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One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.
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I remember listening to the radio when I was a teenager and very often the DJ would play requests that a listener had dedicated to a loved one. Remember America's Top 40 with Casey Kasem? He did a regular segment that was called Long Distance Dedications. I wondered about the people who wrote a letter (snail mail!!) to AT40 telling their story and hoping that their dedication would be the one chosen. Did the AT40 team contact them and let them know when to listen for their feature? How disappointing would it be to make a long distance dedication and then NOT be listening the day it was on the air! If mine was being played, I'd want the person I was honoring to listen, and I might even have wanted to be prepared to hit the "record" button on my cassette player so I could save it to replay. (Who else remembers making "mix tapes" by recording songs from the radio? Spotify is the ultimate mix tape, am I right?) Sometimes the dedications were love songs, sometimes they were songs in memory of a loved one, and the stories ranged from heartwarming to heartbreaking.
My first gift and my last, to you
I dedicate this fascicle of songs -
The only wealth I have:
Just as they are, to you.
~from Dedication by Robert Louis Stevenson
The idea of dedicating music or writing to someone or something goes back thousands of years. Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning dedicated poetry to each other. Many of Shakespeare's sonnets are declarations of love and devotion. A dedication is a common sight at the beginning of novels and in the notes of an album of music. J.S. Bach famously dedicated all his music with the letters SDG which stand for Soli Deo Gloria. Latin for "Glory to God Alone". Bach wanted to be clear that his music was intended to bring glory to God, not to himself or to the performers.
And of course, there is a dedication at the beginning of many of the Psalms. Psalm 30 has a specific title stating that it's a song for the dedication of the house. I don't think scholars know for sure, or agree, on what exactly this means, because the temple wasn't built until after David's death, though he was very involved in planning for it. Maybe it was meant for the dedication of David's house or for his family. Whatever the occasion, David's purpose is clear - he is pointing towards God and expressing his gratitude and praise for God and all he's done.
PSALM 30
Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death.
A Psalm; a Song at the Dedication of the House. A Psalm of David.
I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up,
And have not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD my God,
I cried to You for help, and You healed me.
O LORD, You have brought up my soul from Sheol;
You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit.
Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones,
And give thanks to His holy name.
For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may last for the night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
I don't write poetry or music or novels, but living a life dedicated to bringing glory to God seems like the least I can do in gratitude for all he has done for me. I need a daily reminder though. Soli Deo Gloria.
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A long time ago, I made the commitment to dedicate at least one song per album to God. He has been very good to me, and never for one minute do I want Him to think I've forgotten, because I haven't. ~MC Hammer
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Yes, I remember Casey and the top 40! Oh, the good old days!
ReplyDeleteListening to music was quite a different experience back in the day, wasn't it?! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
DeleteI don't remember Casey and the top 401, but I do remember listening to the radio a lot back in the day. Things are so different now. I'm enjoying this clip from Bach you have shared. I, too, want my life and work to glorify God. He is the reason I write and share. Blessings to you, Kym!
ReplyDeleteYes, I hope that even though I write and share a lot of goofy things and even some 'hot takes' - that overall I honor God with my efforts. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
DeleteI never ever made a mix tape, though I remember my older sister making some. being dedicated to the glory of God is a good thing indeed. :) FMF11
ReplyDeleteWe still had some of our mix tapes up until a couple years ago, though we had no stereo capable of playing them any more. LOL Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
DeleteOh, my gosh! I made so many mix tapes though we didn't call them that back then! I had gotten a tape recorder/radio one year for Christmas and used it so much I broke the tabs off. I could still get it to work, though. I remember Casey's Long Distance Dedications as well as a nighttime DJ named Delilah who did the same thing. I also wondered if the dedicator ever knew.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the trip down Memory Lane, Kym!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
I remember Delilah too, and I think her show was still active up until recently? Although the way time seems to fly by, my impression of "recently" could be at least 15 years ago. LOL Trips down Memory Lane are often a good thing. Glad you stopped by to comment!
DeleteI don't remember AT40, and did not know that interesting tidbit about Bach (SDG).
ReplyDeleteFun post.