Jesus said
"The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath"
Mark 2 v 27
Christian Musicians and the Lord's Day.
The only job I ever really wanted was to be a piano teacher, and I thank God that my wish has been fulfilled! I have taught piano and upper woodwind privately and in schools, and done some classroom teaching. I am not a concert pianist, but I do get booked to do various recitals in my home county of Suffolk, and I play the viola in several local orchestras. Sometimes it feels wrong to be paid for having so much fun! Being part of a large body of musicians is such a thrill—especially when we play music written in praise of God. I have made some really good friends among the various music groups I’ve played with, some who are lovely Christians, and some whom God has laid on my heart to pray for. I feel that this is part of my ‘mission field’.
But as in so many situations these days, the status of the Lord’s Day as separate, special and different has been eroded, with Sunday concerts and rehearsals are becoming more common. As a matter of principle I do not participate in these. My husband, Robert, is a farmer, and works long hours six days a week, so Sundays are doubly precious as he honours God by resting from the normal routine! I have turned down invitations to play in three local orchestras which rehearse or perform on Sundays, as well turning down recitals. However, I don’t feel that I’ve missed out—God has been very gracious and opened up plenty of other opportunities! The Lord’s Day is for worship, meeting with God’s people and recharging the spiritual battery. I feel strongly that how we treat the Lord’s Day is a witness to non-Christians.
Taking a stand in this way has opened up opportunities for me to talk about my faith when explaining why I will not play on Sundays, which is great because I know that I do not witness verbally as much as I should! Recently, a man in his sixties asked if I would be at a Sunday concert, and, when I said no, he asked why not. I told him it was because it was a Sunday, but he didn’t seem to see the significance (even though his wife sang in a church choir!). When I explained that the Bible says that God has given a day of rest and so I treat Sundays as special and different, he looked at me in amazement, and said he’d never thought of it like that before!
The incident saddened me, and I wish that more Christians would not participate in Sunday rehearsals or concerts as a witness to the watching world. If everyone in one orchestra I play opted out of Sunday activities the practice would soon stop because so many would be missing! A Christian (someone whom I respect) and I were discussing this, and he felt that pleasurable things held on Sundays need not be missed. However, I believe that the morning and evening sacrifice pattern of the Old Testament indicates that the focus of ALL of the Lord’s Day should be on collective worship, and should be a pleasure! It is a small sacrifice to miss occasional events and I’ve never regretted it.
I have to be careful not to be judgemental about other believers and how they treat the Lord’s Day; it is easy to sound superior. I also realize that I have to be careful when explaining my actions to nonbelievers so that I don’t sound arrogant and unyielding.
Avoiding Sunday concerts will be a particular problem for me this year as one of the orchestras I play with is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary, and two special events have been planned for Sundays in the autumn. Having studied composition at University, I was one of four composers commissioned to write celebratory works, and it is possible that my piece will be performed on one of these Sundays. I am praying that God will give me the wisdom and grace to deal with this situation in a way that will glorify him.
In the meantime, I will keep thanking God that music is my profession, and pray that I can be a good witness!