Author: Higher Things

Sara Scheler

What do an art student from Chicago, a mom from Rhode Island and a college student from South Carolina have in common? They all took a week out of their busy summer schedules and volunteered their time to make the From Above Scranton conference a success.

If you are attending one of the conferences this summer, you will see the college conference volunteers (CCVs) and numerous staff members running around in their snazzy blue shirt giving lost Lutherans directions around campus, answering questions, cleaning, organizing, and delivering water to pastors’ plenaries.

What you probably won’t see is all the behind-the-scenes work that the staff does to make the conferences a time of fellowship, learning and lots of fun for thousands of Lutheran youth.

Before the conference week is out, sustained by lots of prayer and lots of coffee, the staff will return to their “normal” lives (or, in many cases, gear up for the next conference), exhausted but energized by eager young Lutherans pumped to learn more about their faith.

Sara Scheler is a student at Dominican University and a CCV at From Above – Scranton

by Bethany Woelmer

You know who you are: the musician fervently practicing in your room when no one else is listening. The musician fighting to perfect those precious sounds and finding new ways to set them free. The musician whose talent is a bit rusty and unfortunately neglected, yet still there. There is something for every musician—a secret that we musicians must acknowledge.

And you, yes, you—the reader whose music skills are lacking and who are now considering turning the page with the assumption that this article provides no clear implications for your life whatsoever—you are part of the secret, too, so don’t feel left out!

There is a musician inside each of you. You’ve been caught tapping your pencil in the library to the beat of the music streaming through your headphones. You’ve sung those famous pop songs in the shower, in the car, and in web-cam videos with friends. You’ve picked up a harmonica or ukulele to discover that inner voice of harmony and rhythm. Don’t deny it. You are a musician. And that’s a good thing!

However, music is misused when the world teaches us its own theology apart from God’s Word. Too often are we swayed by the princes of this age and swept away with the passions of our flesh. Too often do we trust in the music that teaches us false notions apart from the truth and that honors self-worth apart from Christ. Too often do we neglect the beauty of music found in the liturgy and hymns that proclaim the words of Christ and carry them to our ears.

And what about you, the well-known musician, seeking glory for yourself through your talents? What about you, the musician who would rather boldly sing in the car yet utter no song of praise in church? As sinners we develop pride through our efforts and glorify the means that help us attain self-gratification and accomplishment. As sinners we fall short of the glory of God by our vain measures to succeed, and we fail once again by satisfying ourselves instead of serving the neighbor.

But here’s where the real secret comes out. There is a church musician inside every single one of you, struggling to be present in the community of believers centered around God’s Word. As God’s child, it is a natural response to sing about what He has done. When the Israelites safely crossed the Red Sea, they responded with a song of thanksgiving to God. Zachariah sang what is known as the “Benedictus,” and Mary sang what is known as the “Magnificat,” both of which proclaimed what God has done and continues to do for our salvation. The liturgy and hymns that present the Gospel to us also beckon us as God’s baptized children to sing the faith, whether we are a young child confessing “Jesus Loves Me this I Know,” or an adult seeking comfort in the words “Salvation Unto Us Has Come.”

The Gospel comes to us extra nos, meaning “from outside of us,” just as music enters our ears to calm our sadness and turn it into joy. Luther said that next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise. It comes to us as a gift, just like the Gospel. Through faith, music is our prayer for peace, our bold confession, and our desperate plea for mercy that cries out, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

Because of Jesus’ death on the cross for our salvation, we are free to serve our neighbor in our many vocations. Just as God has given us the vocations in the workforce and at home, He has offered many possibilities in the church to use our talents for His glory and for our neighbor. As musicians, the possibilities are endless. We are free to bring out that dusty violin, warm up that glorious voice for the choir, ring some bells, or even utilize our keyboard skills to learn the organ. There is no stage or spotlight for musicians in the church. Our humble abode is in the back, from which God’s music is directed toward the message of Christ on the cross.

Even if you are in the pew, you have the vocation to sing God’s Word that the musicians in the back, specifically the organist, do not always have the chance of singing. The words sung by the congregation of believers enter the ears of musicians and proclaim to them God’s love through Christ.

We are all part of the Body of Christ, partaking in the gifts of God and singing as a witness in faith to one another. With the whole company of the heavenly host, we can join together with our voices and instruments, praising God and saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, God of Sabaoth. Heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Hosanna in the highest.” May God bless you as you sing and play music to His Holy Name.

Bethany Woelmer is a freshman at Concordia University Wisconsin and is studying Parish Music. She can be reached at piano_1130@yahoo.com

By Heidi Bliese

Right now life feels a little like a childhood game I used to play called “Mother May I?” One person was “mother” and would stand at the end of a long sidewalk and grant requests for how far participants could move forward towards the finish line. My siblings and I enjoyed playing this game and did so all the time, but on occasion (probably more often than we’d like to admit) the frustration of the competition got the better of us and it ended in a not-so-pretty display of complaining that it “wasn’t fair” and “you were choosing a favorite.” As Christians, we can take a different approach and see it as “Father May I?” with the participants being God’s children spread out around Him on their journey to the finish line: Heaven.

In hard times, my sinful nature causes me to view this earthly life as a competition, and return to the views of my 6-year-old self who believes because I am not “winning” God doesn’t love me as much as He must love everyone else. Thanks to social media, comparing ourselves is fairly easy, for instead of only experiencing the joys and sorrows of our own lives, sites like Facebook allow us to now be a witness to every-day events in the lives of others whom we would classify as acquaintances, friends of friends, or even strangers. It is at these times that Satan starts to whisper lies of discontent into my heart, seeking to draw my attention away from the Father. But even as I am browsing someone’s status or pictures and am feeling unsure about my own future, something always happens in my life that awakens me to my sin of coveting and sends me running back to the Father. Instead of seeing myself in competition with those around me, I need to keep my eyes focused on my Lord and Savior, for “The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). My life is unique and most importantly, every step has been planned by my Father, for “The Lord knows those who are His” (2 Timothy 2:19). Instead of viewing the events of others’ lives as a reason to lose contentment with my own, I strive to remember that the dreams I hold so dear to my heart and pray about every day were put there by Him, and He will fulfill them in His time.

Some days will be harder than others, because we are human and will continue to sin (Romans 3:23). But after a long night of weeping, nothing is more comforting than returning to His word and reciting the words of Psalm 116:7, which states “Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.” And He has. It doesn’t take long to look around at my room, friends, and family, and be reminded that I have been blessed beyond measure. It is also a reminder of what our prayer life should look like; to have a humble heart in prayer is to remember that our Heavenly Father hears all prayers, and answers them, as we are reminded in 1 Peter 5:7, which states, “Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.” True, these answers may not always be what we want, but in the hardest of times, continue to seek your heavenly Father in prayer, asking Him to give you peace and whisper the words of Psalm 46:10 into your heart, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Although it can sometimes be so easy to play the comparison game, God sees each one of us as individuals, and holds our lives in His loving and more than capable hands. He may not be granting you that one giant step that you’ve been waiting and longing for—but our loving Father will never deny you any kind of movement that takes you closer to Him. Whether it is a baby step in the form of a whispered thank you to Him, or a giant leap into His arms during your most desperate moments of prayer, God, our Heavenly Father, will always be there waiting with the promise of love, grace, and compassion. And you can be certain of that love and forgiveness by the sure promises of your baptism, His absolution, and His Supper. This message is so clearly stated in verse two of the hymn “Lord, Take My Hand and Lead Me” which states, “Lord, when the tempest rages, I need not fear, for You, the Rock of Ages, are always near. Close by Your side abiding, I fear no foe, for when Your hand is guiding, in peace I go.”

Heidi Bliese is a graduate student at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois and sometimes wishes she had never heard the word “thesis.” In her spare time, she enjoys reading and writing scholarly articles and promoting a Christian worldview while debating social issues. You can email her with questions at Heidi.bliese@gmail.com.