Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
Lakeland, Florida
August 6, 2023
Psalm 145
Judges 4 – 5
Grace to you and peace from God and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Please pray with me. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Well, perhaps you’re wondering, “What are you going to preach on THIS text, Pastor??” Believe me, I’ve been wondering that all week as well. It could be something like – be a leader like Deborah, be courageous like Jael, don’t be a military oppressor like Sisera. But that’s not where I’m going in this one today.
The story of Deborah is in Judges 4 and Judges 5. Chapter 4 recounts the events of the story that we’ve just heard. And Chapter 5 that we didn’t look at much is the song of praise that Deborah sings after the victory that the Israelite Army she led won.
Songs after turning points. Songs of praise after major events – both welcome celebrations and also those that may grieve our hearts. We often turn to song.
Not only Deborah, but also Miriam, Moses’ sister, sang a song after the Israelites came through the Red Sea. Recorded in Exodus. And after the angel came to the Virgin Mary, she too sang a song of praise – My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. Recorded in Luke. There’s the book of Psalms – the first hymnal of the people of God. Many of our hymns are based upon Holy Scripture. And much of our liturgical music is based upon the songs of praise in the Book of Revelation. “Worthy is Christ the Lamb who was slain…”
Singing. Part of our life – from an early age. ABCDEFG… Taught to us by a parent or a grandparent or an older brother or sister. “Happy birthday to you…” My godmother sang to me when I was little -- “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…”
Songs – part of our early communication and expression.
There’s a collection of things that kids say – you know, they say the darndest things. Well here’s a few.
Henry who was 2 blubbered, “Don’t wipe my tears away. I want to feel them on my face.”
A little one who was 7 said “I don’t care – and I’m not getting any more cares today.”
An anonymous 9 year old said, “I didn’t mean to do that face out loud.”
An Anonymous 6 year old, a precocious one I’m sure, said, “I have a lot to say. Maybe you should get some popcorn.”
And Gideon who is 7 said, “Sometimes when my feelings are big, I like to sing them.”
When my feelings are big, I need to sing them. Deborah needed to sing at the military victory. Miriam needed to sing when they had made their way through the Red Sea. Songs of praise and joy.
But not all songs we sing are these kinds of songs. Sometimes when our heart is breaking or broken we need a love song, a songlike, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” Sometimes when a loved one has died we need to sing, “I know that my Redeemer lives.”
These are songs we sing alone but singing together raises things to a different level. Now, I know most of us think we aren’t good singers. We all have learned the phrase, “You can’t carry a tune in a basket.” But you see that isn’t the point. Little Gideon knew the point – sometimes when our feelings are big, we sing them. We sing them together.
Think about the times we sing together – Silent Night on Christmas Eve? A Mighty Fortress is Our God! Is there anything like that??
My high school choir director, Mr Kietzer, reminded us frequently to sing together as if we were one voice. To listen to the other and to blend our voice to theirs so that we sound like one instead of two. I recently learned some interesting things about what happens when we sing together.
First in singing, endorphins – those brain chemicals that contribute to our sense of well-being are released. They flood over our brains and affect our mood. Gideon knew this – when our feelings are big, we sing them. When we sing our heart rates may lower. And this reduces stress and anxiety – even if our feeling is not one of pleasure but instead sadness.
Also, it has been demonstrated that when a choir sings together, their heart rates become synchronized – what Mr. Kietzer talked about – singing as one. And so, with our individual voices knit together, we experience one aspect of what it means to be the body of Christ, one body with many members.
And so it was, that after a difficult battle in a time with uncertainties and challenges. In the midst of this, Deborah sang. She sang recounting the challenge of the battle. She sang of the greatness of God. She sang out of faith. She had big feelings and she sang them. And in the singing the story was told.
And on the far side of the Red Sea, Miriam had big feelings and she sang them and in the singing, the story was told.
And after the angel had departed, Mary had big feelings and she sang them and in the singing, the story was told.
And in our singing, our singing together as a community of faith, the story is told. The story of God’s faithfulness. God’s steadfast love. God’s claiming and naming us in the waters of our baptisms. The story we tell again each Sunday as we come to feast at the Table.
Thanks be to God.
