Thoughts for the Day

Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with rejoicing, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres. The companies of the singers gathered together from the circuit around Jerusalem and from the villages...for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. And the priests and the Levites purified themselves; and they purified the people and the gates and the wall.

Then I brought the leaders of Judah up on to the wall, and appointed two great companies that gave thanks and went in procession. One went to the right on the wall to the Dung Gate; and after them went Hoshaiah and half the officials of Judah, and...some of the young priests with trumpets: ... with the musical instruments of David the man of God; and the scribe Ezra went in front of them......

The other company of those who gave thanks went to the left, and I followed them with half of the people on the wall, above the Tower of the Ovens, to the Broad Wall, and above the Gate of Ephraim, and by the Old Gate, and by the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate; and they came to a halt at the Gate of the Guard. So both companies of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God, and I and half of the officials with me; ... And the singers sang with Jezrahiah as their leader. They offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. The joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Around 40 years ago I remember being at the inauguration of Christchurch, Abbeydale in Gloucester. It was a chilly, winter day, as we stood on the building site to dedicate the foundation stone to the glory of God, but it was also one of the happiest of days. This was the first time that the new congregation, comprised of Baptist, Methodist, United Reform and Church of England christians had gathered together, along with supporters from from surrounding churches. As a very new Deaconess I was still coming to terms with what a Local Ecumenical Project meant in practical terms.

But the thing that struck me then, and still now, was the sense of rightness and of deep and fervent prayer to God that came from all present. Another joy was the glorious singing - the heritage of the Methodists present! I remember singing "O for a thousand tongues to sing" to the tune of Lyngham, where the men come in with their own part. It gives me shivers to remember it to this day.

In Nehemiah we get something of this great joy and praise of God at the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem that surround the Temple. The air would have been full of glorious singing, the sound of trumpets and other musical instruments, to thank God for all His blessings and especially for the huge project they had undertaken.

Lord God,
may we never forget to thank You and bless You.
May our worship be continually as fervent
and joyful on ordinary days
as it is on special days.
But may we never forget the joy
we felt on those days of celebration
and carry that sense of optimism and hope
into the future.
Amen.