In New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, they built a new neighborhood around a music center where musicians can teach and perform. Musicians Harry Connick, Jr. and Branford Marsailis teamed up with Habit for Humanity International and New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity to create the village for New Orleans musicians who lost their homes to Katrina.
As of February 2007, the Musicians' Village is "the largest-scale, highest-profile, and biggest-budget rebuilding project that was begun in New Orleans post-Katrina.
It, however, wasn't the first such project in history.
I can't begin to tell you how great the reading I'm going to share with you this morning is. I can't begin to imagine the importance of this day in the so-called grand scheme of things.
The reading is found in Nehemiah's journal, er, book. It's his way of re-establishing pomp, circumstance and early worship regimen after the terrible time spent in Babylon where tears were more common than summer rain. Understand that I don't care for any of the former to speak of. Pomp and circumstance and I get along about as much as fire dances with ice. To quote someone somewhere, "It ain't me."
But there are moments when I connect with the greater good, with mass-produced words and script and music somehow dances with the one who brung us, and suddenly I am transported to somewhere I've seldom been. That's not bad.
After the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt, Nehemiah did some worship planning with Ezra, the prophet. Names and numbers and such were pounded into being, and suddenly it was time for a church service.
The new "church" was finished in the seventh month. The Israelites were settled in their towns. They all "gathered" for a service.
Nehemiah asked Ezra, the "scholar" to bring the book of The Revelation of Moses with him. He came from Babylon. Scripture says "God's hand" was on Ezra. He brought with him a letter from King Artaxexes and a copy of the Revelation of Moses.
They built a platform to stand on.
Ezra opened the book and worship began.
Chris Tomlin led the singing.
Music poured forth from the musicians.
Can you hear it, feel it?
"Every eye was on (Ezra( (he was standing on the raised platform) and as he opened the book, everyone stood. Then Ezra praised God, the great God, and all the people responded, "Oh, Yes! Yes! with hands raised high. And then they few to their knees in worship of God, their faces to the ground.
"Jesua, BAni, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodia, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah,m HJozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, all Levites, explained the Revelation while people stood, listening respectfully. They translated the Book of the Revelation of God so the people could understand it, and then explained the reading.
"Nehemiah the governor, along with Ezra the priest and scholar and the Levites who were teaching the people, said to all the people, 'This day is holy to God, your God. Don't weep and carry on.' They said this because all the people were weeping as they heard the words of The Revelation. He continued, 'Go home and prepare a feast, holiday food and drink, and drink, and share it with those who don't have anything, This day is holy to God. Don't feel bad. The joy of God is your strength.' "
And music swam across the Kidron Valley like whales dancing in the open sea.
At some point, Ezra wept openly, finally flopping down prostrate in front of the Temple of God. He prayed and he confessed, and a "huge number of the men, women, and children of Israel gathered around him. All the people were now weeping as if their hearts would break."
Friends, acquaintances, this was WORSHIP, from a group of folks who didn't even know much about it. No worship meeting. No worship plan. Just standing up on a platform, opening the Word and like Red Smith said, opening a vein and letting the blood pour out. The blood of the Lamb. They found "the" book and read from it, and life changed.
It came time for the dedication of the wall they had built, so they tracked down and brought in Levites ... to carry out the dedication exuberantly: thanksgiving hymns, songs, cymbals, harps, and lutes. The singers assembled from all around Jerusalem ... the singers had built villages for themselves all around Jerusalem."
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