Midweek Musings #9: Music

Music has always been a huge part of my life. It has been with me through all of the highs and lows. And it’s not always the same kind of music, either. My taste is eclectic. And sometimes the music I like today will not be the music I like tomorrow. On occasion my musical tastes confuse even me.
But the other day I was thinking about Heaven, and my mind began to ponder just what music in Heaven might sound like. I wonder if we will all hear the same music, or if one song will sound different in everyone’s ears. I wonder if the ratio of fast to slow songs will be the same as our churches seem to prefer it. I wonder if we will ever sing songs that we know from earth. Or would that seem like favoritism if we sing a Tomlin or a Baloche but not a Krause?

I began to wonder if music would even have any similarity to what we have on earth; there’s tremendous variety here, so it’s not too far fetched to think that we haven’t heard it all. Here on earth we have dozens of different scales and modes that each seem to convey different emotions. But I imagine that there are emotions that we have yet to experience. And so I’m fairly-well convinced that we will hear scales and tones that are literally out of this world!

And that just scratches the surface! Remember that Heaven isn’t a month-long vacation. We will be spending eternity in the presence of Almighty God singing His praises. You know that song that they do at church that they learned back in the 70’s and still sing it? That one that you throw up in your mouth a little when the melody line starts? Yep, that one! We are NEVER going to tire of lifting our praise to Jesus! And I don’t believe that we’ll be singing the same song. The theme probably won’t change much; but there will be a lot of musicians in Heaven, so I’m convinced there will be plenty of variety.

I’m getting excited just thinking about it. Aren’t you?

So, you say you’re not a music person. There are people that, for one reason or another, don’t like music. I’m sure that won’t be a problem either. I’s sure that the Lord has taken you into consideration. Maybe you will discover a love for music for the first time. Maybe there will be an alternative worship space.

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we shall be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure” (1 John 3:2-3, ESV).