Here is the tale of two resale shops. My Ella and I spent the afternoon together. I got some lunch from our favorite little spot and off we went on our search. I drive past two resale shops on my way to work and we thought we would be adventurous! The first shop, the atmosphere was palpable, soft music playing, people greeting us, asking if we needed help. Pointing out sales. Did we see this? And then left us to shop.
We walked into the next shop, and first off, nobody was in there except two people behind a curtain. They peered around a curtain and stared at us. I double checked if they were open and they were open. As we walk further inside, they continued to stare. The atmosphere was cold and uninviting. We left quickly.
Maybe there is something to that report that says:
Some studies have found that playing classical music leads to higher sales numbers, and that Christmas music is associated with buying more during the Christmas season. Jazz and lounge music appear to influence shoppers to spend more money while other genres do not often have this effect.
Clover music
Music. Music moves us. Stay with me here. You hear the Jaws theme and immediately you can imagine where you were when you saw Jaws for the first time. Heard that music. Literally just grimaced and did a hard shake just now. Lol. Or, I remember being in college and seeing Les Miserables on the London stage for the first time. Alone. And crying my eyes out. Loving every minute, never dreaming my Luke would be a part of a production before he graduated high school. Music. I bet you hear a song and it takes you to a memory. Takes you to a time.
Another one. Every time I hear Silent Night, I think of Christmas Eve, our last with my Grandma and Grandpa Weaver, all the Lovell family, cousins, my parents, all linked hand in hand singing this at the end of the night. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew. And now, every time I sing it, I cry.
I’m sensing a theme here with crying. Haha. I don’t always cry with music. Just the intense memories seem to involve crying. I’m so grateful for music, for the power and place music has had in my life over the many years.
Years ago, I listened to a radio show on Moody, the host interviewed a group who had done years of research and thought they might have found how the early hymns of the church were sung. The Psalms. the hymns found in the New Testament. Can I remember what the show was called? Absolutely not.
Makes me wonder if it’s a bit like Shakespeare. We, as high school students are to read his most boring Romeo and Juliet or Julius Caesar. We were never meant to read Shakespeare. We are meant to perform, breathe life and act. I wonder what happened to the corresponding music of the Psalms. How did we lose it? Or the hymns of the NT?
“After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”
Matthew 26:30 AMP
Jesus and his disciples sang on the night of his betrayal. Actually, as one would finish the Passover, they would leave singing Psalms 113-118.
Easton’s Bible Dictionary
According to the Moody Bible Commentary (if you don’t have it, highly recommend it), Psalms 113-114 were sung before the meal. Psalms 115-118 were sung after.
Moody Bible Commentary, Michael Rydelnik, Michael Vanlanigham
Jesus walked to his betrayal with praise on his lips. He walked with the very men who were going to fall asleep as he begged them to pray. He walked with the friends who would desert him in his desperate moments. He walked with worship to his Father. This is another instance of Jesus teaching us how to use Scripture in our lives to counsel our hearts and defend our souls. (See Matthew 4:1-11) We would do well to pay attention to the sermon right here.
When I was in the hospital just about a year ago, I asked people for their favorite songs. And then a friend made a playlist for me. Songs of worship and songs of remembrance in my dark hours of pain and unknown. I vividly remember standing by my bed (the only way the nurses would let me be) and looking out my windows listening and swaying.
Teach my heart, Lord.
Oh! By the way, I remembered the name of the show. Haven Today. Can I find the show that illustrated this? Nope. But! I did finally remember the title.
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