Sermon Title: "Make a Joyful Noise"
Date: April 20, 2008
Minister: Rev. Charles E. Ensley, Jr.

Lesson:  Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7; and 150

Last Sunday, Peggy and I worshipped at Keawala’i Congregational Church on the island of Maui.  The blowing of the conch shell is their typical call to worship, not coming from a loudspeaker, but from two persons standing at the rear door and at the right sanctuary door.  This is the third trip in which we’ve worshipped there, and, I grant you, the first time, the sound was a bit jarring, and could almost be considered as “noise”.  But in the rest of the service, the beautiful singing cadence of the Hawai’ian language ensures the worshipper that it must truly be noise that is pleasing to God as an offering of praise.

“Making a joyful noise” as a sign of praise to God goes back in the Bible to the time of the Psalmist, some 500 to 700 years before Christ.  Any attempt to reconstruct the temple ceremonies in which music was used has to face a deplorable lack of evidence.  However, it is clear that Psalm 95 was used as a liturgical processional, first as the congregation was moving toward the temple to “come into God’s presence”, and second, as they entered into the sacred precincts in response to the invitation, “Oh come, let us worship and bow down...”

The Book of Psalms concludes with a universal call to praise.  Where is God to be praised?  In the sanctuary; however, it is likely that the word “sanctuary” should be given a broader reference.  It is common biblical teaching that God is not confined within the walls built by humans:  the whole earth is God’s temple.

How is God to be praised?  There are some who favor the way of silence.  It is often in silence that we have our deepest experiences.  There are others who rely on ancient forms, on the collects and liturgies that have been handed down by the remote past.  Still others trust the spontaneity of the spoken word.

What the psalmist urges is the appropriateness of music, especially instrumental music.  In just this one final psalm, we have mentioned in particular the trumpet, lute, harp, timbrel, strings and pipe, and cymbals, more than half of which we’ve used in our own worship here just this year. 

Very little is written of worship practices in the Gospels, but, being observant Jews, we can presume Jesus and his disciples followed the worship rituals of the day.  It was when he was a young boy that he became separated from his parents on a trip; later he was found back in Jerusalem at the temple.  And on the night of the Last Supper, after the meal, the Gospels report that they sang a hymn before departing to the Garden of Gethsemane.

We also combine instrumental music with singing.  We need continually to remind ourselves of Paul’s determination to sing with the spirit and with the understanding also.  We must remember that praise should be directed not to an audience, but to God.  Rightly used, music, and especially congregational singing accompanied by the instruments the psalmist lists and those we use today, can be a minister of grace.  It may unite and inspire a people where instruction and exhortation fail.  One commentator, writing on the prodigious hymns of both the Methodist Charles Wesley and the Congregationalist Issac Watts, maintained that for us in the less liturgical traditions, hymnals are both our liturgy and our devotional manual. 

Incidentally, our middle hymn today, O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing, has traditionally been the opening hymn in Methodist hymnals throughout the world since the time of Charles Wesley’s first collection of hymns for Methodists in 1780—well over 228 years.  The good news is that all eighteen stanzas seem never to have been used in the hymn!  A couple of the unsung verses include:  “Harlots and publicans and thieves, in holy triumph join!”  and, “Murderers and all ye hellish crew, ye sons of lust and pride…”

I am sure it is evident to you that we place a generous amount of time, emphasis and money on providing good music for the worship of God.  Our worship team meets every Wednesday to coordinate the theme of the worship service, the musical selections, and the best space for their placement, not only for the meaning they bring to worship, but also for the most effective flow of the worship experience.  We work six months ahead selecting which Sundays are best for instrumental additions to our services.  Julie plans our choral music months and months in advance.  Alicia practices organ both here and at home; she practices harpsichord and rehearses with our handbell ensemble each Wednesday night.  Our Chancel Choir rehearses most Thursday nights, and every Sunday before worship.  The Children’s Choir meets every week after worship, whether rehearsing for one of their two musicals each year, or for their Sunday morning song.

Epictetus, a first century (c. AD 55-135) Greek philosopher in Rome, wrote in his chapter on contentment that he could not find fault with the universe because of his crippled condition.  “What else can I do,” he asks, “who am a lame old man, except sing praises to God?  Now, had I been a nightingale, I should have sung the songs of a nightingale, or had I been a swan the songs of a swan; but, being a reasonable being, it is my duty to [sing] hymn[s to] God.  This is my task, and I accomplish it; nor, so far as may be granted to me, will I ever abandon this post, and you also do I exhort to this same song.”

The resurrection is the validation of Jesus’ claim that to lose ones life for the sake of gospel is to save it.  Thus, the use of Psalm 150 in this season of Easter puts us in touch with Jesus’ claim.  In concert with Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, Psalm 150 and the psalter as a whole invite and commend “lyrical abandonment” in liturgy and in every moment of life.  Indeed, God wills that our worship and work become inseparable, symphonic expressions of our response to the simple but marvelously profound invitation, “Praise the Lord!”  (Psalm 150:1)