Singing Scripture Part 2

 

This week we are singing Scripture.  Today, I invite you to turn to Isaiah 6, the call of Isaiah in the Temple.  Isaiah goes to Sunday morning worship, takes the bulletin from the usher, settles into his appointed/approved pew, takes a deep breath to prepare for the worship, when suddenly seraphs start swooping and soaring all around the sanctuary.  Seriously?  Who is going to clean up the mess they leave behind?!?  If this wasn’t odd enough, which it is, apparently these winged creatures have six wings.  Sure, why not?  And, just to turn up the “oddness” volume one more notch, these are singing seraphs.  I will tell you; I have never been to a service like this.  And these seraphs sing out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of God’s glory.”  And you think, because we’ve been focusing on hymns for so many weeks, that sounds familiar!  You are right.  Here is the first and forth verses of the hymn, Holy, Holy, Holy:

 

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

 

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

 

What images are stirred within you as you read the verses alongside the image of Scripture?  I wonder, what song did you raise or sing to God this morning?  This isn’t a test where there is a “correct” answer to please God.  Be honest about the melody in your heart at this moment.  Maybe you didn’t sleep well last night, so you woke up with a case of the Grumpy Dwarf or maybe you woke up with worry weighing heavy on you.  Or maybe you, “Woke up this morning with (your) mind, stay on Jesus!” ~ to quote that great spiritual.  Sometimes we can sing multiple songs to God at the same time!  What song is creation singing right outside your window?  Is it clear or cloudy; stormy or still; sunny or is the wind whipping all around?  There is a weather pattern both outside and inside your life.  What if this hymn and Isaiah, are saying, that all we feel and all we are is holy ~ even when we don’t think what we are feeling or thinking feels that way?  I pray that the holiness of God awakens the truth that you are made in God’s image and called to be a collaborator with creation in singing out to the One who composes and creates the hymn of life.  Amen.