Warnings of judgement and Choir Sunday

Preached at St Alphege, Solihull at 9.15 and Eucharist
Sunday 16th November 2008 – Second Sunday before Advent (Year A)
Choir Sunday

Readings: Zaphaniah 1: 7 & 12-18 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11 Matthew 25: 14-30


Our readings today are about the Lord coming in Judgement, and they have a fearful quality. Since the earliest times in the Church we have been expecting the second coming of Christ. Jesus told us that the day or the hour of that second coming is not known by anyone, not even by Jesus himself (Matt 24: 36), but there has always been an expectation that it will be “soon”. Well 2000 years have gone by and it has not come yet and there is a danger that we become complacent. There is a danger that we become like the man who thought he would never die. Every morning when he woke up he would say, “There we are, another night safely past. Experience confirms that I wake up every morning.” As time went by the man had more and more evidence that he woke up again every time he went to sleep. As he got older he became more and more convinced that he would never die. By the time he was in his 90s he was completely certain of it!
So in the Church we continue to expect the second coming of Christ, and as our reading from Zephaniah suggests that it will be a terrible day when it comes. Zephaniah was prophesying in the years leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in about 590 BC. That was the terrible day of the Lord about which he spoke, but he words can also be applied to us as we await the second coming of Christ.
In the letter from Paul to the Thessalonians that was our second reading, Paul also warns that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. He urges us to walk in the light, in faith, in love and in the hope of salvation. That way, whether we live or whether we die we will find our salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our reading from Matthew was a reading about Judgment. When the Lord returns he will want to know how we have used to good gifts he has given us. Have we used them well for the good of many, so that the gifts multiply? Or have we hidden the gifts away so that they have been of no benefit to anyone?
Next week we celebrate the feast of Christ the King. We know that when the Lord comes it will be terrifying and there will be judgement. But after the judgement, the Lord will establish his reign of peace. All things will be put under his feet (Eph 1: 22). We will know him as king. But more of that next week.
Meanwhile this week it is choir Sunday. Choir Sunday gives us an opportunity to celebrate our choirs and to give thanks for all that they contribute to our worship and to the life of this church. A tremendous amount of work goes into our choirs. Those who do the singing work very hard and give up a lot of their time to do it. And then they are supported by many, many people. Most obviously they are supported by Nigel Stark our Director of Music. Our assistant organist Jon contributed a great deal, until his recent resignation. The Friends of the Music play an important role in organising choir events and raising money for events and training. Then there are all the choir parents who bring their children to choir practices and to worship each week. Then there are many other families of choir members who to a greater or lesser extent find themselves organising their lives around the choir commitments. So to all of these we are very grateful today, because they all contribute to the work of our choirs, and our choirs add depth and breadth to our worship through their music. The singing of the choirs contributes hugely to the sense of occasion at our regular Sunday worship and at special services such as weddings, civic services, and carol services. I believe that our worship with the music of the choirs help us to prepare ourselves for the worship of heaven where the book of Revelation tells us there will be lots of singing around the throne of God (e.g. Rev 5: 11-13 or 7: 11-12).
At St Alphege we actually have four choirs. The boys and the men are singing with us at this service. At the 11o’clock the girls choir will be singing, and then at a special Choral Evensong this evening the ladies choir (including the senior girls) will be singing with the boys and men. Being part of the choir is a wonderful way to participate in the life and worship of our church community. I have asked six of our choir members to come forward now and tell us a little bit about that.

Choir Interview - Questions for:
Two longest serving choir members: Michael Palmer and John Emmett.
Four newest choristers: Jonathan, Samuel, William and Dylan, all aged 8.

Let’s start with the young ones.

How old are you? How long have you been signing in the choir?

What do you enjoy most about singing in the choir?

What is your favourite bit of choir music?

What is the hardest thing about being in the choir?

Now let’s ask some questions of our long serving members.

How old were you when you started singing in church choirs?

Do you remember being trebles like these four here?

[To John] And where was that? And when did you join this choir?

[To Michael] Where were you a treble?

You have obviously both put a huge amount of energy into the choir over the years, and we are very grateful for the contribution you have made. But I wonder, what do you feel you have got out of this experience for yourselves? How do you feel you have benefited?

Then I have got one last question for the younger ones.
They can remember when they were like you. Do you ever think you will be like them?