Why Sing?

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,

1 Corinthians 14:26

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

Matthew 26:30

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.

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

Proverbs 27:17

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.

Amen.

Amen.