A Symphony of a Billion

The Rev. Dr. Whitworth Ferguson III

Manassas Presbyterian Church

Manassas, Virginia

October 3, 2010

World Communion Sunday

A Symphony of a Billion

Matthew 6:9-13

Luke 11:1-4

A small chorus assembles,just four voices:

a soprano, alto, tenor, bass.

The soprano lifts up her voice and sings a note;

it’s lovely, pure, ethereal.

The alto joins her, singing the same note,

just an octave down.

Then the tenor and the bass add their voices,

and together they build the sound,

four different voices, all singing the same note,

all together, a vocalise,

no words, just one note sung by four voices

rising up……up and out,

the sound carried as though on a gentle breeze.

Then other voices sing out:

more sopranos,

more altos,

more tenors and basses.

Such a range of sound,

each voice distinctive, unique,

but all together sounding glorious.

        

Children’s voices join in, their voices so light,

you can almost feel the innocence in them,

and imagine them looking at each other,

trying not to giggle as they hold their notes.

The sound continues to rise up

and grows outward in all directions,

washing over you.

Then suddenly the singers join their voices

to sing a word,

the same note,

but one word, clear, distinct:

“PRAISE!”

“PRAISE!”

Even more voices join in now,

at first sounding as though they are singing a different word,

something other than “PRAISE”,

but then you recognize that they are singing “PRAISE”

but they are singing it in Spanish.

Other languages join the choir:

French, German, Russian, Polish,

Swahili, Akan, Sesotho,

Arabic, Hindi, Mandarin, Japanese,  --

dozens and dozens of different languages,

hundreds of dialects,

yet all the voices together,

all singing the same note, the same word:

“PRAISE!”

A thousand voices,

ten thousand,

a hundred thousand,

a million,

hundreds of millions,

a billion:

A symphony of voices!

A symphony of a billion;

no, two billion,

even more!

All singing “PRAISE!”

“PRAISE!”

        

And then, just as suddenly as they

began to sing the word “PRAISE”,

they sing another word, followed by another,

again, all the same note,

the distinction in the voices so clear,

the languages and dialects

adding a richness to the symphony.

You lean forward to listen, to hear what they are singing,

two billion voices all making a joyful noise,

all singing, “Our Father”

“Our Father”!

Yes, our Father,

the one whom Jesus called “Abba”,

that Aramaic term of endearment,

like “Dad”, or even “Pop”,

reminding us of the intimacy of our relationship with God,

the one who is both Father and Mother,

whose everlasting arms are always around us,

who stands with open arms

ready to welcome us each time we stray from him.

Our beloved Abba,

PRAISE to you!

“Hallowed be your name,” the voices sing out.

“Hallowed be your name!”

And you add your voice to the choir.

You all sing together:

“Your kingdom come,

your will be done”:

Yes, beloved Abba: your will be done through us,

for when we do your will,

we will establish your kingdom here on earth,

just as it already is in heaven.

Oh, if only we’d let you work through us;

If only we’d sing together as you call us to,

rather than so stubbornly insisting on singing our own songs.

But at this moment we do sing together,

lifting our voices in song to you,

the song your Son taught us to sing,

for the prayer is a song – a lovely melody to you,

and every song we sing to you a prayer.

We sing so joyfully

knowing you watch over us,

feeding us with your love,

and seeing to our most basic needs,

even our daily bread.

We sing joyfully and confidently

for we know you set a table for us

even in the valley of the shadow of death,

even in the presence of danger.

Our cup runs over.

We sing joyfully, confidently,

and we also sing filled with peace,

for we know that even as we lift up our voices to you,

we are washed clean by your mercy,

forgiveness is ours,

new life is ours through the One

who taught us the song we sing.

Whatever we call them, those words on the score –

“sin”, “debts”, “trespasses” –

they matter no more than the languages we sing them in

for the word that does matter is “forgiveness”,

that you in your mercy offer us forgiveness,

that’s what matters.

But even as we sing filled with peace,

we also know that in gracing us with your forgiveness,

you call us to offer our forgiveness:

forgiveness to all,

for sins, debts, trespasses,

forgiving as we ourselves are forgiven,

forgiving so we can sing together,

all of us reconciled, at peace, grounded in love,

our voices in glorious harmony.

And then as we sing the coda of our prayer,

our song of our praise to you,

we look to you to help us,

for we know we give in to temptation so easily;

we know we are so easily distracted from you,

from the songs you call us to sing;

songs of forgiveness,

songs of reconciliation and peace,

songs of kindness and compassion.

Test us and we are likely to fail.

Our eyes drift from the page;

our minds drift from song;

our hearts drift from you.

We sing our own songs,

songs that reflect selfishness more than selflessness,

greed more than sharing,

worry more than hope,

indulgence more than compassion.

How quickly one sour note can turn

even a symphony of a billion voices discordant.

Deliver us beloved Abba from all those distractions,

not just the bad,

but anything that leads us from you,

so we can sing together, harmoniously. 

Our Father in heaven,

our beloved Abba,

we sing praises to your name,

for your name is hallowed.

We sing for your kingdom to come

and your will to be done

here among us

just as it already is in heaven.

We sing praises that you feed us,

praises that you forgive us,

praises that you lead us and

give us strength through your Spirit

to turn from anything that distracts us or turns us from you.

And we sing praises that you graced us with your Son

who calls us to sing,

who teaches us the song,

so we are ready,……                 

ready to join the glorious choir,

each of us singing in our own distinctive voice,

our own unique language,

each of us adding our voice to the symphony of a billion,

the symphony of two billion,

all of us together singing,

“PRAISE!”

AMEN