August 21, 2022 - #4849 Music & the Spoken Word
The Music & the Spoken Word broadcast airs live via TV, radio, and internet stream on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. mountain time. For information on other airtimes, visit “Airing Schedules” at musicandthespokenword.org.
Music
Conductors: Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy
Organist: Brian Mathias
Announcer: Lloyd Newell
“Scatter Sunshine”
Music: Edwin O. Excell
Lyrics: Lanta Wilson Smith
Arrangement: Ryan Murphy
“I Know That My Savior Loves Me”1
Music: Tami Jeppson Creamer
Lyrics: Tami Jeppson Creamer and Derena Bell
Arrangement: Ryan Murphy
Prelude on “Pisgah” (organ solo)
Music: Dale Woods
“Morning Has Broken”2
Music: Gaelic melody
Lyrics: Eleanor Farjeon
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg
“The Sound of Music” from The Sound of Music
Music: Richard Rogers
Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II
Arrangement: Arthur Harris
“Meditation”3
Music: Johann Sebastiann Bach/Charles Gounod
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg
“When in Our Music God Is Glorified”
Music: Charles Villiers Stanford
Lyrics: Fred Pratt Green
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg
- From the album Teach Me To Walk In The Light.
- From the album Consider the Lilies.
- Available to stream on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, and many others.
The Spoken Word
Quieting the Noise
In today’s world, we are surrounded by noise. Some of it is welcome—noise we have chosen. And we have so many media tools, we could fill every second of the day with sounds. But life is also full of unwelcome noise, and all the commotion leaves so many feeling stressed, anxious, and unsettled. We struggle to find a moment of silence. And even when we do, often the internal sound of our thoughts and worries presses upon us, disrupting our lives and making us uneasy.
So how can we quiet the noise?
Here’s an example that might be helpful. This microphone I am speaking into is designed to amplify sound. But it can do this only as audio engineers turn the correct knobs, slide the faders just right, and carefully watch the volume levels. They make adjustments as they monitor other sounds that might impact the microphone’s level and mix. Simply put, the job of the sound engineer is to regulate and enhance the sound.
Similarly, we can regulate and enhance the sound around us by intentionally choosing to focus on some things more than others. As we monitor the noise, adjust the feedback, and carefully watch the level of sound—both around us and inside us—we gain more of a sense of calm. Audio engineers have knobs and faders to regulate noise; our tools include meditation and prayer. Taking time to be silent, to ponder and pray, can help clear our minds, settle us down, and give us peace.
Years ago, a wise religious leader called meditation “the language of the soul.” “Meditation is a form of prayer,” he said. “[It is] one of the most secret, most sacred doors through which we pass into the presence of the Lord.”1
Meditation and prayer help us to feel God’s presence and His peace in our lives, even in a noisy world. Finding time to be still and hear the voice of God takes practice and patience, but it can be a revitalizing spiritual exercise. It refocuses our priorities, quiets the noise, and brings us closer to the divine.