What’s Going On?
By Rev. Dan Smith
February 04, 2007
In a few minutes, each of us will have a chance to sing with voices of angels, and it won’t matter in the least what we sound like. You can find the words in your bulletins under our communion liturgy. Or, why not take them straight from the source in today’s reading from Isaiah? “Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory!” These words make up the first part of an ancient communion hymn known as the Sanctus which is Latin for “holy”. In Isaiah, these words are carried by voices of angels to God who sits on the throne of that at once earthly and heavenly ancient temple. In the communion liturgy, we are given this voice of the angels. As if to add a dramatic touch, the early church decided to let the people “interrupt” the service and continue the sentence of the person who was presiding. You’ll see what I mean when we do it. Apparently, it was sometimes just the deacons who got to sing this part. Of course, our deacons are already angels. But, here and now, as with the angels, we will all sing “Holy, Holy, Holy” to God. We will sing to God and before Christ who sits “enthroned”, if you will, at this welcome table. For this brief moment, we’re all angels! I bet you didn’t know liturgy could be so fun!
Having said all that, the Sanctus is clearly not something one hears much outside of church. So, imagine my surprise when I heard the Sanctus dropped as a passing reference during a lecture and concert Nancy and I attended this past Thursday night over at Berkelee. The concert was an inaugural celebration of the College’s new Africana Studies department. The Grammy-winning and great a capella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock was there in full force to offer a chronological sampling of the best of the Black music tradition. Sounds from the African continent to the sorrow songs and spirituals of slavery. Samplings of Jazz and R and B through Hip-Hop and contemporary Gospel. Talk about voices of angels! Man could they sing. To compliment their performance, Cornel West was in town to give a rousing talk about why black music matters. It needs to be said that West has long considered jazz in all its roots and shoots to be the quintessential American art form, one that is born out of the blood, sweat, and suffering of a death-facing and death-defying people, one that offers an essential counterbalance to the perennial distortions and failures in our democratic experiment.
At one point in his strut through this black music tradition, West spoke of a conversation between the great soul singer Marvin Gaye and the Motown producer Berry Gordy. Some of you may know the story of how Gordy first refused to release Marvin’s now classic album “What’s Going On?” because, Berry thought, the songs and lyrics were too political for the Motown hit-parade. Fortunately for us all, Marvin persevered. He could no longer hold back those streams of justice and righteousness that were coursing through his tradition, and through his very bones. Marvin said to Berry, in essence, “I have to get this out - this truth, this weight, this anger, this hope against hope! I just have get it out! It has got to come out of me!” West was using Gaye as one in a long line of examples of artists and writers, African American or otherwise, who have felt compelled, despite themselves, to tell a different and decidedly more painful story of what’s going on. He held up those angels who cut through the surface of daily living, who have faced the funk, the wretched stink of human fear and hatred, and who have found themselves with no choice but to sing and spill out their guts in song. West then rattled off some titles of songs off the album that Berry Gordy did not want to hear. West was already preaching to the choir at Berkelee so the audience heads were shaking him on as he railed off the list of titles. “What’s Going On?” “Save the Children” “God is Love”, “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”. “Wholy Holy Holy!” My head stop shaking and my ears did a double-take. I thought at first that West was just on one his usual roles, that he casually dropped in the Sanctus as a way of elevating an album that if you’ve heard it needs no elevation. It is that deep and it is that good! And then I remembered. “Wholy Holy" is just another of those truth-telling titles and lyrics on the album itself. What’s Going On? Mercy, Mercy, me. Wholy, Holy, (Holy Lord). Make Me Wanna Holler.
Returning to our scripture for today, that song of the angels, the “Holy, Holy, Holy” comes first, but the mercy is there too, and it’s the mercy that ultimately allows the great prophet to “get out” God’s truth to a people that at first refuse to listen. In the midst of angels who were spreading God’s glory and presence until it filled all the earth and heavens, in the midst of this awesome presence, Isaiah feels rightfully unworthy and repentant. “Woe is me.” he says. “I am lost. I am a man of unclean lips. I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.” Just as he says this, an angel comes to him and touching a live coal to his lips, takes away his sin and his guilt and delivers God’s mercy to Isaiah. Only then does Isaiah truly hear the voice of God saying, “Whom Shall I send and who will go for us?” Isaiah’s response? You can send me! And God says, “Go!”
If we were to spell out this story, this call, into a formula, it would something like this.
A. As with the angles, give praise and thanks to God. Holy, Holy, Holy!
B. Be humble before God. Woe is me!
C. Let yourself receive God’s mercy, even if it burns. Mercy, Mercy, me!
And, D. Go and speak God’s truth, no matter who is listening. Holler!
Friends, this story and call of Isaiah belongs to each of us, and voices of angels are preparing the way all around us, singing Holy, Holy, Holy! Give praise and thanks to God, for God is Love. The humility and confession of Isaiah and of Marvin belongs to each of us too. “Woe is me!” and “Mercy, mercy, me!” If we can let our lips be seared by the live coals of God’s grace and forgiveness, we too can break through our surface guilt and denial about what’s really going on in the world. What’s going on, to give you just one of an example of something people don’t want to hear in this country, is that even if you’re only making $20,000, you’re still in the top 10% of the world’s wealthiest people. If you’re making $60,000, that puts inside the top 1% of the worlds wealthiest people! Mercy, mercy on us! And, we say “Mercy” so that with God’s help we can break through our guilt and denial. We say “Mercy” so we can break through our guilt and fear about what we aren’t doing to ‘Save the Children’ or to save the earth or to stop the genocide! This call of Isaiah belongs to us. It has been passed on through the ages so that we too can have our lips burned, so that we too can feel that fire deep in our guts, so that we too have to get it out and have to holler God’s truth even and most especially when it feels like no one is listening.
Have you heard the voice of angels recently, singing praise and thanks to God? I pray so, and if not, don’t worry, you will. Friends, this is just the beginning of what’s in store for us. Have you felt like you’ve been granted a picture of what’s going on, lately? If not, go home, find a copy that song and listen to it! Mother, mother, there's too many of you crying. Brother, brother, brother, there's far too many of you dying.
More deeply, go home and listen to what’s going on deep in your own guts, beneath the surface. What is it inside of you, inside of each of us, that after we’ve come here to church, after we have sung God’s praise and thanks as with the angels, what is that pain, that funk, that truth that you have to get out of you, no matter who is listening? Sisters and brothers, let God’s live coal of mercy burn your lips and burn away all that is holding you back from telling the truth of what’s going on and sharing God’s justice with the world.
Holy, Holy, Holy! Woe is me! Grace and, mercy, and mercy for us! As with the prophets and the angels, let it make you wanna holler! Let it make you hunger for this feast or God’s love and justice spread on a table before us. Let it make our calling as clear as the day. Amen.