The Letters of 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John are credited to "The Elder," and written in the midst of controversy in the emergent church. It seems the people in the early church were arguing over the interpretation of the Gospel of John, leading to the belief that these are later writings by the same community which produced the Gospel of John.

In these letter, there is prolific use of familial language. There is emphasis on the family of the church being and belonging together, on the strength of such unity among diverse age groups and genders. Today, the patriarchal language can be difficult to hear in an inclusive ways, but interestingly the "body of Christ and Church" being emphasized within 1 John fights against dismissing women by affirming the body of the church, that is, that all, including women, are part of this body. Understanding this intention helps us to see more of our communities represented in this scripture, and helps to make it increasingly relevant in a complex and varied reality. This body of Christ was not meant as a call for finding ways to make us all the same, but in discovering ways to bring us all together. The strength of diversity, for instance, diversity of age, is highlighted to show the many ways of knowing and learning from love and from each other. Each part of the family is valuable and valued.

Much of the language in these letters about the early church emphasizes the language of family in reminding the people of the church to love each other. This love was a big part of the early arguments about whether Jesus was human or divine; many felt that love was a human trait, and that Jesus had to thus be considered human. The love of other humans is also emphasized, as are their particular gifts. Elders have the gift of passing down traditional knowledge, while young people bear the gift of knowing good from evil, right from wrong, of defeating evil. We are called to be together in this world, and to love strongly, so that we might be successful in coming to God together.
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Those eager to be the change we want to see to the world may be too eager to try and change everything at once. This letter helps to remind us to be patient, and to listen to the wisdom of our tradition. While change can be helpful, healthy, and inspiring, our changes must be informed by vision. Stemming from a lack of roots can lead us to drift and lose purpose and direction. Without being rooted in tradition, we risk losing our grounded presence. Leading a Christ-centred life also requires careful study, informed by modern developments and understandings, and a careful reading of text, tradition, and how our current situations are reflected in and also different than scripture. Without being informed by both vision and tradition, Christianity can become too slippery to maintain. Christian lives are already challenging to obtain in a world filled with more instant and tempting satisfactions. In a time when we can be instantly connected to people and beauty all over the world, what might encourage us to remain rooted is prayer? What might remind us of the strength and beauty to be found in tradition and remembering that we are standing on holy ground?

1 John reminds us. It is essential to reflect on the strengths we have, which may help to ground us in tradition while also leading us forward. To remain relevant we must not keep strictly to the past, but to abandon all tradition would show a dangerous lack of wisdom. Being so uprooted would lead us to a lack of nutrients available to sustain us.

This reading today has a big ask in it. "Walk just as he walked." This is no easy task. And so we must find ways to inspire such a challenging and worthy task. One way to inspire ourselves, to connect us with tradition and leave us looking forward is to join in song together.

Singing together helps to hold and uplift us, to weave us together as a community.

The music we share each week is a huge strength. There are key players, but the truth is that each of us brings our own voice, and through that our own vulnerability and strength, to each chorus and verse we share together. A brave voice, united, ventures new songs as well as old favourites, so that each Sunday is unique and spirit-filled, leading us all to transformation and to face new challenges, while not forgetting the strength of our church and selves.

This week I read about Why Music Matters. Several voices lent themselves to the article I read, in order to encourage the reader to consider the purpose of singing together in new ways, which are, thank God, also linked to history, tradition, and community.

Worship "services create space for the congregation to hear themselves, to hear one another, and to join their voices in song,” [writes Cosper].

“When we gather in corporate worship, we’re not only singing to God—we’re singing about God to one another. Through song, we can encourage and instruct our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Our worship through song also serves as a witness."

"There’s a joy that comes from singing in church," [says Payne.] “It builds community and helps churches learn spiritual truths and live them out.”

[Harland agrees:] Finally, “The gathering of the body of Christ is a body that ought to be singing.”

Today marks a celebration of Martin Luther King in churches around the world. This link to a civil rights movement is beautiful, and to make it tangible, we will be closing worship today with a spiritual song, Jacob's Ladder, which links our community with those that have stood before us, with those still standing up for human rights, as we stand together, the body of Christ, loving one another and learning from the young and the old, raising our voices in song.

 

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