Do
you realize that we just sang a brand new song? That refrain in Psalm
40 was written for us by Philip, Russell and Shelly just yesterday,
with the help of Prof. Clay Schmit who is leading this Worship Renewal
Weekend, as they prepared to lead us in the reading of our Psalm for
worship today.
They
wrote a new song for our worship today. Do you think that’s
what the Psalmist means with those words: “He put a new song
in my mouth”? Is this what is meant by a new song?
Yes—in
part. From the Scriptures, we know that a new song can be just this—a
brand new composition, written for a special occasion, like today—Choir
Recognition Sunday, Baptism and the Reception of Members. Actually,
we have 2 examples of this kind of new song for our very special worship
this morning.
We
have this response to Psalm 40 that we just sang. And we have another
brand new song that we will hear towards the end of today’s
service written by Craig Naylor to honor our Director of Music, Dr.
Jim Smith, and his 40 years of service in this congregation. A new
song: “Lift up your gates,” based on Psalm 34 to honor
all the ways that, under Jim’s leadership, the music and ministry
of our choir opens for us the door into true worship of God.
In
this way, a new song is like anything new—it’s very special
and we save it for a special occasion. A new suit, a new dress, a
new toy, new shoes, a new song—the very newness of it making
the occasion extra special, as we do today.
But
the Bible always means something more about ‘’new”
as well. “New” is about God and about how God loves us.
Our God is always making all things new. Even in the Book of Lamentations,
of all places, when God’s people were grieving the destruction
of Jerusalem and exile, still we hear these beautiful and familiar
words: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies
never come to end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
God
renews the world in love every day, makes each day unique and open
to all possibilities. Grieving now? You will be comforted. Weeping
now? You will laugh. Despairing now? You will find hope. Discouraged
and frustrated now? (continued...)
"God's
Gift of a New Song" by Rev. Patricia Farris, May 21, 2006
You
will be lifted up. Confused and adrift now? You will find your way.
Afraid and anxious now? You will find peace. God loves us new every
day.
So
great are the mercies and love of our God, new every morning. Every
day, God puts a new song in our mouths and in our hearts, gives us
a new song to sing. God lifts us up. God gives us life. God gives
us hope. Again and again and again and again. And so we sing a new
song, a new song every day, giving God our thanks and praise.
As
we thank our choirs and our musicians this day, we thank them for
singing God’s new love in us, week in and week out. For putting
God’s new song in our hearts. The old, old story. The new, new
song, of God’s faithful and everlasting love.
Thanks
be to God, now and forevermore.
Amen!
