Sing a New Song by Rev Allister Lane
2nd June 2013
Psalm 96
Luke 7:1-10
This is Queen’s Birthday weekend, and I thought I’d start by acknowledging Her Majesty...
At her coronation Queen Elizabeth was presented with an orb, a sceptre, a crown (even
jewelled spurs! – if you don’t believe me see this Crown Jewels website). But she was also
presented with “the most valuable thing that this world affords”1 – a Bible.
Christians maintain that it is through the Bible texts – in many different languages and
translations – comes God’s Word comes to us; through the special collection of texts we
receive as ‘The Bible’.
The different genres of writing in the Biblical collection speak about God in many and various
ways.
Communities of Christians have discerned at various times in history the ways that are
meaningful and helpful to express an authentic understanding of God – in other words, what
would be included in the special collection, and what would not.
What Christian communities found themselves needing to wrestle with especially was how to
understand and express who Jesus is in the continuing story of the God of Israel. The life
and ministry of Jesus Christ radically shifted how God is understood; Jesus revealed new
insights into God’s character and purposes. New words and descriptions, metaphors and
images for God were required in light of the revelation in Jesus Christ.
Or, to put it in the language of our psalm this morning, “new songs needed to be sung”.
Psalm 96 uses verbs and nouns (some of them repeatedly) expressing praise: bless,
ascribe, sing, song, salvation, revere, sanctuary, rejoice, exult.
The opening two verses of the psalm sounds like a call to worship:
O sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
These words could also sound like something to encourage a Choir in the few minutes
before the service starts!
The strong expression of praise in this psalm is thought to have originated because of
coronations for new kings, as anointed by God’s divine sovereignty. (Perhaps then not
completely inappropriate on this, Queen’s Birthday, weekend!)
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http://www.oremus.org/liturgy/coronation/cor1953b.html
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Something else is being expressed in this psalm.
It is addressing an audience as large as can be imagined: “peoples,” “nations,” “earth” occur
repeatedly.
And so does a tiny three-letter word: “all.”
The psalmist summons “all the earth” to sing to God.
“All the peoples” are called to declare God’s works.
Although originating from a particular community, the vision is not a parochial one limited to
only what praise that community may give in their relationship with God.
A ‘new song’ is needed, to sing about God’s universal realm and sovereignty – and of the
potential given to all people, in all places.
At first we might see this expansive inclusivity as part of what is new in the ‘new song’. But
right back in Genesis the all-encompassing vision is expressed by God in His covenant with
Abraham: “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:3).
We may sing a new song, but very often we are expressing consistent truth about God’s
character and actions – the new part is to express our new appreciation of truth in ways that
include us, our language, our stories, our culture – new songs that allow the truth to be
shared and understood by others around us.
And isn’t that at least part of the motivation for why we sing a new song?
We are praising God;
we are doing so to the largest audience possible.
And we do so because we are sharing good news
To be a singer of this new song is to be an evangelist, heralding God’s rescue – which is
humanity’s welcome; humanity’s ‘homecoming’.
We know the saying “Good news travels fast.”
Just this week a friend of mine, who has been going through a long application process,
heard he had been accepted for ministry training. This news was something he shared
quickly with lots of people.
Just like an engagement or the birth of a baby, it’s easy (and natural) to share good news
quickly.
And so the singing of a new song is done with joy (even abandon), as well as confidence.
The words come easily from our lips with deep conviction.
At the same time as singing with confidence and conviction, I believe we are wise in being
open to hear the beauty and goodness of God echoed in unexpected places, by unfamiliar
voices.
So as well as singing, we also listen for notes of harmony, descants, and flourishes joining
in.
Our faith can grow through an expanded understanding of God through our sacred
encounters of the Spirit at any time in any place.
Such encounters are not a threat to our faith, but contribute to our faith that grows together
through the ever-new proclamation of the Word,
in the celebration of the sacraments,
in the fellowship of believers and in our care for the vulnerable.
An expanded understanding of God comes when we appreciate something new; discover a
new revelation of God and find ourselves wanting to sing with joy about it.
Even what we might consider ‘old songs’ of our faith (that seem so familiar to us) were at
one time astounding, if not a bit off-putting at the time they were first sung.
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Who would have expected the incarnation of God as a baby in a stinky stable; God’s
Messiah washing the feet of others?
God acts in new and unexpected ways, and God’s people are moved to add new songs to
our repertoire of praise and witness.
The story of the Roman centurion for today is both a story of grace and another example of
‘singing a new song’.
Who would have expected such a person trusting in Jesus to heal his slave? Centurions
were the backbone of the Roman army, whereas slaves were defined as living tools without
any rights.
William Barclay describes how an early “Roman writer on estate management recommends
that the farmer examine his implements every year and to throw out those which were old
and broken, and to do the same with his slaves”.7
The attitude of this centurion was therefore extremely unusual. You wouldn’t expect to find
such feelings in a rugged centurion, an influential man of power and authority. It is thought
that he was probably a “God- fearer” – one of the Gentiles who worshipped the God of
Israel.
Jesus recognises, in the centurion’s words and actions, he is singing a new song’.
If we’re honest, we love to sing the familiar songs of faith, literally and figuratively.
And that would be all we ever had to do – if God had stopped speaking and working two
thousand years ago.
We could keep doing what we have always done, singing what we have always sung, being
among those we have always been among.
But God keeps springing up in new ways, in unexpected places, in the lives of unlikely
people.
And when we are open to this and honest about the genuine presence of God we are
compelled to sing new songs:
songs of mission and ministry,
songs of justice and compassion,
and yes, even songs new in our worship!
So let me frame the challenge clearly:
 are we keeping our eyes and ears open to perceive where God is moving?
 in what new ways God is springing up?
 what are the new initiatives that are alive with God’s presence and power?
Are we prepared to lift our voices in new songs and trust in the salvation of God embracing
all people?
Do we find ourselves in harmony with God?
Are we singing new songs of praise and witness to be heard and understood by those
around us?
And, do we celebrate God’s glory and goodness, ascribing to God the grace flowing from his
transforming love?
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Let me conclude with a story from the front page of the Dominion Post this week.
This story is an extraordinary example of forgiveness that expresses the power of
transforming love.
And I believe the salvation evident in this story shines with Kingdom-quality; the sort of truth
Jesus told in his parables; the liberation Jesus offered to those around him.
Singing these new songs together will change the world, a little (but significant) bit at a time.
A grieving nurse moved a courtroom to tears as she delivered a powerful statement
of the power of forgiveness to transform hate into healing.
Hera Edwards' partner of 10 years and the father of her three girls, Ricki Cobb, died
when he was hit by a jackknifing trailer towed by Donald Wills, near Greytown, in
2011.
[The] sentencing hearing in the Masterton District Court followed a restorative justice
process facilitated by Presbyterian Support.
The victim impact statement that Edwards read out in court yesterday was hailed by
Judge Bill Hastings for "rising above the aura of hatred" to produce instead the
"healing power of forgiveness".
...
Outside court, Hera Edwards said the children were too young to understand entirely
what had happened, but she hoped they would grow up seeing the outcome as a
lesson in not giving in to pain.
"It's not about forgetting any of it, the hurt and pain and what happened. But you can
hurt without it turning into hate."
Donald Wills said last night that he was grateful for the "wisdom, grace, humility and
courage" shown by Hera Edwards and her whanau. "I was a bit slow on the wisdom,
but I eventually got there."
...
He said the experience of being looked in the eye by Hera Edwards as she said she
forgave him was important. "It was an acceptance and forgiveness that she was able
to offer back to me..."
Hera Edwards said she had coped through the support of whanau, friends and
colleagues, and because her children needed her.
"It was affecting them, me being in such a grief-stricken place. When you have a 3year-old bring you toilet paper every day to dry your tears . . . you can't imagine how
hard it is to push all that stuff down into your toes, smile and get your babies off to
sleep."
...
"When the kids are old enough I want them to be proud of me,
that I forgave...”
-Dominion Post 28th May 2013, Fairfax NZ News
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8723277/Grieving-partner-forgives-man-whoseactions-killed
Amen.
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