DAILY DEVOTIONALS for JULY
Friday, July 11
- Scripture: Zephaniah 3:17 – “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
- Reflection: Music is another deep source of relaxation and renewal. Music and song are written directly into the scriptures, mostly as Psalms, but also embedded in other passages. Additionally, as above, we see many references to song, from the heavenly hosts to earthly congregations, and solos by leaders such as kings, priests, and prophets and prophetesses. People also play many forms of instruments and dance as part of their worship.
In this application, we consider the personal connection to music. What sort of music (or sound of another kind) reaches into those deep pockets of your mind, heart, soul, and body? Which ones help you calm and breathe? Which ones make your foot tap? Which ones evoke rich memories?
Research shows that music, especially playlists familiar to people from different times in their lives, create synaptic connections in multiple areas of the brain. Even when diseases such as Alzheimers are creating blockages, when people listen to a playlist of familiar tunes, they can access aspects of their brains that have been isolated from them. They can use language, express themselves, sometimes access memories, experience more comprehensive emotions, and connect to the fuller identity of themselves for the duration of the music, and even a while after, in some cases.
Music is complicated and powerful in its impact for all people. It also becomes a meaningful expression of faith. For people who don’t identify with a specific faith tradition, sometimes music becomes the way that Holy Love communicates with us. We can hear, in music, truths and meanings that elude us through other mediums. - Spiritual Practice Prompt: Listen to a song that uplifts your spirit and reflect on God’s love for you. Let it be a reminder of God’s joy and delight in you.
Song:
- You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up) by Josh Groban: https://youtu.be/EGLSk3AVcUU?si=8g9iWGO7A0FdZCsK
All religions, all this singing, one song. The differences are just illusion and vanity. The sun’s light looks a little different on this wall than it does on that wall, and a lot different on this other one, but it’s still one light. — Rumi
July 11 Devotional