The Last Sunday of the Church Year. As we observe the end it is a time to prepare for a new beginning. We are ending a church year this morning. For those who are looking forward to the year 2020 being over with the superstitious hope of relief from a difficult year, perhaps there is some comfort in ending a church year. It may not be 2021 yet, but it is a new start for Christ’s church, it is a new start for Christ Lutheran church as well.
We are also celebrating a new start in music in our congregation. Jessica Brandt, Music Director of Christ Lutheran Church, to be installed in a short while. Jessica you are starting a calling of service as a commissioned church worker in a church body with a tradition of music that goes back hundreds of years, the Lutheran heritage of music is rich and full of hope. Full of hope because of our faith in God’s Word. For many generations music has served the purpose of communicating God’s Word in our church.
Music is often the way in which people can most easily relate to the law and gospel message of hope in our worship service. I took a poll of our confirmation youth about the favorite part of worship and for all four the answer had to do with our hymns and songs of the liturgy.
One of my earliest memories of applying worship and church to my life at home as child was playing with toys in what was called the toy room in my parents home, and finding myself drawn to rehearse in my mind the chorus of the Hymn “This is the Feast”.
And I remember thinking at this age it is a good thing that people gather for worship and sing these hymns, and thinking that everybody should be a part of this, how sad if people are not attending worship, and not hearing these words about ‘The Lamb who was slain who has begun His reign. Alleluia.’
God’s kingdom is all about new beginnings. When we struggle with the weight of our sin. When our failures are so heavy and weigh us down almost more than we can bear. Jesus tells us, “Behold I make all things new.” Each and every one of us here can use a new beginning. And what is new in God’s kingdom is not new or strange, but instead a continuation of what God has promised all along: “They shall be my people and I shall be their God.”
Our Epistle reading from 1 Corinthians provides us with an in depth survey of what is marvelously new in God’s kingdom because of what Jesus has done. Because he is risen from the dead, we too shall rise. His resurrection as the first fruits of all who believe.
“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Here in the late fall, we celebrate first fruits. When the leaves are dying, when the death of sin appears all around us, we see in God’s Word there is life through Jesus’ resurrection. His resurrection is just the beginning, the first fruits.
“But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”
We are looking forward. A lot of self help books talk about the merit of living in the present moment, so that you do not worry too much about the future or fret about the past. These books are half right.
It is good to live in the moment, because in the moment Jesus is in control and reigns at the Right hand of the Father. In the present Jesus is with us, now is the time of salvation, Jesus has won the victory already. We know this joy, we live in these fruits of his victory on the cross.
And we also look to the future where our joy will be complete, when the New Heaven and Earth is here. It is always important as God’s people that we are forward looking, because God’s Word speaks so often of the future, of the great Day of the LORD.
Our gospel reading also provides a look into this future. “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.” From this throne we hear an imagery of a shepherd separating sheep and goats. Sheep and goats are both useful animals and very important to those people who depend on animals for milk and meat. Sheep are not intrinsically good, and goats are not in any way associated as wicked or evil. They are similar in the size they are and similar in value to people. And yet there is no difficulty telling them apart.
Those who are sheep are those who God has called to be His people. They are in many ways the same as those who are called goats, except for the difference of their faith and the works their faith produces. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, that the sheep may inherit the kingdom prepared for them since the foundation of the world.
From God’s perspective the works of the sheep look very different than the goats. This is because the works of the sheep are a response to God’s love. In the compassion toward those in need the sheep have embodied God’s love.
The sheep had no way of knowing that as they were helping those in need- it was as if they were taking in Jesus in a time of need and caring for Him. This is the work of faith that great things are accomplished through the work of God’s Word.
Works of faith have an appearance and a quality that touches many in the world and draws them to want to know more about life in God’s kingdom. This is the same as how sacred music works, it is inspired by faith and love, and not hate or anger. The presence of God’s love and truth in our hymns and instrumental tunes shows through as a fruit of faith.
Jesus designed His church with a purpose. All of these works of faith are for a purpose, our worship services, the rhythms of the church year have the purpose of pointing us to the Last Day when Jesus returns as judge. When Jesus returns, he will raise all believers, he will come to collect the rest of the fruits of his resurrection, our resurrection.
The heritage of the past of Lutheran music is not the only reason why we sing these hymns and maintain our organ and choirs and other instrumental contributions. We are not Installing Jessica as music Director because it is what Lutheran congregations have always done. Instead we are valuing music because it points us to the joy we will know when Jesus returns. Everything we do in church is for a reason, and that reason is so that we see Jesus.
Our congregation is installing Jessica as music Director because we know that God’s Word does not return without result, and we will connect with people in our community with music, whether those who visit worship, an organ concert, a community gospel song festival or Christmas caroling.
We ourselves , the congregation need to hear the music, so that whatever we are going through in life, whatever the strife or hardship, that music can help draw out our emotions, let go of our tensions and bring us to a focus and contemplation on eternal things, so that we may follow the lesson of Psalm 46, “Be Still and Know that I am God.” And as we are still, we are ready to hear God’s Word proclaimed to us that Jesus’ love transcends all things.
My first hope is that it will be a short stay here at Christ Lutheran, as in something far more important will come up- the return of Jesus. But my second hope is that the music ministry of Christ Lutheran Church will be a great blessing for you Jessica and your family and the family of Christ Lutheran for countless years. Amen.
