Lord, I pray that you will give me the wisdom to teach my bandsmen and songsters the true meaning of what we do as Christian musicians. For those musicians who may not yet fully understand the spiritual meaning behind the music we play or sing, Lord, give me the ability to convey this meaning to them so that they in turn can use that knowledge and their talent to give that message to those who need it. I pray that you will constantly remind me that we are not performers, we are givers of the good news. Yes, we are "minsters of note."
Catherine Booth said it best:
...I have always regarded music as all belonging to God. Perhaps some of you have heard me say in public that there will not be a note of music in hell, it will be all in heaven, and God ought to have it all there, and God ought to have it all here...The church has strangely lost sight of the value of music as a religious agency. I think God has used the Army to resuscitate and awaken [it] and while the bandsmen of the Salvation Army realize it to be as much their service to blow an instrument as it is to sing or pray...and while they do it in the same spirit, I am persuaded it will become an ever-increasing power amongst us. But the moment you, or any other bandsman, begin to glory in the excellence of the music alone, apart from the spiritual results, you will begin at that moment to lose your power...You see, when you separate the divine from the human, it ceases to have any power over souls. Don't forget that.
-Catherine Booth
