Music and Mortality

This past Friday, I was privileged to conduct the Jubilate Singers and the Murray symphony in a performance of the Mozart Requiem. For us who are still among the living, the Requiem Mass presents us with an essential question that confronts the reality of our mortality. The question in the Requiem is this: in the end, on which side will you find yourself? The wrath of God (Dies Irae, Lacrymosa Dies Illa) or the forgiveness and grace of Jesus Christ (Pie Jesu Domine, Donum Fac Remissiones)?

Mozart certainly wrestled with this question personally and musically as he set the Requiem to music. Throughout this his last composition, we are scolded by the music and text (especially the tenors; I know, I have sung it) with fear-filled visions and sounds of God’s righteous wrath toward fallen, sinful humanity, God’s well-placed anger and just judgment. Eternal existence with all that is evil, hopeless, harsh and despairing is portrayed. Life (if one can call it that) without God ultimately leads to such death and destruction.

But throughout the music, we also hear of the hope offered by a gracious God and Savior. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus offer a Redeemer for all who place their trust in him. Mozart dares to approach the Almighty (Rex tremendae majestatis) appealing to his offer of mercy and forgiveness (Salva me fons pietatis).

The apostle Paul declared this Biblical message – “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God… The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in our Lord Jesus Christ” (that’s in Romans chapters 3 and 6). “There is no difference: all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Even the great musical genius Mozart! Certainly this pastor. Indeed everyone reading this blog. “The wages of sin is death” (we human beings have earned God’s wrath and judgment). “But,” (I love that little word in this scripture), “but,” writes the apostle of Good News, “the gift of God is eternal life in our Lord Jesus Christ” 

Most religions in the world suggest that it’s up to us to somehow reach up to God through some series of efforts of our own. Obey the laws, try your best, carry out rituals and ordinances, be a good person – and maybe someday you’ll be acceptable to God, maybe you’ll progress to higher levels of consciousness or divinity.

Christianity is the only religion in the world that shares the message that Almighty God loves us and comes down, condescends to us! Jesus is God incarnate. Jesus is the unique, one-of-a-kind Son of the Father who secures our salvation, forgiveness, new life forever through his death for our sins and his resurrection for us.

Faith in Jesus Christ is a free gift! A gift simply to be accepted with thanks.

Mozart and his student who completed this work will end the piece, the final chord with an open fifth, neither major key nor minor key. Listen for it. That open fifth still asks you and me the question. What side will you be on? How will your life be resolved in the end? 

- Pastor Mike Imperiale

A Moab Kind Faith

After Church on Labor Day weekend, my family began a whirlwind 2 night trip to Moab and back. Although we’ve been in Utaha year, we had not had the opportunity to check out southern part of the state (we’ve only been as far as Provo). On Monday, Vicky, Jack, and I were simply awestruck by the sandstone “sculptures” of Arches National Park. Wow!!! To think that something THAT beautiful is only 4 hours away!! But maybe those 4 hours are an important distance…

Although the beauty of the “arches” dwarf the Wasatch Front here in Salt Lake Valley, our mountains are still pretty amazing. When I first got to Salt Lake City I found my gaze lingering on them often. Now on some days, I find myself ignoring the Wasatch altogether. But I shouldn’t be surprised, in Seattle I lived just 3 minutes from the Puget Sound and a beautiful view of Mount Rainer and I got pretty good at ignoring them as well.

Sometimes when things are a little harder to enjoy it makes it all the easier to enjoy them. Isn’t our relationship with God kind of like this? We start off all gung-ho for Jesus but then find our life in faith slip into something more comfortable or routine. It can lose its freshness and we can even begin to appreciate it less (kind of like our Wasatch Mountains). Psalm 146.1-2 says, “Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.” I have to admit that my praise of the Lord is sometimes sporadic at best.

I want a faith where I find myself lingering on God often... don’t you? So what are some of the ways we can keep our faith fresh? For me, it's important that I not only "read" up on God but I also talk to others about what I'm wrestling with. That sort of interaction tends to keep my faith real. How do you keep your faith just as fresh?