MUSIC APPRECIATION SUNDAY Psalm 98 May 29, 2011 Psalms 100:1-5 (NRSV) 1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing. 3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. 5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. The pre-school our kids attend asks the parents every year to make sure to teach your children their address. It is just something that kids should know in case of emergency or if a child gets lost or a variety of other reasons. I am so glad that it was Christin who taught them and not me. I probably would have just had them learn it by repetition or by writing it down over and over again. This probably would have worked eventually but it wouldn’t have been nearly as fun as the way Christin taught them. Instead of learning just 4135 State Route 82....she taught them 4135 State Route 82...sing it with me! Now you will all know the address to the parsonage! Christin is currently perfecting the address at the new place. Music has a way about it doesn’t it? It helps us to remember stuff--that is true....but its so much more. Music is transforming. Inspiring. It can lift us up and it can bring us down. It can bring back good memories...it can conjure up bad memories. We are surrounded by music in our cars, TV, stores, movies, ballparks, amusement parks, elevators--in nearly all parts of our lives can be found music. Music has effects on us emotionally, psychologically, spiritually, and even physiologically...music deeply affects our whole being. And I’m sure that none of what I just said surprises you. Each of us could easily bear testimony on how our lives have been affected by music. I have songs that bring back very fond memories of my childhood. I can’t listen to Journey, Meatloaf, REO Speedwagon, and Michael Jackson without thinking of car rides
with my mom growing up. Christin talks about her “Akron Songs” when she went back and forth to Akron University her senior year in high school for postsecondary classes. I also associate some music with times of grief in my life. I’ll never forget singing “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” at my Grandmother’s funeral. I can’t sing it without thinking about her and I know many of you have stories like that. The music I’m most familiar with and that means the most to me are the songs of our Faith. I still remember songs I learned in Children’s Choir from first grade at Church, “My name is Johnny Appleseed...” . I started to play chimes and handbells in elementary school. I grew up singing great hymns like How Great Thou Art, Amazing Grace, Just a Closer Walk with Thee, On Eagle’s Wings. Holidays experiences, of course, are saturated with sacred music. Christmas Carols--Joy to the World, Away in a Manger, Silent Night. Easter with Christ the Lord is Risen Today. The holidays just would be the same without them. And, this is not even to mention my experiences at Camp Christian where Pass it On, Prodigal Son, Sing Alleluia, 500 Miles, and Do Lord would all be part of the soundtrack of my life. You may not know this, but I even sang in a praise band for 2 years while at Hiram College....because of that experience I know a lot of “contemporary music”. What sacred music would make up the soundtrack of your life? For some of us there is a long list. For many of us who grew up in the church, organ music, hymnody, choirs, handbells, singing about God and Jesus (or some combination of those elements) were all just a part of our lives--its something we’re used to, something that is normal. For some of us, however, the list would be shorter or we might feel we’re still making a sacred soundtrack. Either way, however, I believe it serves the church well to to be intentional about why we sing, why we play, why we make music as the people of God. It can't just be because it makes us feel nostalgic or because its just something that we do. I think its important to know why we do it because we really must admit, that really it is quite strange the way we do music in the church. . What other places in the world do you gather in a place, not just to hear someone else play or sing (like a concert or something), but to also be asked to sing yourself? In the church we have this unique idea called “Congregational Singing” and we ask people to pick up hymnals and sing songs with the people around
them about God and Jesus. Some people hear that and they are like....are you kidding me? You want me to sing...out loud...with other people? Yeah right. I mean where else do you do something like that? Not many places. So WHY do we have music? Why do we sing, why do we play, why do we have music in Church? Why don’t we just have a service of talking? or maybe silence? Why do we make, as a the scripture says, a “joyful noise to the Lord”? I believe our scripture today helps us gain a little insight into that and how to keep it in perspective a little bit. Almost all of the Psalms in the Bible are actually meant for singing in worship. It was the ancient Hebrew and then Christian Hymnal. Many of them are composed as such and even given musical notation in some parts. Psalm 100 implores the people of God to come before the Lord of all creation making a Joyful Noise. I know my Dad would say he that he's eternally grateful for the phrasing there, afterall some of us can truly only make a joyful NOISE to the Lord. But whether it sounds pleasing or unpleasing to our ears, it is pleasing to God when it is for expressed purpose of giving thanks and giving glory to God. In our joyful noise, in our music, in our singing we celebrate the Story of our God. The Psalm celebrates God’s faithfulness, God’s steadfast love that has been with them through all of their ups and downs as God’s people—through generations of people. Through music we often get to know God’s story, we even hear and learn about the faith. Its not just an expression of Joy, but our images and ideas about God can come from music. I’ve heard more than once that most people get their own personal theology from hymnody, from the songs of the faith. After all, as we talked about earlier, music often makes things a lot easier to remember and to understand. If you were asked to say what it means to have faith in Jesus, you might be more inclined to say the words of a hymn rather than quote a scripture. Some might say, “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost and now am found, was blind but now I see. Through many dangers toils and snares, I have already come, 'tis grace that brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home.” There is a story that Karl Barth, one of
the greatest theologians of the 20th century, was asked one time by a reporter if he could summarize all the many volumes of his great work Christian Dogmatics (a 14 volume set over 9000 pages long) into a succinct statement. Its said that he paused for a moment and said, “Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so.” The songs of faith, the music we sing contains words from the scriptures, from the story of God that teach about what it means to be Christian, to be faithful followers of Jesus. Paul says in Colossians 3:16, “16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.” Music is another way that God’s word, Christ’s teachings can dwell in us richly to move us and inspire us. Ultimately, music is a profound and powerful expression of Faith and Worship. It is a means by which, as individuals and community, we can worship God in expressive and dynamic ways...with Feeling! Victor Hugo once said, “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent”. Delius, a 19th Century English composer said, “Music is an outburst of the soul”. We can worship God with music to express what is our unexpressible gratitude to God, thankful, as the Psalm says, that we are loved and we are known. That we are God’s--the sheep of his pasture. We sing because we’re happy, We sing because we’re free, For God’s eye is on the sparrow, And I know God watches me. Remember that after Moses lead the people of God to safety through the Red Sea...on the other side Moses and Miriam lead them in song to give glory to God. King David often lead the people in song with many instruments and great joy when the first temple was built. Even Jesus sang a hymn with his Disciples after the institution of the Lord’s Supper. Music has been an expression of joy in Worship for as long as God's people have been around. So, my brothers and sisters, when we come to worship together, we come not to listen to a performance, nor do we come to perform for people in the pew.
Instead, the music that we sing, that we play, that we hear is all for the Glory of God. Music in the church is not the only expression of worship, nor is elevated as better than any other, but what I do know is that Music is to have a purpose—to teach, to inspire, to give glory to God and to build up the Body of Christ. Johan Sabastian Bach started his pieces with "J.J." "Jesus Juva" which means "Jesus help me." and ended them with "S.D.G." "Soli Dei gratia" which means "To God alone the praise." So as we come to worship may we be mindful of the lyrics of the music we sing, engage them with our hearts, minds, and voices and see how they speaks to our lives and spirits. May we have ears to hear what God would have us to hear. May we be open to God’s Spirit, for God’s Word to dwell in us richly to transform us and move us to faithfulness. And may we enter God’s Gates with Thanksgiving in our hearts, may we enter his courts with praise, for the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Amen.
