This was a talk given by Team Chairman Alex Heath on the occasion of the commissioning of the Diocesan Evangelisation team on 25th January 2009. As this was in the context of a Concert at the Cathedral, the imagery of music was prominent.

 

"Do you remember the first song you ever sung? Perhaps your mum or dad told you what it was, if you were too young to remember? God your Father remembers what it was!

 

The Word of God assures us that our Father takes delight in us and is always lovingly watching over us, so he knows about that first song! He remembers.

 

We know too that God also sings songs. God’s first song was the song of creation. Everything that lives, everything that has breath praises the Lord. It is as though, through everything that exists, God is singing his song of love over us. And this song continues in the amazing, ongoing work of creation that we see in this beautiful world around us.

 

Each of us here, and indeed every man, woman and child on the face of this earth knows this song deep within them, because our faith tells us that we were all made in God’s image and likeness, that in the ‘most secret core and sanctuary’ of each person heart, God’s song ‘echoes’ (GS 16).

 

We know too that our experience of life is not always sweet and harmonious. Far from it! Disappointments and divisions, experiences of trauma, loss and injustice, and our own selfishness, and unwillingness to be channels of God’s love mean that God’s song often becomes distorted, out of tune, clashing and discordant. If we are honest, we can admit that this too is a reality in each of our lives

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However, the good news is that God has sung another song, the song of His redeeming love. Jesus is God’s song. Jesus takes up all the themes of God’s previous song and perfects them in himself. Jesus lived a life of perfect harmony, a life of total love, a life of total innocence, he laid down his life.

 

Jesus’ death on the cross was the most beautiful song that was ever sung, because no other song was ever sung with greater love. He sung this song of redeeming love for you, and for me. He sung it to the Father on your behalf, and on my behalf.  While Jesus lay in the tomb God the Father sung another song over him, a new song - by raising his Son from the dead, and giving him indestructible new life. This same new life, this new song, is planted in our hearts through faith in Jesus and baptism. As St John says, anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony, this song in his heart (1 John 5:10).
 
Since we have this song within us we have a choice to make. Are we going to make the whole of our lives a song of God’s redeeming love?! Are we going to sing the song?

 

It is said that St Francis of Assisi trusted in poetry and music to touch people’s hearts and bring them to spiritual joy. Apparently, after composing his famous Canticle of Brother Sun, Francis taught it to his companions and dreamed of sending them all over the world with it.

 

We too are sent. We may not all be musicians or singers in the literal sense, we may not all write songs, but we are all called to allow our lives to become a unique song of praise. So, as we listen and enjoy the singing this evening we are each of us, invited to reflect on the question ‘What song will I sing with my life?’

Our prayer is that as a result of the time we spend together tonight we may all be encouraged to share the song of God’s redeeming love more faithfully each day.

 

As we begin our concert let us take to our hearts the words of St Paul, with which he encouraged those early Christians in Ephesus:

 

“Be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."  (Eph 5:18-20)