I grew up in a family that frequently had music playing, and in a family that was involved in music. The stereo was often on, and I remember being impressed and in awe of my parents' singing voices when I heard them sing in church. My sister and I were each in our respective school's choral programmes, and I was in some extra curricular choirs, as well. However, I think that, of my immediate family, I love music the most, or at least the most obviously. It's such a part of who I am. In fact, my love of music used to be a bone of contention between my sister and myself; the long and the short of it was, I would sing along to songs without really being aware I was doing it. She was annoyed by this, and many a family night was ended by her telling me to shut up one too many times, and me running off to my room, unable to handle it anymore. In fact, most family nights that involved having music playing in the background ended this way.
It was probably both of our love of music that caused us to react the way we did. My love of music is expressed through singing along with things that are playing, and her's was probably expressed through wanting to hear the original artist performing what they do so well. We each wanted to hear the songs differently, and to experience them differently. Our needs clashed, and created friction.
Who'd've thought that music would be a bringer of unhappiness? Of discord, if you'll pardon the pun. Then again, I'm sure that most parents are well aware of how different their child's musical tastes can be from theirs, and I'm sure most teens have been told more than once to "turn that stuff down!!" or asked what on earth it is that they're listening to.
Music can have a powerful impact on us, and on how we function and feel. I'm not the only one to use music as a mood manipulator -- most public places do. Christmas songs are already being piped in to some stores, in an attempt to get people in the Christmas buying mode. Energetic, happy songs are played in most stores, probably in an attempt to make shoppers feel better, and therefore buy more. I'm not sure on this one, but I wouldn't be surprised if radio stations played calmer music during rush hour times, to help decrease road rage. If they don't, maybe they should consider doing just that.
Songs can change the way we feel, and the way we act, and what we're listening to can also change peoples' perceptions of us. If you were to hear the latest Limp Bizkit or hard rock alternative song coming from someone's room, what would you think of that person? How about if it was classical music? Hip hop? Jazz? We can use the music we hear someone listening to to define what we think of that person, and I think we often do, whether that definition is right or not, or conscious or not.
It seems that, as a congregation, we also place an importance on song. We have two choirs, we use the musical talents of people within the congregation as special music, and we have glorious preludes and postludes, which often almost seem like mini-concerts due to the caliber of the players. Our hymns are sung beautifully, and usually we'll make up harmonies if none are written in. We each have preferred hymns, and preferred tempos for those hymns. We have not only a fine arts night, a time to appreciate the crafted musical skills of our congregation, but we also have a not so fine arts night, a time to have some fun with music.
Our emphasis on music cannot be missed by those visiting our congregation. And that speaks about us, as well. What does the music we sing or play on a Sunday morning say to those who visit us? How do they judge the style of songs that we sing, and the songs that we choose each Sunday?
Songs can not only be used to reflect a bit of who we are, but the word "song" and the idea of singing, can also be used as metaphor. For example, in gangster movies, making a person talk when they don't want to is referred to as making that person sing. I'm going to stretch the metaphorical use of the word "song" to include what we present to the world. In the song we sung earlier, "Here in this place," we sung "...give us the courage to enter the song." In essence, give us courage to act as we should in the song that is life.
How does the world see each of us sing, in terms of what we present to the world? For example, what song do we sing while we're driving? A calm, classical piece, or an enraged hard rock song? What about when we're interacting with people who serve us in stores or restaurants? What song do we sing as a congregation? As individuals who are part of the congregation? Of course, we have discord and unmatched harmonies some times, but as a whole, what do we sing, or present to those around us? Is it what we want to sing?
Right now, the world is singing a song of fear, rage, terror, and injustice. There must be a counter melody that we can sing, to help to calm that. In Luke, when Jesus is foretelling "the end," he tells his followers that "when you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first … Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven." (Luke 21:9-11) Despite these words of doom and gloom, Jesus encourages his followers to keep their chins up. He says, straight out, that we should not be terrified. In the midst of all this terror, Jesus says, you will have an opportunity to witness to me, to testify to others about the glory of God. And have faith in this -- you'll say what's necessary when it's necessary. Jesus himself will give us the words to say.
Last Sunday was Peace Sunday, a time for us to reflect on wars and peace, and on the struggle between the two. Following that up with two very apocalyptic texts was an interesting choice made by those who decide what Scriptures get used when. In fact, following up Peace Sunday with doom and gloom, evil doers going into the oven, wars, famines and pestilences being inflicted upon the earth, is down-right confusing, in my mind. And yet, within these apocalyptic texts, we're given hope.
Last week Don talked about our long history of pacifism, and the struggle that most pacifists have faced. He quoted an article from the Washington Post that stated that pacifists are evil. Many people seem to think that pacifism and pacifists are irrelevant, and that they don't contribute anything. He spoke of having hope that would take us beyond the present moment, the moments of violence that are, pardon the play on words, holding the world hostage. That hope is the hope that God can bring good out of tragedy; we hear that echoed in today's readings. In Malachi, we heard of the sun of righteousness rising over those who revere God's name, with healing in its wings. The psalm that we heard as our call to worship spoke of God's just and righteous judgement, and how that will lead the entire earth to celebrate and praise God. God has won the struggle, and remembered his love and faithfulness. We hear time and again that God's judgement will be harsh and a time of trouble, but we also hear in this psalm that the judgement will make us sing for joy at the marvelous things that God has done. Our text from Luke speaks bluntly about the wars and strife that will be inflicted upon the world, but that those who believe in God, and testify to that belief, will have a home in heaven, and that God will be with them throughout their trials on the earth.
Second Thessalonians 3:6-13 can almost be seen as a call to action, not just to working for your livelihood. Paul's message says that if you want something, you've got to work at it. Paul, Silvanus and Timothy were encouraging people to be proactive, not reactive. We all know that our faith is supposed to be active. And, just like our version of the Golden Rule is proactive, so our faith should be. Go out into the nations, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, ask, search, knock -- do it! Let your faith infuse your life, infect all areas.
Some of you may remember the sermon I did this summer in which I played a song, and encouraged people to use songs and music as a way to be closer to God. More of you probably remember the sermon I did more recently in which I used a song from "A Muppet's Christmas Carol" to help with an illustration. It seems that the last few times I've worked on sermons, I've had songs pop into my head. And, true to the current trend, I had a song pop into my head while I was working my way through the Second Thessalonians text. And, also true to the current trend, I'm not entirely sure where the song came from. Suddenly, as I was thinking about how Paul et all were encouraging the Thessalonians to do their share of the work, James Brown's "get up offa that thing" started playing on repeat in my head. So, after pausing to find the track on a cd and listen to it for awhile, I got back to thinking. I must admit that I thought about playing the song for you today, but I had to admit to myself that there really isn't too much in the song that works. Only two lines made the final cut: "get up offa that thing," and "try to relieve that pressure."
Why these two lines? Well, let me tell you. I was thinking about the article that Don read from in last week's sermon, and how the author defined pacifism as only evil. It seems that most people seem to think that the word "pacifism" also means "passive." The "logic" the reporter used to side pacifists with the terrorists shows that. To refresh your memory, the reporter basically said that since pacifists don't want the government to fight, and the terrorists don't want the government to fight, the pacifists are on the same side as the terrorists. I was looking at what Paul had to say to the Thessalonians, and thinking how this text can also be used to encourage ourselves and each other to work actively for peace. It was about this time that the phrase "get up offa that thing" popped into my head, and I think it fits.
Paul was encouraging the Thessalonians to get up and work for their livings, work for what they need. We are also encouraged, by extension, to work for our livings, and we can extend that encouragement to work to the things we believe strongly in. Therefore, Paul's "get up offa that thing" to the Thessalonians becomes a "get up offa that thing" to us, as well. Get up, be active in what you believe in and in what you need. Do not be weary in doing what is right. (2 Thessalonians 3:13) And what about the line from the James Brown song that links getting up and relieving pressure? That can be fairly obvious. You've been sitting there in those chairs for quite some time. I'm sure you're feeling some sort of pressure. Maybe you've got a bad back, or you're claustrophobic, or you just need to be able to move. Movement is good, and the freedom to move as you choose is also important. Movement relieves pressure. The pressure I'm thinking of relieving goes a bit deeper than that, though.
Actively doing something about war, violence, injustice, disparity, and so on is trying to relieve some of the pressure the world is under. It might also relieve some of the pressure we are under, if we feel burdened by the inequity and violence of the world. Not only are we working to relieve the pressure of the world, we're also relieving pressure in ourselves. And that's a good thing.
Pressures constantly surround us: pressures from family, friends, bosses, and ourselves. There has to be a way to relieve some of that pressure, and doing something about it is a great way to start. Follow what Paul reminds the Thessalonians about, in terms of not being weary in doing what is right (2 Thessalonians 3:13). Remember the words of Jesus, when he encouraged us to testify to God despite our circumstances. Join in James Brown and get up, and do something to relieve pressure.
God has created the symphony of life for us to enjoy, and for us to work at. We've got some people who help us through the tough parts, like Paul, and we've got a great conductor in Jesus. We're encouraged to enter the song, to practice our parts and perform them well. However, it's important to remember that, sometimes, music and songs can bring discord. As much as we hear one song from God, the world also has a song -- actually, it has many different songs. And there are many clashing notes in the songs sung in our world.
My sister and I used to clash often, but we have learned how to sing together in harmony, even though it can be a pretty tentative one at times. The discord we used to experience was truly disharmonious, and didn't lead to very much aside from strife. However, sometimes the strife and discord that singing a clashing song brings can be good. Going against the flow, singing a different tune, can bring about awareness and change. Just look at Ten Thousand Villages: in a world where many producers are ripped off on a regular basis by companies singing the tune of profit and growth for the company, Ten Thousand Villages sings a different tune, one of respect for all, and growth for the people who do the creating and the supplying of the product. Just recently I heard Monica tell of how in at least one place, the people who did the buying for profit were getting more and more aggressive towards the producers, as they starting upping their prices due to the fairness they received from Ten Thousand Villages. Mennonite Central Committee was concerned for these people, but the producers told MCC that they'd be ok. Because of the song of respect and integrity that Ten Thousand Villages sung to those people, they started singing their own song, one of respect for themselves and their product.
Most of us probably won't get the chance to impact people in different countries, like Ten Thousand Villages does. However, we can impact the people in our own lives with the songs we sing. If we pick up the song of peace and of respect, those around us will start to hear the tune, and maybe start humming it themselves. I'm sure we've all encountered songs that stick in our heads -- I think that this one, the song of peace, confidence in God, and respect, is probably pretty catchy, too.
Not only did James Brown sing some mighty fine tunes in his day, but he also had a good message. Get up offa that thing! Do something! Let us be active in our faith, and sing the songs inspired by it loud enough for those around us to hear. Perhaps if we sing the song of peace loud enough, and live the song of peace, we can infect the world with our song.