Sermon Central
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The Muscle Memory Of The Violin
Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 17, 2026 (message contributor)
From 5th grade through high school graduation, I played the violin. I was serious about it, participating in all-region orchestras, competitions, all of that. My senior recital was performing the Bach Double Concerto with one of my best friends.
Here's the thing about playing a string instrument: it's all about muscle memory. When you're first learning, every movement is deliberate and awkward. You have to think about every finger placement, every bow stroke. But as you practice, something happens. Your muscles start to remember. Your fingers find their places without conscious thought.
By the time I was preparing for my senior recital, I could play sections of the Bach Double almost without thinking. My muscles knew what to do even when my mind was somewhere else.
That's what makes the disciples' response in John 21 so recognizable. After the resurrection, after everything they had witnessed, when they weren't sure what to do next, Peter said, "I am going fishing." And the others said, "We'll come with you." They went back to what their hands already knew how to do.
That's not weakness. That's human nature. Just like our bodies can perform physical tasks through muscle memory, our spirits can default to old patterns too. The habits we formed before we knew Christ, the ways of thinking we had before the gospel took root, they can still pull at us when life gets uncertain or overwhelming. Paul knew this well. "I do not do what I want," he wrote, "but I do the very thing I hate."
The good news is the same way athletes retrain their muscles, we can retrain our spiritual habits. It's just a process. And it usually starts with Jesus showing up on the shore, right where we drifted back to, and calling us back to our purpose.
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