Download Organ Dedication Homily Text

Text: Organ Dedication (2 Chronicles 29:25-31, Eph 5:18-20, Rev 5:8-14)
Introduction/Text
“He who sings, prays twice”. It is a quote attributed to St. Augustine, but it is one of those
quotes that would attract a name regardless. What it captures is that intersection of music and
worship. Purist of both stripes have long attempted to separate them: either an austere worship
in word and voice alone, or music shorn of its transcendence. But even the purists intuit the
connection. The music critic who returns to religious vocabulary to describe his or her reaction
to a piece. The word only worshipper who is the first in line every year for the Messiah and is
already thinking about it in June.
The purpose of the readings is to show that this connection is simply part of the created order.
When David took Jerusalem and moved the Ark into the city he danced before it in song and
ordered the priests to set up choir and band. And when his ancestor Hezekiah restored temple
worship some centuries later, “he stationed the Levites in the house of Lord with cymbals, harps
and lyres…and when the offerings began, the song to the Lord began also, and the trumpets
accompanied by the instruments of David.”
More centuries pass and Paul tells his congregation in Ephesus to “address one another in
psalms, hymns and spiritual songs…giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father.”
And even in Revelation, that book of the end, is held together throughout it by a new song. It
starts the four living creatures around the throne, but swells to the hosts of heaven and continues
to roll and add verses and highlight different groups of the hosts of heaven in a call and response
throughout John’s vision – “worthy in the Lamb…”.
Application
Music is part of the created order. The purists aren’t wrong that worship by itself, or music by
itself, are good things. God made his creation good. But Augustine understands the gospel.
When we have received good things, it is always right to return them in prayer, praise and
thanksgiving. When the image of God has been restored in us through the blood of the lamb and
the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we get to join with living creatures, and elders, and angels and
archangels and all the hosts of heaven.
St. Mark’s is not the Jerusalem temple, neither are we a grand Cathedral installing metal pipes.
But the Father has always been riotous in the variety of his creation. Glorying not just in the
things that we give glory, but also lending his majesty and grace to many different expressions of
praise. Being present wherever two or three gather in spirit and truth. Walking with those who
would walk with him, “making melody to the Lord with their heart”.
And that is what we are here to dedicate. This organ is our cymbal, harp, lyre and trumpet. It is
our walking together in praise. It comes out of the spirit and truth and the song in the heart to the
Lord of this congregation. So we will dedicate it to its purpose, and seek the favor of the Lord to
bless our voice, and add it to the rolling hymn of heaven. Amen.