The Ancient Choir

Hebrews 12.1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,  and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us…

“Tradition” is a word that evokes a broad range of emotions in us. Some people would call themselves “traditional” and feel very proud of that title. Others might downplay traditions, seeing them as barriers to innovation. Of course, there are times when traditions might be problematic if they become more important than the reasons behind them. Jesus spent much of his earthly ministry attempting to remind the religious authorities of his time about this. But often, traditions represent an attempt to stay grounded in the same truths that have held previous generations.

Another Lutheran pastor, Nadia Bolz-Weber, put it perfectly when she said “You have to be grounded in tradition to innovate with integrity.”

I am writing this devotion from the 1^st deck of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. I just arrived in France yesterday, on my way to the Taize community. We have sung much of this community’s music in worship. It is a hot day, and the sun is just starting to dip low enough to reach out and touch the horizon. One of the travel guides I read suggested paying to go up the Eiffel Tower earlier in the day, and then staying put as the evening advances and the lights of Paris emerge.

My first and most important stop today was obvious; Notre Dame. The flying buttresses and magnificent stained glass of this ancient Gothic cathedral bear witness to the work of many generations. Can you imagine starting a “building project” on your hometown church, knowing that it would be literally HUNDREDS of years before it was complete? Can you imagine toiling under the hot sun, carrying stone, day after day, so that your great-great-great-great-great grandchildren might have a place to worship? I simply cannot fathom this. (For those of you who are in my Facebook contacts, I posted many pictures from today on there).

With visions of past generations in my head, I entered the soaring sanctuary. Off in the distance, I could hear the faint sound of voices singing in perfect harmony; the sound slowly filled the cavernous room. My first assumption was that they play these chants for background music as tourists silently mill about, snapping endless pictures…but I was wrong. Far at the other end, right in front of the altar, stood a girls' choir, dressed all in white. As the words “Kyrie Eleison” rang out, I was filled with a sense of awe. It was like the years between today and Notre Dame’s first worship service vanished. For almost 1000 years, Christians have been singing in this place. And now these girls and I were a part of that crowd. I had to fight the tears of gratitude that came, as I recognized the incredible depth of Christian community that surrounds me. I thought of you all, the people of St. Luke, my home community, and the ways we are not so different from everyone who has gone before us.

A thought struck me as I listened to the angelic voices…

Tradition is simply community – stretched across time. We are all part of a great choir that has been going on for thousands of years.

None of us would argue that Christian community can be an incredible source of support, grace, mercy, and love. But in the never-ending push and pull between innovation and tradition, I think we often lose sight of all those who have gone before us; what the writer of Hebrews calls the “great cloud of witnesses." They ran their races with perseverance, trusting in the love of God they saw in the life of Christ. Now, they are in the grandstands and we are in the race.

The writer of Hebrews uses the metaphor of a race; after what I witnessed today, I will use the metaphor of the great choir. People have been singing this love song for thousands of years, and we are joining in as well.

May you know today that whatever you are facing, you are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, a great choir no one can number… God surrounds us, in space and time, with brothers and sisters who can cheer us on. If you need some cheering, be courageous enough to admit it, and lean on others. If you know someone who’s got an uphill battle, lend your voice to the choir.