A Homily - "Music As Proclamation" - Psalm 150
A Homily – by Alex W. Evans, Pastor
Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond, VA
Psalm 150
“Music As Proclamation” – Music Sunday, April 23, 2023
In 1910, G. K. Chesterton wrote a book with the title What’s Wrong with the World. It was early in the last century and the world was full of fast-changing ideas and inventions to make the world a better place. Sound familiar?
Here we are a bit more than 100 years later. So many fast-changing ideas and inventions. I spoke recently about AI – artificial intelligence – and that topic is moving faster than any of us can keep up. And it seems like every day there is a new article with the subject: What’s Wrong with the World. That is almost all we hear. We got poverty and economics, war and peace, ignorance and education, sickness and health, and all that can breed lots of heartache and pessimism. And on this Sunday when we strive to celebrate EARTH DAY – we know we have a long way to go to address climate issues and save life on this planet.
We also have a Scripture passage today that wants to help us re-frame our lives – even from what is wrong – to what just might save us, make us whole, bring us life and light. This Scripture – even all Scripture – is based on a premise. The premise is this: we are created to live in relationship and responsibility with our Creator and Savior and with one another. When we do NOT do that, it soon becomes apparent that there is something “wrong with us,” and also wrong with the world. (See E. Peterson, Christ Plays . . . p. 318)
This Scripture today wants us pointed in a particular direction, with specific purposes.
Listen now to the last psalm in the psalter – Psalm 150:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary!
Praise God in his fortress, the sky!
2 Praise God in God’s mighty acts!
Praise God as suits God’s incredible greatness!
3 Praise God with the blast of the ram’s horn!
Praise God with lute and lyre!
4 Praise God with drum and dance!
Praise God with strings and pipe!
5 Praise God with loud cymbals!
Praise God with clashing cymbals!
6 Let every living thing praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Here is what we all know: Life is short. Life is full of complexity and uncertainty. Life can
be very discouraging. This is also what we know: the center of our lives, the grounding of our lives, the direction and purpose of our lives intends to be the Living God – the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.
We seek to praise God – on good days and bad days. We seek to orient our lives on God’s abundant promises – when life is joyful, and when life is miserable. When we can praise God – in this sanctuary, in ways that suit God’s immeasurable greatness – and especially with beautiful voices, and strings and pipe, and horns – we are reminded that God’s love holds us forever.
Friends, across the last 14 and a half years, some of the most meaningful moments of worship that I have had with you have come from the music from the balcony. What I know is that proclamation of God’s love and promises, proclamation of God’s abiding presence and care, comes so often via the Holy Spirit, through the music ministry of this church right into my very heart. I also know many of you would agree with me on that.
Our presence in this sacred and historic place, week after week, year after year, with inspiring music from inspired musicians and singers, becomes a powerful means of grace for all of us. We experience, we learn anew, that we are created for relationships and responsibility – with God and with one another. Music shows us that. Let’s be especially open to it today with the music from this choir and these musicians and these instruments. May these moments re-frame us: our lives are to Praise God. Let everything praise the Lord.
This is what Eugene Peterson says so well: All of us can think the right things, vote the right way, behave rightly, worship politely, . . . and still live badly – live anemically, live individualistically self-enclosed lives, live bored and insipid and trivial lives. (See Christ Plays . . . . p. 229)
You and I are always called, to let the presence and power of God’s Spirit cover us. Today, it can happen through music – when this music becomes proclamation! May the music today cover our lives with the holy, and lift our lives from the bored and wishy-washy and trivial. May we be inspired to life in deeper relationships with God and one another – and with deeper responsibility – loving and serving God, caring for the planet, doing justice, walking humbly.
Praise the Lord. Let every living thing praise the Lord. AMEN