Article November 22, 1952 Issue

MUSIC

MARTIN BROONES

We read in Psalms (118:14), "The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation." These words indicate in a certain sense the connection between God's omnipotent strength and ever-present musical harmony.

A question we all might ask ourselves is, What is music? Our beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, states in her textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 213), "Music is the rhythm of head and heart." We are then led to ask, "What is rhythm?" A dictionary defines "rhythm" in part as "regularity or flow of movement." Mrs. Eddy, in speaking of man in "Miscellaneous Writings," says (p. 259), "He is governed in the same rhythm that the Scripture describes, when 'the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.'" "The rhythm of head and heart" then is in part an active, joyous flowing that manifests the harmony of intelligence and love.

What about our church services? What do they express? The central feature of our services is the Lesson-sermon from the Christian Science Quarterly, which expresses the Word of God and shows forth the healing Christ. It is dynamic truth, sending out its message to one and all and meeting the human need. What is this but the active, harmonious, and joyous manifestation of the Word, expressing intelligence and love. And music has its own significant part in our services in its expression of the harmony and rhythm of the Word.

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