses our conscience, (an inner moral guide) to speak to us and say "This is wrong, don't do that." Yet if we continue off this path, eventually we will encounter pain.

Now, pain is not necessarily a bad thing. It's your body's natural reaction to an intrusion or injury. Physical pain can be helpful in determining what's going wrong with your body. For example, if you accidentally cut yourself, you'll begin to feel pain, telling you that you've hurt a certain part of your body. Yet there are many kinds of pain, physical, emotional, even spiritual anguish. Pain is a reminder that things are not as they should be. An angry break-up, watching a friend destroy their life, even a broken arm: all these different kinds of pain are warnings that something is wrong, that things are out of the natural order of life and need to be put back to the way God desires them to be. God shouts to us in our pain. He's trying to tell us, "Hey! I love you! Come back to me." And we need to listen to that.

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