Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Text: Psalm 98

I have a delicious early childhood memory. It is not a memory of home but of a Sunday School class. My Tidewater Sunday School teacher awarded us with a sugary treat whenever we could memorize and then recite a Bible passage. Now the whole idea of bribing youngsters with sugar to memorize anything may sound a bit sketchy, but for someone who loved sugary treats and who had a pretty good memory, I did not object to the idea. According to my teacher’s rule, every member of the class had to memorize a different biblical verse each Sunday and of course, the fiercest fight was always for the shortest verses like: “Jesus wept.” By memorizing those two words alone, you could earn the same Hershey bar as someone who got a verse that went on and on forever.

         I am sad to say, that I did not win the shortest biblical verse lottery, not once! I did, though, win the most soul-stirring verse lottery, a verse from Psalm 98. And, in keeping with my childhood teacher’s tradition, I’ve got a brand new Hershey awaiting the first person to greet me after church saying these words from the Psalmist from memory: “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.”

        It might seem odd to read Psalm 98, a song of exuberant praise on this All Saints’ Sunday, a day when we will name those loved ones who have died in the past year. It is not odd at all. For over the years, this verse has been a balm of comfort in times of grief and a source of joy in times of celebration. Standing by the grave of my dad and then my brother and then my mom, I sang, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.” I sang these words not because I was somehow rejoicing in the death of a loved one. No, I sang them because the Psalmist’s words refuse to let death have the last say or as Jesus would later put in an even more poignant way, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live even though they die.”

         Later this morning, during the necrology when I invite you speak aloud the name of a loved one who has died this past year, remember the words of Jesus and then sing with the Psalmist, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; breath forth into joyous song and sing praises.”

         My Sunday School teacher required each one of us to learn all the 23rd Psalm by heart and of course, in the King James’ Version. And, I am so glad she did. I cannot say why but I only learned one verse from Psalm 98. And yet, it is the verses that follow this verse that sing with a particular resonance of this Sunday at Cove as we dedicate the new organ to God’s glory. In Psalm 98, he goes on to urge us to: “Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn.”

         This organ is new to Cove, but it has been providing music for almost 200 years. If you are visiting Cove for the first time, this organ may look like it has lived here for quite some time, but it has not. Thanks to our guest organist Chris Bono and to the hospitality and hard work of Tommy Viar and Jody Harris and a whole host of Cove Organ Elves, this new organ is no longer a guest here, it has found its home. Along with the piano that Linda plays so beautifully, in the years ahead, those who worship at Cove will also be inspired by the unique sounds of this organ. It will provide comfort when loved ones have died, inspiration when we gather around the baptismal font of living waters, and joy whenever you and I come to feast at the table of lasting grace.

         Whenever this organ is played remember the words of the Psalmist:

                           Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;                                    

break forth into joyous song and sing praises.      

                      Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,                                    

with the lyre and the sound of melody.                                                     

With trumpets and the sound of the horn

         Over four hundred years ago, a carol was penned to be sung at the time of year when we celebrate the birth of Christ. It was first known as “Tidings of Comfort and Joy.” As a boy, I knew the carol as “God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen.” I did not earn any tasty treats for learning the words of this carol, but I sang it so often that it still lives deep within my memory bank. As a boy, we sang: “God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay, Remember Christ the Savior was born on Christmas Day. To save us all from Satan’s pow’r, When we were gone astray, Oh tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy. Oh, tidings of comfort and joy.”

          I do not believe I have ever sung this carol in November, after all, it is a Christmas carol and you and I have miles to go before Christmas. And yet, I believe as we dedicate this new organ to God’s glory and we commend our loved ones to God’s everlasting care and we feast at a table that is set for anyone who is hungry and for all who thirst that this day would not be complete without joining our voices in “tidings of comfort and joy.”

         So, help me close this sermon as we sing [O tidings of comfort and joy.]