Fortissimo Jesus

My dad tells a story of a boyhood trumpet lesson in which he plopped down before his instructor, brought his instrument to his lips, and lazily pressed the valves through the first few measures of a piece.

It wasn't long before the instructor interrupted him, waving his hands in disapproval.

"Don't play, tha-tha-tha," he corrected, mimicking my father's apathy with a half-closed eyelid and a limp wrist in the air. "You must play, BA-BA-BA!"

The instructor pounded his fist against his palm with each BA. Then, in a swell of passion, plunged a pencil straight through my father's sheet music, tearing a hole in it.

My dad's wide eyes darted from the pencil sticking out of his music, to his instructor's flaring nostrils, and back to the dynamic marking in the first measure—fortissimo.

His heart began to race as he realized he'd better start playing like he meant it. He puffed his cheeks, raised his shoulders, and summoned all the breath his lungs to play with the enthusiasm that the piece called for. Finally, his instructor was pleased.


Live Loud

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This morning, at the beginning of the Lenten season, I sense the Spirit of God calling me to live loud. I want to pop the mute off my trumpet, puff my cheeks, and live each moment heralding my LORD and King with the fortissimo fanfare He deserves.

I don't want to be obnoxious or rude. I just want to overflow with love and passion, the way Jesus did.

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline… Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us..” –2 Timothy 1:7, 14 (NIV)

My husband, Chris, recently shared his disappointment with me about a movie clip he watched, which attempted to portray Jesus in the Temple Courts (see Matthew 21:12-17). Chris described Jesus floating onto the scene and demonstrating his disapproval in the money changers' activity by brushing his hand against a table to knock it over.

"He looked weak. I didn't like that." Chris critiqued. "Jesus was a tough carpenter, you know? If He's mad, we should feel it."

I agree. The Jesus I know would come storming into the Temple Courts, fuming at the sight of His Father's house being misused. We would see His rough hands slamming into tables, we would see fury on His ruddy face, we'd be shaken to the core by His roaring rebuke. We'd stumble over each other to get out of His way as coins crash at our feet and doves flap over our heads.

The Bible says that believers in Christ are temples of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). In this season of Lent, I want to invite Jesus—that fortissimo Jesus—to come wreck me from the inside out (see Psalm 139:24). I want my mind, soul, and body to be made clean for His use.

Does that longing resonate with you? If so, you're welcome to join me in prayer.

My Prayer

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I want to make you proud, Abba Father.

I want to live for Your glory, loud and clear like Jesus did,
as a living sacrifice to You.

I am all Yours, not my own.

Jesus, I want to honor your Precious Blood,

poured out on my behalf.

O God, shake me, rattle me to my core,

overturn the wicked ways within me.

I want to love You

with all my heart,

all my soul,

all my strength—

and then some.

May Your Spirit overflow within me,

so that my heart must must either increase

or burst.

Make my soul deeper and purer.

Make my body stronger.

I want to live fortissimo for you

until the very end,

until my last breath.

Like the Mezuzah on a doorpost,

May your Word forever be before me,

So that every living thing

on earth,

and above the earth,

and below the earth,

will know that I am Yours.

Wholly,

and completely,

Yours.

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"After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."

–Acts 4:31 (NIV)

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