“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant
song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing.”
Psalm 98:4-5
It is no coincidence that Scripture teaches us to praise God through music. If you research music in a concordance, you will find many instances where it is a means of praise—blowing a ram’s horn, playing trumpets, even the resounding sea can glorify our God.
Why is music so important in our faith journey? Can we be close to God without music? Maybe. However, in working with individuals who have dementia, I have witnessed that they suddenly start to sing or pray even when they haven’t spoken a word in months. Let me tell you about one such lady.
Mrs. Ruby had resided in a memory care community for three years and was non-verbal. During choir practice for a Christmas program, Mrs. Ruby was wheeled into the room. After the choir sang the first verse of “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” I heard a squeaky voice belting out the second verse. I wondered who was singing and found this wonderful, non-verbal lady sitting straight up in her wheelchair, smiling, and singing. You bet she would be part of that Christmas performance!
I placed Mrs. Ruby front and center in the choir on the night of the performance. Her family was totally confused. How could Mrs. Ruby sing when she had not spoken in over a year? When it came time for the second verse of that beloved Christmas hymn, I positioned myself beside Mrs. Ruby and held the microphone for her. She did not let me down; she sang with the enthusiasm of a hundred angels. There was not a dry eye in the building.
Alzheimer’s eventually robs an individual of two-thirds of their brain function; however, the right temporal lobe remains more intact than any other part. Guess what the right temporal lobe holds? Music, prayer, poetry, art, and singing.
We serve a wonderful God who, even in the presence of Alzheimer’s, allows communication with Him and praise for Him to continue as a part of our world.
by Carol Howell
