“Trumpets and Cymbals and Lutes, O My!”

Psalm 150

A Communion Meditation

My mother and I have an ongoing discussion about my home church. Actually, the word discussion doesn’t really describe our conversations. Mom complains about her church and I listen while biting my tongue. Her complaints are many.

She’s not as comfortable with the new minister as she was her former pastor. Mind you, the “new” pastor has been there at least ten years. She doesn’t like the female Associate Pastor’s sermons. She thinks that the church budget is out of control, with way too much money being spent on the music ministry staff. Why, she asks, can’t we just use volunteers? Furthermore, she doesn’t think that it’s fair that she’s being asked to pay for so much youth and children’s ministry staffing when she no longer has any children at home.

In her defense, she really hasn’t been able to absorb all the changes that have taken place at her church, in her community, and in the wider culture over the last forty years. The church has grown – a lot. The town is booming. Most folks who visit the church have recently moved to the area. There are more young families than in the past. Folks who once had time to volunteer now have full-time jobs and families. In this era of church shopping people are looking for excellence in programming, especially children’s and youth ministries and worship. For better or worse visitors’ expectations can’t always be met by good hearted, well meaning, and competent volunteers.

Why share all that? Grace is growing and changing. The community around us is changing. Although we have many wonderful, talented, dedicated, and competent volunteers, jobs and families demand a lot of their time and energy. Some of the ongoing issues and future needs of our facility demand more time and expertise than our Trustees and others possess. Sometimes we have to spend money on our facility. As it ages its maintenance costs will increase. If we are to expand and remodel it to meet future ministry needs, we’re going to have to spend more than a little money.

That’s next week’s topic. Today’s topics are worship and music. Thus Psalm 150 and selected verses from Revelation. Psalm 150 is a doxology of praise, a hymn of adoration praising the steadfast love of God. It was a special hymn probably reserved for the most high and holy of days. Odds are that it started softly and crescendoed into a celebrative climax. Various instruments were used. It was accompanied by dancing. Its words summoned all of earth and heaven to lift up their voices in praise.

It is a model for all worship. It tells us where to praise God: in his Temple, in his house. It tells us why we are to praise God: for his mighty deeds of creation, redemption, deliverance, and salvation. It tells us how to praise God: with our voices lifted in song, our feet moving in dances of praise, and every musical instrument at our disposal being used to joyously praise the Lord. That includes organs, pianos, chime choirs, guitars, drums and other instruments of percussion, brass instruments such as trumpets and trombones, and reed instruments like clarinets and saxophones. All of this taking place in an atmosphere of celebration and praise. It tells us who is to praise God: everything that breathes, but most especially the gathered congregation of God’s people.

In our particular situation it is to be a celebrative blending of various styles and cultures: traditional and contemporary, Anglo and African, a little African American soul music, and maybe even a few musical renderings that honor the traditions of Appalachia. It should involve liturgical dance and drama containing a Christian message. From time to time it must reflect the historic liturgy of the church catholic. And always, always, always it must honor God and be faithful to his Word and will.

One of the things that initially caused me to fall in love with Grace was the music. Betty-Ann Lynard, the choir director in 2004, understood what I just described. She was a master of both music and liturgy. She knew how to praise God with music. Her leadership abilities were a gift from God, a gift that she shared joyfully and sometimes sacrificially with this congregation.

Since she left in early 2005 whatever it was that she brought into this sanctuary has been missing. We have not stopped worshipping. Our worship has been, I pray, in spirit and in truth. We have some gifted individuals and groups here. What we lack is someone with the gifts needed to coordinate those gifts, develop a creative liturgy that reflects who we are now, and work with Ruth and myself to imbue our worship with a sense of passion and awe. Ruth and I need a colleague who can lead us in infusing our worship with energy, imagination, and love.

I’m hungry for that kind of worship. Whether you know it or not, so are you. There is a world outside this place that is starving for that kind of worship. It is our God-given responsibility to feed them. Oh, I can do a pretty good job of putting the meat and potatoes of the Gospel on the table. I don’t know how to prepare the feast that God and his people deserve.

We’re looking for a Music Director. Hopefully there’s another Betty-Ann out there who needs us as much as we need him or her. While we cannot be willing to give away the store, it is incumbent upon us to find the best person we can, and then, by faith, do whatever it takes to afford that person. We must not allow ourselves to be penny-wise but pound-foolish, to let a misplaced frugality deafen us to the voice of the Spirit.

My mother would probably disagree with much of what I’ve just said. She would allow her limited vision of ministry blind her to the needs of this church. For all I know many more of you agree with her than you do with me. I love my mom. I love all of you. I want all of you to experience and take part in the most awesome worship experiences possible. I want the world out there to be moved to fall in love with Grace just like I did four and a half years ago. I want worship that rocks this place in the name of Jesus. Can I hear an amen? Amen back atcha!

Now let’s go feast at the Table of our Lord…