Friday – Bach’s Glory

I would be remiss if I focused on sacred music and did not mention Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach said that “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” I want to focus on Bach’s use of glory. In contemporary understanding, we would probably interpret this as our need to “give glory to God.” This implies that our words must attribute something positive to the nature of God. Yet the meaning of glory is broader than this. Glory can also mean “consideration,” and in Scripture it is used to describe the very presence of God. Building on these uses, when Bach says that “music should be none other than the glory of God,” it can also mean that it should provoke consideration of God and draw us into God’s presence. I don’t know about you, but to me music is more a way of engaging God than singing about God.