Well, please do have a seat.
We're going to put the talk right at the beginning of tonight.
So we'll get into that now and then we'll have lots of time to rejoice and to sing together at the end.
So let me pray and then we'll get to work together.
Father God, thank you so much that you have been outrageously kind to us.
Father, you've given us all sorts of gifts.
Father, you've given us all sorts of ways to sing your praise together.
So, Lord, as we look at the reason why, Father, would you speak to us?
Would you teach us?
Would you enlarge our hearts?
Father, would we be those that are encouraged to raise our voices to you, our great God?
So be with us in this time.
Father, make us a singing people as those that have so much to sing about in your son, Jesus.
So bless us in his worthy name.
Amen.
So we're in Why Church.
Tonight we're looking at Why Sing.
I've been looking at this for about the last two weeks.
It's still a work in progress.
I haven't quite got to the 10,000 sermon points that Matt Redman seems to suggest we should have in the song we've just sang.
I've got seven for you.
There's a handout just to help you follow along.
Why do we sing?
In a recent article by Oliver Berkman in The Guardian, he reported on research done by Goldsmiths College,
and it found that participating in a choir had profound and unexpected health benefits.
Here are some.
People who sing in a choir are generally happier than people who don't.
They have a greater sense of belonging and social cohesion.
People that sing in a choir are more hopeful than people that don't.
And surprisingly, people who sing in a choir have a higher pain threshold than those who don't.
I just say that's because some of the people they may be in a choir with are quite painful to listen to.
One woman commented in the research,
It's as if I'm inhabiting another reality.
I become temporarily suspended in a world where everything bad is bearable and everything good feels possible.
Singing, it seems, in a choir has health benefits.
And so it seems a good way to spend our evening.
Singing, it seems, quite apart from the religious content, is good for you.
So whether you don't agree with anything else I say tonight, it's been worth you being here just to sing five songs together.
However, when we look at singing within the church, singing within a Christian context,
it takes on a far more important, far more key role in the life of individuals and a church together.
One of the chief things that Christians are renowned for, both historically and universally,
is singing songs and making music.
It is almost unique in the realm of faith.
For example, in contrast to Islam, you will never hear music in a mosque.
You may hear some musical recitation as people are called to prayer.
But within Islam and the Koran, music is expressly haram.
It is forbidden.
And yet singing, it seems, in the Bible is commonplace and encouraged.
There are 143 references to singing in the Old Testament
and just nine references to singing in the New Testament.
Singing or reciting songs appears at all the key moments in redemption history.
When Adam first meets Eve, the most beautiful woman he's ever met,
he sings her a song.
The first extended song in the Bible is Exodus 15,
as Moses and Miriam and the people of Israel celebrate the Exodus.
And then the last extended song is in Revelation 15,
as everyone sings the song of Moses together.
Psalms, song of Solomon and Lamentations are books principally of songs.
Some of them more joyful than others,
as Lamentations is just basically five ways to say I'm miserable.
Singing is educational, it is emotional, it is edifying.
It is a means of grace through which God implants His words
and through His word transforms our hearts and minds
and bears fruit in our lives.
God's word contains 185 extended songs.
As a church, if we take about 100 services a year with five songs,
making up most of our services,
we spend about 34 hours a year singing together.
We spend a lot of time doing it.
So it is a worthy study to think, why do we do it?
What is it about?
And here's my big answer.
We sing to help us learn of, focus on and respond to who God is
and what God has done together.
So if you fall asleep now, you've got something.
We sing to help us learn of, focus on and respond to who God is
and what God has done together.
And there is a rich history of hymns in the Christian world.
But the earliest one that doesn't come from the Bible
is from the end of the second century.
It's called the Orinkus Hymn.
And we found a little extract of it.
I didn't.
I say we.
They.
They found a little extract of it.
And roughly translated, it says this.
Let it be silent.
Let the luminous stars not shine.
Let the winds and all the noisy rivers die down.
And as we sing to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
let all the powers add, amen, amen.
Empire, praise always, and glory to God,
the soul giver of good things, amen, amen.
Late second century, they're singing songs about singing songs,
which is very interesting.
To get a further grip on the role of singing in corporate life,
it's important to learn what we do together as a people when we meet.
So I've drawn you a little diagram.
This is what happens at church.
For church to happen, God gives us his word and his spirit.
God gives us his word and his spirit.
We give God our prayers and our praise.
And we use, give each other our spiritual gifts to build each other up,
to edify God's church.
That's what happens on a Sunday and as a church when we gather together.
Singing, it looks very similar.
What does God give us to help us sing?
Well, he gives us of his word and his spirit.
And in song, we give to God thanksgiving and adoration.
We worship who God is and all that he's given us.
And as we sing, as we'll see,
we're teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
Unless we understand these dynamics of what is going on,
of what God is giving us, what we're giving back to God,
and what we're doing for each other,
singing will always just be a filler of time,
or an option for the enthusiastic,
or a waste of time for the tonally challenged.
Martin Luther writes this,
The gift of language combined with the gift of song
was only given to man to let him know
that he should praise God with both word and music,
namely, by proclaiming God's word through music,
and by providing sweet melodies to accompany God's words.
I think Martin Luther has done more for the worshipful singing of the church
than maybe anyone else.
And so I want to give you my seven points.
Point one is this, we sing to reaffirm the word.
We sing to reaffirm the word.
If we go to 1 Corinthians 14 verse 26,
there may be slightly controversial verses,
but I want us to see one quick pattern.
What then shall we say, brothers and sisters?
When you come together, each one of you
has a hymn or a word of instruction,
a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation.
Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.
Now we can have lots of discussion, I think,
about what it means to come with a revelation,
or a tongue, or an interpretation.
But all I want to simply say
is that all of those, Paul lumps together as word ministries.
Ministries about God's word.
And right at the beginning, we'll see,
does anyone have a hymn?
In Paul's mind, the singing of the church
is not distinct from the word ministry of the church.
Church.
What are we singing?
We're singing God's word.
It seems clear then that worship and the word
are not in contradiction of each other.
They're not fighting each other.
Why do we sing?
We sing to help us get God's word into our system.
Because it's God's word that will do God's work
in our lives.
I was trying to think of an analogy.
If preaching is like the meal,
the food,
then the music and the singing
is like the ambience
and the decor.
You can't just have ambience and decor
or else everyone leaves hungry.
But if you have excellent food,
God's word,
and you accompany it with lovely decor
and great ambience,
then the two just mutually help each other.
That if you go for a nice meal
in a lovely restaurant,
it's very memorable.
It does you good.
We cannot just have worship
because there would be no meal.
But if the worship enhances the word,
then it becomes much more memorable
and dynamic in our lives.
And so Paul will tell the Colossians,
let the message of Christ dwell among you richly
as you teach and admonish one another
with all wisdom through psalms, hymns,
and songs from the Spirit,
singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
See, Paul writes that the ministry
of singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
is a teaching ministry.
It is not one person teaching from the front,
but it is everybody teaching everyone
within the congregation.
You're letting the word resonate between us.
We're singing to one another.
It is a great way, as it says in Colossians,
of enhancing and amplifying the message of Christ
dwelling richly and loudly amongst us.
We're not singing just to fill time.
We're singing to teach and admonish one another,
to get this word reverberating
and resonating in our lives.
Mark Dever writes,
it is a key responsibility
singing reaffirms the word.
And therefore that helps us know
what we should be singing.
We should be singing the words of Scripture,
the truths of Scripture,
the promises of Scripture.
We should be singing in praise of the God
who is revealed in Scripture.
We're not just looking for catchy tunes
and memorable lyrics.
We're looking for memorable ways
of getting this word to be implanted in our lives.
And singing is a great way to do that.
Sometimes I wish I was Scottish,
not very often.
But the one time I really wish I was Scottish
is when I go to watch the rugby at Murrayfield.
And you've got that excitement
as the players run out
and they all line up
and the bagpipe plays the introduction
to Flower of Scotland.
And I'm there just as an onlooker
because I'm not brave enough
to sing the English national anthem
in Murrayfield.
But the minute those bagpipes play up,
start up,
I think this is about to kick off.
And you know that everybody
with the smallest drop of Caledonian blood
in their veins
is going to sing at the top of their voice.
What they lack in tuning,
they'll make up for in volume.
And it's a way of them saying,
I'm Scottish,
I own this anthem,
this is my team.
And so when we sing in church
about things far more important
than nationalism,
and far more important than rugby,
when we sing together,
it is a way of each of us
and all of us saying together,
these are my truths.
This is my God.
This is me worshipping my Lord
and my Saviour.
This is me resting on the promises
that He has given me.
And as we do that together,
it just reaffirms.
You know, I can stand here
preaching every week
and you can just wash it over your head.
Listening can be incredibly passive,
but when I sing, it's active.
And it's a way of saying,
this truth is my truth.
These truths are what I believe.
These truths are what we believe.
And therefore, we're going to sing them
and affirm them together.
We sing to reaffirm God's word.
Secondly, we sing to respond to truth.
The way the word gets into our lives
is through our mind,
via our emotions,
to our will.
We inform our mind
so that it might inflame our hearts,
so that it might infect our will.
That's how God does His work,
through His word.
And when we sing,
it engages our emotions.
It takes that truth
and gives us the response to it.
Singing gives us a physical connection
and an emotional ascent
to what is being sung.
It must always be light and then heat.
We're not just singing
to try and whip ourselves up
into some kind of frenzy.
We're singing in response
to who God says He is
and all that He's done for us.
We're not to be like the gong
in 1 Corinthians 13
that just goes gong, gong.
And the whole reason that is there
is because in pagan worship,
that's what you do.
You keep making a racket
until your God does something.
That's not what we're doing.
We're responding to truth.
We're engaging our emotions
in responding to who God is
and what He has done.
It is facts
and then faith
and then feelings.
And as we sing,
it engages our feelings,
our emotions.
If it's just our mind,
it will be intellectualism.
If it is just our emotions,
it will be emotionalism.
If it is just our will,
it will be fanaticism
because we'll just get people
to do things
without them understanding
what they're doing.
But if we get this right,
that it flows from our mind
to our emotions,
to our will,
then God's word will bring
a dynamic change
into our lives.
And so we get told
how to respond.
Psalm 47,
clap your hands,
all ye nations,
shout to God
with cries of joy,
for the Lord most high
is awesome.
The great King
over all the earth,
He subdued nations under us,
peoples under our feet,
He chose our inheritance
for us.
The pride of Jacob
whom He loved,
God has ascended
amid shouts of joy.
The Lord,
amid the sounding of trumpets,
sing praises to God,
sing praises,
sing praises to our King,
sing praises,
for God is the King
of all the earth.
Sing to Him
a psalm of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God is seated
on His holy throne.
The nobles
of the nations assemble
as the people of God
of Abraham.
For the kings of the earth
belong to God,
He is greatly exalted.
What's going on in the psalm
where we're learning
of who God is,
that He's awesome,
that He reigns,
that He conquers,
that He wins.
And then the psalmist says,
what do we do in response
where we sing?
And we shout
with cries of joy.
That is the right response
to who God is.
As we learn of Him,
it engages our emotions
and that's expressed
as we sing.
Jonathan Edwards writes this,
how can they,
that's those who gather
in church,
sit and hear
of the infinite height
and depth
and length
of the love
of God in Christ Jesus,
manifested in His dying agonies,
His bloody sweat,
His loud and bitter cries
and bleeding heart,
and all this
for His enemies,
to redeem them
from deserved
eternal burnings,
and to bring them
to an unspeakable
and everlasting joy
and glory?
How can they hear
all of these things
and yet be cold
and heavy,
insensitive,
insensible
and ambivalent?
As we learn of God,
we respond to who He is.
That we sing
to respond
to truth.
Thirdly,
we sing to
reprogram
our emotions.
This follows on
from point two.
That the Bible
tells us
how to respond.
When we've got truth,
it tells us
what to do.
John Calvin writes,
in the Psalms,
there is not
an emotion
of which
anyone
can be conscious
that is not
represented
in this book
of Psalms
as in a mirror.
All the griefs,
sorrows,
fears,
doubts,
hopes,
cares,
perplexities,
in short,
all the distracting
emotions with which
the minds of men
are so commonly agitated.
The other parts
of Scripture
contain the commandments
which God enjoined
His servants
to announce to us.
But here,
the prophets themselves,
seeing they are
exhibited to us
as speaking to God
and laying open
all their inmost
thoughts and affections,
core,
or rather infirmities
to which we are subject,
and of the many vices
with which we abound,
may remain concealed.
It is certainly
a rare and singular
advantage
when all lurking places
are discovered
and the heart
is brought into the light
purged from that
most baneful infection,
hypocrisy.
What Calvin is saying there
is that as we read
the Psalms,
we see every human emotion
reflected.
And as we see
these psalmists
lay open their hearts,
we see what God's truth
does to their anxiety
and their fear
and their distress
and their loneliness
and their longing.
We see in the Psalms
the anatomy
of human emotions,
but not just put on display,
but that God also tells us
what we're to do
when we experience
those emotions.
They show us
how to respond
in pure adoration,
what to do
in the depth
of spiritual despair.
They tell us
what comfort looks like
in the face of death,
a response
to God's rescue,
a heartfelt cry
for mercy,
a declaration
of security,
what real satisfaction
is expressed as,
the longing
for God's presence,
the joy of knowing God,
a right response
to blessing
and every other emotion
besides.
And as we sing
these songs,
they help to reprogram
our emotions.
They help to rewire us
and help us respond
in a godly way
to the situations
that we find ourselves in.
When everything else
seems so much in flux,
God's word remains the same,
God remains the same,
and as we learn
these responses,
we learn how to deal rightly
with different things
that come in our lives.
So I find myself,
with the facing unemployment
in January,
I find myself singing
in my head
all the time,
abide with me.
Abide with me.
That great line,
when all other
helpers,
fears and comforts
flee,
help of the
helpless Lord,
abide with me.
And I feel that anxiety
all the time,
so I just have it
going round in my head,
so I don't freak out.
This is why I love
standing here
on Sunday morning
and watch everyone
sing.
When you see
the student
who just became
a Christian singing
my Jesus,
my Saviour
with all of their heart
at the top of their voice.
The dear saint
who is the muddle
of faithfulness,
singing with
utmost sincerity,
prone to wonder,
Lord,
I feel it,
prone to leave,
the God I love.
And I find that
encouraging because
I feel like that
all the time
and they've been
on the road
50 years longer
than me.
The parents
who buried
their daughter
two weeks ago
singing in unison
together,
it is well
with my soul
that as we get
these songs
into our lives,
they teach us
how to respond
rightly to the
circumstances
we face in our lives.
The congregation
facing uncertainty
about the future
singing with one voice,
Jesus,
we enthrone you,
we proclaim you
our king.
The dad
recently made redundant
and worried
about the future,
how to provide
for his wife
and young son.
In Christ alone,
my hope is found.
as we sing,
we reprogram ourselves
to respond rightly
to who God is
and what he's done.
Singing together
is so important.
The businessman
who's got so many
opportunities
to do so many things
because money's
not a worry
to him
and he sings,
all that thrills
my heart
is Jesus.
The person
who's fallen
on hard times
and can sing,
my heart is filled
with thankfulness.
It's a wonderful thing
to sing together
because it helps us
respond rightly
and to assure ourselves
of God's deep love
for us
even when it seems
the world is crumbling.
Singing helps us
reprogram our emotions
to respond rightly
and to rely wholly
on God's truth.
Fourthly,
we sing
to reinforce
our unity.
There is something
profoundly beautiful
about singing together.
I like singing
with lots of people
because then it means
I can't hear myself sing
which is a much more
pleasurable experience.
I remember last March
when we had our
joint service
in Berkeley.
Thousand people
from the Gospel Partnership
singing together.
I could have been
there forever.
It was great.
I remember
early on
being here
and having a sing song
in room three
with the guys
from Refine.
It wasn't pretty
but it was authentic
and it was meaningful.
The difference there
was is we did seem
to stay there forever
because Refine
used to go on
until about one
in the morning.
We sing together
Guide me
O thou great Jehovah
pilgrims through
this barren land
and we do that together
so we don't feel
like lonely pilgrims
on the way
but people surrounded
by friends.
So Psalm 118
give thanks to the Lord
for he is good
his love endures forever.
Let Israel say
his love endures forever.
Let the house of Aaron
the priests say
his love endures forever.
Let those who fear the Lord
that's the Gentiles
and God fearers
say
his love endures forever.
So as they repeat
that refrain together
it knits them together.
Everyone joins in
declaring truth together.
I think back to
1 Corinthians 14
What then shall we say
brothers and sisters
when you come together
each of you has a hymn
or a word of instruction
a revelation
a tongue
or an interpretation
everything must be done
so that the church
may be built up.
We're not singing
for personal enjoyment
we're singing
because it knits us
together.
Back in Colossians 3
Let the peace of Christ
rule in your hearts
since as members
of one body
you were called to peace
and be thankful.
Let the message of Christ
dwell among you richly
as you teach
and admonish one another
with all wisdom
through psalms, hymns
and songs from the Spirit
singing to God
with gratitude
in your hearts.
Let the peace of Christ
rule in your hearts
since as members
of one body
you were called to peace
be thankful
and what's going to help that?
Well teaching
and admonishing one another
with psalms, hymns
and songs from the Spirit.
Peace rules
one body
be thankful together
and do this
by singing God's word
together.
The word
is the source of unity
and the music
and singing
gives expression
to that unity.
This means that
all our songs
need to be balanced.
It's not just me
and I songs
but it should be
also us
our and we
songs.
Because singing
isn't just me
and God
it's us
and God
together.
We sing
as a means
of reinforcing
unity.
Point five
we're over
halfway through.
We sing
to reflect
God's image.
This blew my mind
this week.
It's probably
the only verse
of Zephaniah
that any of us know
but in Zephaniah
317
God is described
as singing.
The Lord
your God
is with you
the mighty
warrior
who saves
he will take
great delight
in you
in his love
he will no longer
rebuke you
but will rejoice
over you
with singing.
So God
sings
but also
in the New Testament
Jesus sings
and he sings
four times
and this is
exciting.
In Matthew
26
verse 30
and
in the
same
passage
in Mark
we read
after the
last supper
when they had
sung a song
they went
to the
Mount of Olives
that Jesus
as the perfect
worshipper
sang songs
and hymns
to the Father.
And then
in Hebrews
2.12
So Jesus
is not ashamed
to call them
brothers and sisters
he says
I will declare
your name
to my
brothers and
sisters
in the
assembly
I will
sing your
praise.
It's a quote
from Psalm
22.22
and the
picture is
amazing
that when
God's church
sings together
he declares
God's name
to brothers
and sisters
so imagine
him holding
the hymn
book with
you and
singing with
you
but he's
also the
chief worship
leader singing
praises at the
front.
that is
how much
Jesus
is into
worship
ensuring
that God
receives the
worship
that he
is.
We see
Jesus'
solidarity
with the
worshipper
and the
one who
facilitates
that
worship.
And then
in Romans
15.
Accept one
another then
just as
Christ accepted
you in
order to
bring praise
to God
for I tell
you that
Christ has
become a
servant of
the Jews
on behalf
of God's
truth so
that the
promises made
to the
patriarchs
might be
confirmed
and moreover
that the
Gentiles
might glorify
God for
his mercy.
As it is
written this
is a
messianic
eye therefore
I will
praise you
among the
Gentiles I
will sing
the praises
of your
name.
Again we've
got this
idea of
Jesus singing
and the
most exciting
thing is that
second phrase
is present
continuous.
So it
seems that
Jesus is
continually
singing
praises
to God's
name and
therefore we
can enjoy
and join in
with him.
In Psalm
19
the heavens
declare the
glory of
God and
the skies
proclaim his
greatness
but unique
to humanity
seems to be
the ability
of humanity
to sing
praises
to God.
We sing
because it
is one of
the ways we
reflect God's
image as a
God who
sings.
Number six
we sing to
remember God's
word.
This is a
very practical
point.
This morning
we learned of
twelve men
who went to
spy in
Canaan and
we know
that ten
were bad
and two
were good.
And we
remember that
story much
better because
it's a
song.
That I
dare say when
you're trying
to remember
a verse,
if you learn
it at Sunday
school to a
song, it
comes much
easier.
Because we
remember words
of songs and
verses of songs
much better than
we do remember
sentences of
prose or whole
paragraphs of
Bible books.
So when we
sing God's
word to
memorable tunes
we're helped
in remembering
the word.
We're letting
the word dwell
in us richly,
which is so
good.
Because if we
remember God's
word, it
supplies spiritual
power to us.
Psalm 119,
I have hidden
your word in
my heart so
that I might
not sin against
you.
If we remember
God's word,
it will help
keep us from
sin.
Remembering God's
word strengthens
our faith.
Pay attention
and listen to
the sayings of
the wise,
says the person
who writes
Proverbs.
Apply your
heart to what
I teach,
for it is
pleasing when
you keep them
in your heart
and have all
of them ready
on your lips
so that your
trust may be
in the Lord.
I teach you
today, even
you.
As we remember
God's word,
it strengthens
our faith.
It helps us
to trust and
rely on who
God is.
If we remember
God's word,
it equips us
for witnessing
and counselling.
Proverbs again,
a word aptly
spoken is like
apples of gold
in settings of
silver.
Just imagine
how beautiful
that is.
And as you
remember God's
word and share
it with people,
they go,
that is beautiful.
Must investigate
that further.
Or Proverbs 27
verse 17,
as iron sharpens
iron,
so one man
sharpens another.
If we can
remember God's
word,
it helps us.
So both
witness to the
unbeliever and
counsel,
our fellow
Christians.
it acts as a
way to be
guided in
life.
Your
statutes are
my delight,
they are my
counsellors.
They stimulate
meditation.
If we can
remember God's
word,
we can be
psalm on
people.
Blessed is
the one who
does not walk
in step with
the wicked,
or stand in
the way that
sinners take,
or sit in
the company
of mockers,
but whose
delight is in
the law of
the Lord,
and who
meditates on
his law day
and night.
It's much
easier to
meditate on
the law of
the Lord
day and
night if
you don't
have to
have a
book open.
It is no
coincidence,
I think,
that on the
cross,
as Jesus
bleeds and
dies for
sinful humanity,
he's reciting
Psalm 22
to himself.
My God,
my God,
why have you
forsaken me?
His David
psalm equates
so perfectly
with his
experience.
He sings it
to himself to
strengthen his
faith.
to keep
him going,
to not
despair as
he entrusts
his life to
the one who
judges justly.
Finally,
we sing to
rehearse for
eternity.
The picture in
Revelation 5 is
all God's people
gathered together,
singing together.
It's what
eternity is going
to look like.
And they
sang a new
song saying,
you are worthy
to take the
scroll and
to open it
seal because
you were
slain and
with your
blood you
purchased for
God persons
from every
tribe and
language and
people and
nation.
You have
made them to
be a kingdom
of priests to
serve our
God and they
will reign on
the earth.
Then I
looked and
heard the
voice of
many angels
numbering
thousands upon
thousands and
ten thousand
times ten
thousand.
they encircled
the throne and
the living
creatures and
the elders.
In a loud
voice they
were singing
worthy is the
lamb who
was slain to
receive power
and wealth and
wisdom and
strength and
honour and
glory and
praise.
Then they
heard every
creature in
heaven and
on earth and
under the
earth and on
the sea and
all that is in
them singing to
him who sits on
the throne and
to the lamb be
praise and
honour and
glory and
power forever
and ever.
The four
living creatures
said amen and
the elders fell
down and
worshipped.
That's what
eternity will
look like and
we get to
practice right
here right
now.
And so we
ask the
question why
do we sing?
Here are my
seven initial
reasons.
We sing to
reaffirm the
word to get it
resonating and
reverberating in
our lives.
We do it to
respond emotionally
to truth that it
prevents us from
mere intellectualism,
that it reprograms
our emotions and
as we sing it
helps us respond
rightly to
situations in our
lives.
It reinforces our
unity as we sing
shared truths
together.
It reflects God's
image as a God
who sings.
It helps us
remember God's
word which is so
useful in every
area of our lives
and it helps us
rehearse for
eternity.
I'm all but
done but I
want to read you
a story about
Brad.
Jonathan
Lehman writes,
my friend Brad
helped me to do a
little reprogramming
of my own
heart.
Brad was a
fellow member of
a former church
of mine and we
met weekly for a
season.
I remember one
evening driving up
to his house to
pick him up for
dinner and he was
waiting for me on
the curb.
I reached over,
opened the car
door from the
inside and heard
him immediately
say, hey
Jonathan, have
you ever seen a
CD player this
small?
He had bought
his own battery
powered player and
was intending to
play it but it
wasn't that small.
Brad is autistic
and blind.
Like most people
with autism he's
socially awkward
and makes strange
bodily movements.
For instance he
will squeeze his
eyes shut, flap his
hands in front of
his face so that
his fingertips touch.
And then repeatedly
wipe his face with
both hands.
I turned my car
radio off, Brad's
finger hit the play
button.
We had not made
much conversation at
that point.
We had not even
said hello.
Still it was time
to sing.
Not two more
seconds passed and
the Atlanta Symphony
chorus began filling
the small cabin of
my car with Handel's
Hallelujah chorus.
Accompanied by Brad's
own sonorous vibrato,
Brad may be
blind and autistic
but he's also a
member of a
professional chorus
and has a
beautiful voice.
Hallelujah,
hallelujah for
the Lord God
omnipotent.
I began singing
with him.
My meagre baritone
was no match for
his hardy tenor.
The kingdom of
this world has
become the kingdom
of our Lord and
of his Christ and
he shall reign
forever and ever.
The cabin reverberated
loudly with these
words from the book
of Revelation.
I began thinking
about the king of
kings who had
established his
kingdom in Brad's
heart.
The song finished.
Brad then asked me,
do you know this one?
He punched the
track button and
then he sang the
following lines from
Isaiah that Handel
placed in part two of
his Messiah.
He was wounded for
our transgressions,
he was bruised for
our inequities,
the chastisement of
our peace was upon
him and with his
stripes we are healed.
But Brad didn't let
the song finish.
He stopped the CD
in order to discuss
the lyrics with me.
Yup, with his
stripes we are healed.
Do you know that
Jonathan?
With his stripes we are
healed.
He was bruised for
our iniquities and
with his stripes we
are healed.
He took the suffering
we deserved, he
paid for our sins.
With his stripes we
are healed.
He talked this way
for long over ten
minutes.
Actually he talked
this way most of the
evening.
There was no pretense
in his words.
There was no fear
in what I might
think of him.
He simply spoke
gospel, gospel words
from gospel lips
overflowing from a
gospel heart.
I wondered at
several points if I
was with a prophet.
Make no mistake,
Brad is lonely.
He longs for more
friends, he longs
for a wife, he longs
to see, he longs to
be released from the
ravages of a
crumpled nervous
system.
Yet somehow more
than any of these he
longs for the day
when he will be
released from sin
and the ravages of
sin.
That evening, in fact,
it occurred to me that
Brad's heart rang like a
gospel bell, ringing this
one sustained note.
You know what a bell
sounds like.
There is no complexity,
no dissonance, no
conflict in its ring.
A bell sound is not
boastful.
It does not presume to
be an orchestra.
A bell is single-minded
and wills only one thing,
to sing its one note
clearly.
By his stripes we are
healed, Brad kept
saying.
He told me that his mum
tries to get him to stop
talking about the gospel
so much.
I wasn't surprised.
This evening wasn't
unique.
Brad often talks this way,
he cannot help it.
After the evening, I
considered my own heart
and my own mind.
Analytical, complex,
fickle, double-minded,
occasionally afraid.
I wish the people
closest to me got sick
of me hearing, got sick
of hearing me talk
about the gospel so
much and even singing
it as well.
Let me pray.
Father God, thank you
so much for the gift of
singing.
Father, thank you that
you haven't called us to
sing alone, but you've
placed us in a family of
faith so that we might
sing together to encourage
one another.
Father, to build each
other up.
So, Lord, I pray that as
we take time singing
together tonight, Father,
you might enlarge our
hearts, you might open
our mouths, and that we
might sing joyfully and
sincerely to you.
We thank you that all
this is only possible
because of Jesus Christ,
who is the true and
greatest worshipper.
So may he inhabit the
praises of his people.
We pray this in his name.
Amen.