Last winter, a Persian couple invited me to join them for their choir practice at Prestonwood Baptist outside of Dallas, Texas. I thought, Oh my but left with an Oh-wow-feeling!
My dear friend said, You are in for a treat, but my skepticism followed me as I harbored bored feelings from my middle school choir days. However, the leader Jonathan Walker soon piqued my interest as a master teacher, not just for music but also for inspiring marital oneness. So, in the middle of the singing parts and seeking to harmonize, I took my notepad out and started to take notes – soon to be five pages of notes within 50 minutes.
I will share the quotes I wrote down in order spoken in the practice and then relate them to marriage oneness.
“You can do all things in Christ – you never lost a battle” – Yes, Christ enables us to overcome the attacks on our marriage.
“I want you to sing this brighter!” – Brightness relates to harmony in connection to the content of the tone. This Director of Music Production used his words to encourage all couples to sing, speak and relate brighter, creating a loving tone. Couples need to work on harmony and how one’s relationship reflects tone.
“Give it shape.” Singing love needs to take shape with effort and direction.
“You cannot sing louder without a limit.” These profound words provoked me to consider the need to yield to one’s spouse. Pulling back selfishness and as he said, “Pull it way back.” Even we cannot love louder without limiting those things which hinder our relationship.
“I am building on layers like onto the cake.” Love works the same way – the process of encouraging and seeking to peel away layers but also piling on the frosting to enhance the taste.
“Think about pushing to the end of the note.” Marriage does not push but seeks loving oneness to move the relationship deeper – so husbands, how are you thinking of pushing to the end of the note this week? The joint effort, directional thinking for oneness, and going the extra oomph to seek a deeper sound.
“There are many ways to treat this, but they are not all right.” The choir director gave sound advice. How to deal with marital issues – many ways but not all are right. Love has a variance, but rightness and consecration direct us toward sacrificial love.
“Give me a little bit more of your voice.” The secret longing of our hearts is that one’s spouse would actually give a little more of their spirit in showing value and conscientiousness.
“We are stronger as a group when we cut off together and start together. We sound stronger together.” The importance of accuracy of movement for couples gives strength. When do we stop something, and when do we start something new? The power only comes when communication takes place, and together in unity, a couple starts. Pastor Walker said that it would not sound good if we are not accurate when we attack a note. A couple sounds stronger when harmony exists, and their decisions display unity.
Just through half my notes…..
Check out how the Oneness of God connects to marriage.
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