First Lutheran Church
March 20, 2022
Sermon on the Occasion of Jim Tyler’s Retirement
Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 22: 34-40
Sermon
Music: The Language of the Heart
Pastor Greg Ronning
The Greek Philosopher Plato wrote, “Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” Beethoven wrote, “Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.” And Martin Luther wrote, “Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world.” Luther explains further, “Music makes people kinder, gentler, more staid and reasonable. I am strongly persuaded that after theology there is no art that can be placed on a level with music; for besides theology, music is the only art capable of affording peace and joy of the heart…the devil flees before the sound of music almost as much as before the Word of God.”
Today we gather to give thanks for the gift of music, and we gather to give thanks for the music ministry of James P. Tyler Jr., who shared his gift of music with this congregation from 1978 to 2020, 42. Years!
Barbara Else, senior advisor of policy and research at the American Music Therapy Association, writes, “We have a such a deep connection to music because it is ‘hardwired’ in our brains and bodies. The elements of music – rhythm, melody, etc. – are echoed in our physiology, functioning and being.”
We all know this to be true, we’ve all experienced the power of music, that song that can take us back in time, that song that inspires us to love, that song that makes us dance, that song that makes us cry, that song that releases the pain we hold in our bodies, that song that sets us free, and most important of all - that song that makes the Word of God come alive in our heart.
Study after study demonstrates the health benefits of group singing. Singing together reduces stress, releases the endorphins that produce joy, and brings us closer together. Studies have shown that singers who sing together tend to sync heartbeats.
Music has been a part of the Christian life since the beginning. St. Paul writes to the early church in his letter to the Colossians, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts - sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.” And in his letter to the Ephesians, “Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts.”
Truly music is a gift from God, a gift that gives us joy, gives us peace, heals us, inspires us, unites us, and empowers us. But perhaps most importantly, it is the theological power of music, it’s ability to bring the living Word of God, Christ, into the depths of our hearts – giving birth to the gift of faith.
I chose our first reading today because it comes with a great story, one that I have already shared with you, but just in case you forgot it, it goes like this ….
A young student of the sacred scriptures was confused about a certain word in the text of the prophet Jeremiah. The student read, "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." The student wondered why God would write the law on the people's hearts instead of placing the word inside their hearts.
So, the student asked the Rabbi, "Why does God write the law on our hearts? Human hearts can become as hard as stone. Why does God not just place the law inside of our hearts? Surely the law has no chance of finding its way inside through our hardened hearts.
The Rabbi nodded in agreement, "Yes the human heart is as hard as stone. Yet, that is precisely why God writes the law upon the heart. You see hardened hearts do not last, they end up breaking, and they eventually crack open. And it is in those moments that the law comes to life and seeps deep into the heart, filling up the cracks and healing the wounds of humanity."
It has been my experience, that my hardened heart, my broken heart; has always been opened up by the gift of music. Music has a way of getting in there, seeping in, getting to just the right place, that spot that opens up to the very depths of my soul. That’s, more often than not, the way God’s Word, gets inside of me, healing me, strengthening me, inspiring me, and empowering me. It’s a song, a song accompanied by The Word, a song and a melody that I always remember, a song and a melody that always remembers me, that sweet, sweet, song of salvation.
Music speaks the language of the heart, the place where God has written the New Covenant, a word of grace and love. It is also the place from which the great commandment flows, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” The greatest love song ever written. And when we sing of the promises of God, when we experience the promises of God together in song, I am inspired to live out the second greatest commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The gift of music, conveying the word of God, giving birth to faith, inspiring the mission of the church.
A favorite saying of Martin Luther was, “Those who sing, pray twice.” Why? Because music “goes to” and “comes forth” from the heart, it speaks the language of the Gospel in a powerful way that cannot be forgotten, in a way that is always there when we need it, in a way that stays with us forever. Jim, thank you for sharing your gift of music with the many people of this church for the past forty-two years. Thanks for teaching us how to “pray twice,” thanks for leading us in the songs that spoke to our hearts, and the songs that our hearts sang out proclaiming the good news of the Gospel.
“I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,
I’ll sing the old, old story that I have loved so long.”
Amen. Let us sing the old, old story!