One said yes and did no. One said no and did yes.

Pentecost 21, September 25, 2011
Exodus 17:1-7
Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16 from BCP
Phillipians 2:1-13
Matthew 21:23-32
One said yes and did no. One said no and did yes. In this Sunday’s gospel we will hear Jesus’ parable of a man with two sons. Both sons are told to go work in the vineyard. One says no but later does go and work. The other says yes but does not go and work. Once again Jesus has told a parable about a situation to which many can relate. Parents and children, students and teachers, bosses and workers, and even church members and leaders can recognize times when this behavior occurs.
It probably didn’t take the disciples any longer than it takes us to figure out which son was looked upon favorably. Obviously, it is the one who in the end, does the work that the father requested. Christ is calling His followers to action, to be doers and not just hearers or agree-ers.
But lest we conclude this parable’s message too soon, let us consider one more angle. Jesus’ parable is about two people – one who said yes but did no and one who said no but did yes. Could not the story have included two more siblings? How about one who says no and indeed does not work and another who says yes ad follows through? Surely these two additional cases would be very easy to judge with condemnation for one and high praise for the other.
Do such consistently good or consistently bad persons exist? They are not a part of this story, at least. That is probably because most of us are found in that gray, in-between area inhabited by those who often say yes and do no and often say no and do yes. By telling of two imperfect and inconsistent individuals Jesus is acknowledging the reality of the human condition. Still marred by the evils of ourselves and the world, God’s work in us is strong enough to turn no’s into yes’s. This parable speaks to us about repentance—the turning around of attitude as well as actions.
The processional hymn chosen for this Sunday will be Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken, words by John Newton. In August we sang this hymn as our recessional hymn to the tune most often associated with it, AUSTRIA , by Franz Joseph Haydn. It is also the tune to the German national anthem. However, this week we are singing it to a more contemporary and alternate hymn tune in our hymnal, ABBOT’S LEIGH (Cyril Vincent Taylor, b. 1907). This hymn is a powerful hymn about the church, which is metaphorically described here as “Zion.” Our old testament reading from Exodus will bring to mind how the Israelites were complaining and quarreling with Moses demanding that he give them water to drink. When Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people?” the Lord instructed him to strike the rock of Horeb and bring forth water. The hymn will remind us of God’s leading and supplying His sons and daughters in the wilderness. Are we not often wandering in the wilderness in this day and time?
What Wondrous Love is This is the hymn matched with the reading from Phillipians. We will sing the 3 verses in unison as the Gospel is brought amid the people. You will hear this hymn sung a second time in Southern Harmony style, as the singers in the Lofty Pews sing it in SATB. When we sing it as a sequence hymn you may notice that there is an alternative version in Southern Harmony just under the unison version. This hymn originally appeared in this three-part form. A little interesting trivia about this hymn is that the text is in an uncommon metre and stanzaic struture, sometimes referred to as the “Captain Kidd” meter because of its use in a ballad “My name was Robert Kidd, when I sailed, when I sailed,” which is about the famous pirate executed in 1701.

Here is a link to the hymn with the words:
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/w/h/a/whatwond.htm

Here is a link to the Southern Harmony/Sacred Harp/Shape Note version:
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/walker/harmony/files/midi/Wondrous_Love.midi

And here is a link to an actual singing. I have been to several of these singings and hope one day to have a group form in Boise. If anyone is interested let me know. I have 25 hymn books and a sister and brother in law who are experts and would love to help us!
http://youtu.be/wTXNAHEMI9g
or
Sacred Harp 159 Wondrous Love - YouTube

Lord Dismiss Us With Thy Blessing will be our recessional hymn. The hymn recalls the Aaronic blessing “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee…and be gracious unto thee…and give thee peace” (Numbers 6:24,25). It was written by John Fawcett, born on January 6, 1740, near Bradford, Yorkshire. At the age of 16 he was converted by the evangelist George Whitefield. In 1765 he was ordained as a Baptist minister, serving at Wainsgate. In the preface to a hymnbook he published in 1782, he wrote: “When I have digested my thoughts on some portion of God’s Word, I have frequently attempted to sum up the leading ideas, in a few plain verses, to be sung after the sermon; that so they might be more impressed on my own heart and on the heart of my hearers.” The devotion of these hymn writers and preachers is incredible to me. This wasn’t about making money for themselves or their church coffers, it was about helping others and himself to carry the message of the Bible home with them in the form of song. I wonder what hymn tune you will be humming this week? Will the hymns we sing this Sunday be as relevant as they were in 1779, 1782, 1826 or 1941? Let me know! For some of us they will hang around for awhile.
So, as we travel thru our personal wildernesses this week, perhaps we will remember that we have the promise that God will fill our hearts with joy and peace and we will triumph in redeeming grace. May we give thanks and adoration for the Gospel’s joyful sound and be ever faithful to God’s truth and reign with God in endless day.
Will we say yes and do no or no and do yes? What wondrous love is this that God has planned for us and is ever giving and forgiving.

Sources:
Hymnal ’82 Companion
Companion to the SDA Hymnal
Deacon Ron Jutzy
Then Sings My Soul
A Treasury of Hymns
Tune My Heart to Sing
101 Hymn Stories
A Treasury of Hymns
Youtube.com
Cyberhymnal.com
Jennifer Willard (my beloved sister)