Mission Monthly – October 1999
“The Lord combined melody with prophesy so that everyone would sing holy hymns with total diligence while they are being carried away by the smooth flow of verses. Nothing rouses or inspires the spirit, nothing releases it from the earth and earthly ties, nothing fills the spirit more with love for wisdom and indifference toward earthly cares than harmonious singing, a holy song composed by the rule of rhythm”
St. John Chrysostom
There are many characteristics of harmony present in liturgical singing. A pleasing combination of elements can and will reveal the glory of God’s Kingdom in the “harmonious” presentation of His worship.
The first spiritual task before each individual within the Church, from patriarch to child, is to embrace their role and responsibility in the worship of God. Each person is accountable to the one gift that all human beings share: the ability to bless God. Fr. Alexander Schmemann (+1983) wrote in his book, For the Life of the World, “‘Homo sapiens,’ ‘homo faber’… yes, but, first of all, ‘homo adorans,’ (the one who adores).” God wove into the very fabric of man’s created nature the natural instinct to adore. Could it have been any other way for God Whose nature it is to create, having created us specifically for fellowship with Himself? Man essentially possesses the attribute of adoration. The only choice we truly have is how to express our free-will when choosing the object of our worship.
Let us look for a moment at the Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25:14-30). The servant who buried his one talent may very well have been a servant who rejected his natural inclination to truly bless God and even worse he may have misdirected his adoration to a false God, falling into idolatry and condemnation. The importance of harmony between our natural inclination, our choice and the spiritual discipline necessary to nurture repentance can never be stressed enough, continually guarding against idolatry, fear and self-determination.
Orthodox liturgical singing serves a spiritual purpose. It communicates “the one thing needful.” It cannot be said more directly or simply than this. However, believing that something is “spiritual” does not mean that it cannot be beautiful. The witness of Tradition tells us that it must be venerable, sober, pious, yes, but also beautiful. There is a harmony in the presentation of liturgical singing between the text and its melody. Those who have been blessed to lead the singing of the Church hopefully have been done so because of their recognized worthiness and ability. The general congregation follows by joining their own voice to the voice of those who lead. The clergy, the singing leadership and the congregation struggle together for purity of heart and together they work hard to execute the liturgy accurately and pleasantly. With due practice and attention to pace all are sanctified by the voice of the Church and Her sung theology. We sing, we hear and we are blessed; sometimes knowingly but most times in the silent stirrings of the Holy Spirit within us.
Is there anything more important in our lives than the worship of God? Our families, our jobs, our relationships, our hobbies are only fulfilled when we offer them in the context of it. By the grace of God we are members of His Kingdom. Are we working hard to see this blessing and show our thankfulness? We are told to bless God with purity of heart and prepared voice that the world may know His Glory. With the choirs of Angels and Saints let us sing to ignite our longing for the Heavenly Kingdom!