Emmanuel Church, Bungay, Suffolk

The Minister's Sermons

"Forty Years of Harmony" by Revd Bruce Waldron - 24th July 2005 This address was given at the celebration of a 40 year partnership between Sheila Inwards as Musical Director and the Choir she has directed. It also recognized Paul Leeder's 35 years as Church Organist.
If you drive out the Western Highway from Melbourne, about 40 Km the other side of Ballarat, you will come to a little town called Beaufort. My great, great grandfather settled in this area in the early 1850's, cleared and then farmed the land. On the left hand side of the road, is the old Methodist Church, which is now a coffee shop, but still there are a pair of memorial gates, erected in loving memory of my Grandfather, Charles Waldron, in recognition of his 53 years as a lay preacher. My father told me many stories about my Grandad. One of them was about a time when he had preached on the same reading that we had this morning.
And after the service, Harry came up and said to him, "I'm not so sure about heaven any more Preacher."
"Why's that Harry?" asked my grandfather.
"Well, it says in there, that them elders is going to be singing a new song. I've heard them new songs and I don't like them. I like the old ones. I they're gonna be singing all them new songs, then I don't know rightly if I want to be there."
And my grandfather replied, "Well Harry, that was written a long time ago, and if you look in the Methodist Hymn book at No 328, you'll find it is one of the old songs."
"Oh well," said Harry, "That's alright then."
When we look in the book of Revelations we find that only the Lamb that was slain has the power to open the seal that will let the Elders and Angels sing a new song. He may be the Lion of Judah, but it is only as the lamb who gave his life in love, that he opens the seal. Only then can the people sing a new song.
We are in a world where we a new song is desperately needed. Old songs we thought would work have not.
Back in the time my grandfather was preaching the world was thinking that rationalism would bring on a new age. We thought that science would usher in a secular Nirvana. It was a world where such optimism in the human mind and intelligence was so strong that it emptied the churches. It didn't work. The problem was that all our rationality and brilliance still came up against the same old problems of humanity. We just made a mess of things in a more scientific manner. In the last half century we have followed a philosophy that has argued that the market would solve the issues. What we have found is that the open market has exposed the world to be as rapacious and exploitative as ever the old world was, even more so. The poverty gap is greater. The injustice is even more powerful. The environment is being slowly destroyed. We know about these troubles now, but still they continues to grow.
Where do we go to find the harmony that will offer us hope.
The writer of Revelations is telling us that it is the one who gives his life in love for the world, for every tribe, language, people and nation, He gives heaven's hosts a chance to sing a new song. But the song is as old as Harry.
In the Psalms we have a collection of people's expression of singing to God their pain, their triumphs, their faith, their hopes, their disappointments. Singing is a natural response to God, a parable of life in harmony with God.
God's purpose is unity, harmony, healing. Healing for the environment, for people of all places. And the lamb, in Revelations, gives his life in love, not in hate. That is not the way of God to healing. The life must be given in love to bring about God's harmony, God's music. That's why so often, music is a symbol of Christian faith.
Sheila has done something really creative for me. She has taught me to read the dots. Before, I always played and sang the music the way I interpreted it, but that doesn't work when you are working with a choir.
"Read the dots Bruce!" Sheila says. And I've learned, here, to read the dots. It has been the transformation that has enable me to lead the Elastic Band.
In reading the dots, we are able to work together, to understand the composers intention - so we can all be heading in the same direction.
Listening is an important part of achieving harmony. If we are going to do it, we must listen to each other. The other day at Choir Practise, we were doing a song I love and know well, and I was thoroughly enjoying my bass part. And when we finished, Sheila said gently, "We can tell you know this one well Bruce."
"OH!" I said, "Was I singing a bit loud?" Now I knew the notes, and I read the dots, and I was right. But I still wrecked the choir.
"Watching is important. Watch me!" Sheila says. "You're dragging because your not watching me." "You're racing ahead. Watch me!"
Pay attention to the conductor. Understand what the signals mean. What is God showing? Listen carefully to what God is saying, through each other
Only through this can we achieve the unity, the harmony that is a reflection of heaven. Heavenly choirs is a common metaphor in the Scriptures. As we read Revelations, it has to be read understanding that there is always a parallel going on between what is visioned to be happening in heaven and what is actually happening on earth. Our battles are spiritual battles. Harmony in the heavenly realm is parallel to harmony in the earthly realm.
When we are out of harmony, we are without healing. When we are out of God's way, desiring to return to that harmony our world so desperately needs, the way back is through the lamb that gives his life in love for the world..
In the presence of God there is harmony. And we cannot be in that presence unless we read the dots, unless we listen, unless we watch. The Choir, music is a parable of Christian life. Today we celebrate 40 years of Sheila's role as our Music Director; Paul's 35 years as our organist. As we do this, I like the metaphor that Bishop Richard Lewis used at Rotary's Centenary Service just a month ago. What he said was this.
"As you celebrate your anniversary, this is time, not to just acknowledge a milestone but embrace a signpost."
Today, let us do that, and move on into our future with dedication and love, living for the one who has the power to enable us to sing a new song.