Music that Ministers

Mr. Norbet’s music really ministered as I was growing up. Although I am not musically inclined, the sounds of the monks singing resonated in my soul. Their chants and singing touched something deep within me and helped me through their melodies to form a deeper connection with God. I always felt that way. When I was a rebellious teen, I would select my pouting/processing music depending on the situation. When my soul hurt, I would always turn to the monks. When I was upset with my folks, it would be loud heavy metal. When I was suffering from a freshly broken heart, it was Rick Springfield or (here it comes, Lisa and Lucy) Shaun Cassidy.

In today’s newspaper, there is an interesting article about how there is a movement growing to have people, who play the harp, minister to the dying. They come in, get a “read” on what the patients are feeling and then play music that can soothe them as they approach the end of their earthly life. It was fascinating. I am going to bring Mr. Norbet’s music to my Dad’s room. I will try to report back on the results.

The people who play the harp try not to play familiar harp songs because instead of being relaxed, the patients would try to search their minds for the words to songs or experiences they had in their lives when the songs were played.

I was thinking of the book 90 Minutes in Heaven when the author describes what he saw and heard when he was in Heaven for those 90 minutes. I am deriving incredible hope and inspiration now from that. I thought that it was interesting that Pastor Piper came back to life/consciousness while his minister friend was singing to him from the back seat of the mangled car. Thanks for choosing this book, Jonathon!

The other night, my sister-in-law Sharon was talking about how she feels that in America, our school system doesn’t seem to touch on the whole issue of death and dying. In other countries, it is seen in a much more positive and natural light. It is funny that she was talking about it because I had made up my might to not focus on this in my blog- yet, in reality, it is this death and dying process that is consuming my heart and mind these days. Ironic, isn’t it? What is it about death and dying that feels so taboo? Is it our fear of death itself or just sharing something so intensely personal.

In The Last Lecture, the professor shares the lessons he learns as he closes out the earthly portion of his life due to pancreatic cancer. In this book and the youtube presentation, he gives us an inside look at his life and his death… This was so magnanimous of him.

www.thelastlecture.com/