SERMON, PROPER 15B, EPHESIANS 5:15-20

In the big picture, Ephesians can be broken down into two parts: Christian doctrine, and the application of that doctrine to our life. It can be further subdivided, if you were so inclined, into a little salvation history, prayers, doxologies, mission work and spiritual warfare.

For the past several weeks, we've been in that second section of applying Christian doctrine to our lives. Things like bearing with one another in love, promoting the body's growth, not letting the sun go down on your anger and being careful how you live are prominent themes of this section.

As I was going over this short passage for today, trying desperately to come up with something to say, two themes kept popping into my head -- wisdom and music. I'm not sure how all this will tie together, but hang with me and let's see what happens.

Paul tells us to live as wise people, not as unwise. Whenever I hear Paul talk about wisdom, I am reminded of how he addresses it in 1 Corinthians and how he turns wisdom upside-down: the cross is foolishness and God has made the wisdom of the world foolish.

So Paul is telling us to be wise; but this isn't wisdom as the world understands it. It's the wisdom that says freedom is in surrender, abundance over scarcity and life is found by dying. It's that upside-down wisdom that causes people to look at us a little funny sometimes.

Wisdom is also a big part of the reading from Proverbs. In this passage we hear who she (she, because Wisdom is traditionally portrayed in the feminine) calls to the people to follow her and to eat of her bread and drink of her wine. And who is she calling? She's calling the simple and senseless. That would be us; simple and senseless. Kind of like sheep . . . but that's another sermon.

Paul's upside-down wisdom is calling us to eat of her bread and drink of her wine. And what do this bread and wine look like? They look like the body and blood of Jesus. Upside-down wisdom calls to the simple and senseless to share in the bread and wine that is the body and blood of Jesus.

Remember, the will of the Lord, according to Ephesians, is to gather up all things to unity in Christ. This is where we start, by coming together, sharing a meal of bread and wine, body and blood, and reveling in the foolish wisdom that proclaims life through death.

Part of that revelry is, as Pauls says, singing hymns and spiritual songs. Music is an important part of the church. For centuries people have written and sung songs as a way to pray and enhance the worship experience.

Music is also part of our everyday life. It's on the radio in the car, in the house and at work. We play records or tapes or CD's at home. We sing in the shower. While the new roof was being put on Christ Church, I got to listen to a variety of music and accompaniments. I'm betting that we all have a song or two that we sing to ourselves at various times during the day. Music brings things to life and sparks our memory, some happy and some sad. Music is powerful.

For instance, if I said, "But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate - we cannot consecrate - we cannot hallow this ground," would you know where that was quoted from?

But if I said, "When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now," would you be able to tell me where that was quoted from?

Music is integral to our life; even for me, a tone-deaf, tune-wrenching, ear-piercing tenor wannabe. If I had to sing for my supper, I'd starve to death. But still, music and songs are part of my life. Music, in a way, is how we reflect on some of our deepest thoughts. I still believe, for instance, that this really is all a grand illusion and deep inside we're all the same.

But what if we combined this upside-down wisdom with Paul's mandate to sing hymns and spiritual songs? If we use music to reflect some of our deepest thoughts, or how we feel about life in general, maybe we should start humming some of the songs from the hymnal as we go about our business.

I had a good friend at seminary who, whenever he worked around the sacristy, would sing today's offertory hymn, "Let all mortal flesh keep silence." Maybe we should take a hint from him and sing "He is risen," or "Let us break bread together," or "Come thou fount of every blessing," instead of Elvis or The Beatles or Led Zeppelin.

Sure people might look at us funny for being a goody two-shoes and singing church hymns on a day other than Sunday; but isn't that what that upside-down wisdom is telling us? That being wise in God's eyes means appearing foolish to the world?

So be wise -- be foolish. Have some fun. Sing some hymns. And maybe, just maybe, that unity in Christ that Ephesians advocates might come about because we don't take ourselves too seriously.