The power and prestige of being a church musician!

[jbird604]

I ran across this Bible passage today and felt kinda proud to be a church musician, even if currently in exile. The role of the musician in church is a serious one!

(2 Kings 3:14-15)

14 And Elisha said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you. 15 But now bring me a musician.” And when the musician played, the hand of the Lord came upon him.

[Sarah Weizhen]

Wow. That kind of answers my question for a long time: Are we mucisians (or the job that church musicians do) really important in the services? Or are we just self-important, and nobody else think our existence is necessary?

[jbird604]

The prophet Elisha evidently benefited greatly from the work of the musician! We know that music can have an emotional impact upon people in worship, but this verse might lead one to believe it's more than just that. That somehow God used music as a conduit to bring a prophetic word to Elisha.

[myorgan]

It truly mystifies me how much effect music has on people. Personally, I don't get much out of music, however, I didn't realize until I was in college how much some people value music and how it affects their lives. When I worked with prisoners in later life, for many of them music was their lifeline. People frequently come up to me after church or a performance and mention how much the music meant to them. I don't understand it, but I also don't disparage those who do.

Michael