The Flash! – December 11, 2014

This Sunday the Advent express to Bethlehem will make its third whistle stop at Joy Station.  In worship we will light the special pink candle on our Advent wreath to signal a reprieve from the focused, introspective, purple journey of watching and waiting.  In anticipation of our destination we are freed to rejoice openly in the gift that awaits us under the star we are following to the stable.  And so we will sing…Joy to the World!

There is nothing more powerful than music to draw us into the wonder, the mystery, and the joy of faith.  The people of Israel got it: look no further than the 150 songs called Psalms that lie at the heart of the Hebrew Bible.  They knew that when we sing of what we believe, lament, and hope for we are, in our hearts and spirits, delivered to the times and places we long for.

As soon as we sing O come all ye faithful we stand in solidarity with shepherds who tracked the angels’ call to a manger.  One refrain of Jesus Christ is risen today transports us to the mouth of an empty tomb and the promised resurrection.  A single verse of the church’s one foundationresurrects hope in the power of God’s people to change the world through the gift of the church.  And no sooner do we offer let us break bread together than we are delivered to an upper room to share a sacred meal with the first disciples and our Savior.

As we prepare for our stop at Joy Station this Sunday I offer joyful praise for the rich legacy of music that we share at Hanover.  In particular I blast the train’s whistle in deep and ongoing gratitude for our choir and its leader.  For their deep and ongoing commitment to produce inspired melodies and harmonies that connect us with God; for their impeccable preparation – and all the hours it takes; and for the spirit with which their gifts are offered each week.  Praise God for the Saints in our midst whose singing brings joy to the world!

In the spirit of our Advent theme: may the songs we sing serve no less than the star we follow to lead us to our Christ; and may our singing fill our hearts with…

Peace,
Andy