Spiritual Growth Through Music

Church musicians by and large are busy people. Many of us have several jobs, and when we combine these jobs with ongoing professional development and family life, we are too often overworked and underrehearsed when it comes to spiritual matters. It is essential to set aside time to develop our own spiritual lives in order to avoid burnout from constantly going to the well until it is dry and parched and there is nothing left for us to give. Church musicians require time to replenish our own lives so we can be generous with our gifts of love to others.

Hymn study: A fantastic way to begin to grow your own spiritual life is through hymn study. What better way to grow than by sharing your new insights and points of growth with your congregants? Hymns of faith are packed full of theology and are a ripe place to begin digging in your search for spiritual growth. Set aside an hour or so each week for hymn study. Start with an analysis of the hymn structure, explore scriptural references, dig into the theology, and don’t forget to look at the poetic structure of the hymn. Once you have done this, work on the simple mechanics of memorization of the hymn text. Don’t forget to look into the background of how the hymn was written. Many authors and composers wrote during times of stark adversity. Learning from and reflecting on these insights can give broader context and deeper meaning to hymns you may have sung for many years.

Our children’s choirs incorporate a hymn memorization program called “Hymns for a Lifetime” in which we challenge and support our children in memorizing the first verse of a select number of hymns sung in our worship services throughout the year. This is a wonderful challenge not only for children but also for adults – and music directors as well! When we absorb hymn texts into our memory, they become part of our hearts and our own life’s story. Hymn texts committed to memory seem to pop up in our consciousness at the most opportune times, just when we need them most. As I’m typing this, the words to an old hymn have just seeped into my memory. I don’t think I have sung or even heard this hymn in more than 30 years… another reminder of the power of music! I’ve included this hymn below for your own edification. Memorization is something we tend to shy away from as adults – but it’s a skill worth developing, and hymn texts are a great place to start!

Just when I need Him, Jesus is near,
Just when I falter, just when I fear;
Ready to help me, ready to cheer,
Just when I need Him most.

Just when I need Him most,
Just when I need Him most,
Jesus is near to comfort and cheer,
Just when I need Him most.

—William C. Poole, 1907

Personal reading and reflection: Another area for the spiritual growth of church musicians is through personal devotions and reflections. It is important to develop your own spiritual life through scripture reading and theological reflection. In addition to daily Bible reading, consider exploring devotional thoughts from trusted sources. There are many resources for devotions you can use individually and with your choir or instrumental groups. During one challenging period of my life, I set aside time each day to write devotionals to use with my handbell groups. This ended up being a wonderful exercise in reflection, theological discernment, and spiritual development. I ended up publishing these for other handbell directors to use. Several devotional resources are suggested at the close of this article to get you started on your journey.

Devotionals for your choirs: Don’t stop at personal devotionals; another fulfilling way to develop your spiritual life is through providing devotionals for your ensembles. You don’t have to write them yourself – the simplest way to get started is to share the words of others using some of the resources listed here. Then take it a step further and create your own, using the music your ensembles are preparing for worship. There is so much richness and depth in the music we are privileged to teach, we dare not miss out on the opportunity to be students ourselves. James 1:22 reminds us to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” If we only teach notes and rhythms, we risk being “hearers” and not doing the hard work of becoming “doers.” Those who we stand in front of each week are in need of a retreat from the mundane. We all search for deeper connections to our Creator. When we ourselves are connected, we can share more honestly and freely of our own spiritual experience.

Developing a brief devotional thought for your vocal, choral, and instrumental groups is a wonderful habit to develop. It helps you and your musicians to think more spiritually and theologically about the texts you are presenting to your congregation in worship. This also challenges your musicians to find ways to relate lofty texts, often written hundreds of years ago, to everyday modern life. It’s a wonderful skill for church musicians to mine and develop and your ensembles will appreciate your help in making these connections. Take this a step further and carve out five minutes for your ensemble to break into small groups to share their own stories. For example, when you are rehearsing a setting of Great Is Thy Faithfulness, give your musicians the opportunity to voice their own experience of God’s faithfulness in their lives during difficult days. Many of your musicians will understand these connections inherently. However, a deeper and more powerful synergy comes with hearing it explicitly from their worship leaders and from sharing their own insights within a safe and trusted circle. These truths land differently when experienced this way. They will be carried in the hearts and lives of your ensemble members as they leave rehearsal and worship. A wonderful byproduct is that your ensembles will sing with more depth and understanding. 1 Corinthians 14:15 reminds us we need to “sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.” The spiritual growth and depth you gain from theological reflection on anthems and hymn texts as well as personal insights will help strengthen and sustain you and your ensembles through times of triumph and celebration and serve as a vivid reminder that Jesus is a rock in a weary land, a shelter in a time of storm.

Devotional Resources:
Rehearsing the Soul
Devotions for Choirs
Ringing Deeply
Then Sings My Soul
Then Sings My Soul Book 2
Then Sings My Soul Book 3
Ringing True
One-Minute Devotions for the Church Musician