GLORIFY!

A long-awaited expedition became reality last week. Drew, the organist at the church I attend in Aberdeen, and I set out on a pilgrimage to pay our respects to Herr Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750).

There’s yours faithfully and JSB having a chat in the Bach House at Eisenach, Germany. What a delight to revisit history and to breathe the same air as this musical genius and strong Christian. While there is no doubt that he was God’s unique musical gift to mankind, evidence of Bach’s spirituality and devotion to his Creator abounds. His settings of sacred texts speak (sing?) eloquently of the words they handle, focusing performer and listener upon the conceptual content of the piece, lyrics and music fitting one another with forceful passion and flawless perfection. He knew his God. Bach’s Bible comes down to us annotated with marginalia and comments. He knew his Scripture. Many of his manuscripts, both sacred and secular, contain the acronym “S.D.G”, Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God alone). He knew his life’s purpose.

Bach is reported to have observed that music exists “in order to make a well-sounding harmony to the glory of God and the permissible delectation of the spirit; and the aim and final reason … of all music … should be nothing else but the glory of God and the recreation of the mind. Where this is not observed, there will be no real music but only a devilish hubbub.”

Quite in line with the biblical mandate concerning not only music but every other human activity.

Whatever you do,
do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31

Of course, there can only be one Bach! But the Bible is clear that all believers have one or more spiritual gifts and that we are called to exercise them, in whatever capacity and in whichever arena, unto God for His glory.

As each one has received
a special gift, employ it
in serving one another
as good stewards
of the manifold grace of God.
Whoever speaks, is to do so
as one who is speaking
the utterances of God;
whoever serves is to do so
as one who is serving
by the strength
which God supplies;
so that in all things
God may be glorified
through Jesus Christ,
to whom belongs the glory
and dominion
forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:10–11

To the end, Bach remained faithful to God in his music-making. On his deathbed, blind, and in a darkened room, he dictated to his son-in-law, Johann Christoph Altnikol, a choral prelude. Appropriately, it was on Vor deinen Thron tret ich hiermit.

Before Thy Throne I now appear,
O Lord! bow down Thy gracious ear,
Reject not from Thy loving face
A [poor sinner] who sues for Grace.
Bodo von Hodenberg, 1646

On July 10, 1750, this musician nonpareil suffered a stroke. Ten days later, “a little after a quarter to nine in the evening, in the sixty-sixth year of his life, he quietly and peacefully, by the merit of his Redeemer, departed this life,” as his obituary put it.

Whatever you do,
do your work heartily,
as for the Lord
rather than for men,
knowing that from the Lord
you will receive the reward
of the inheritance.
It is the Lord Christ
whom you serve.
Colossians 3:23–24

As children of God, as members of the body of Christ, let us remember whom we serve and why—to glorify God in everything.

Whatever you do
in word or deed,
do all in the name
of the Lord Jesus ….
Colossians 3:17