INSIGHTS

BREAKING

THE SOUND BARRIER

BY PAUL BARTLETT

Did you know, the Church has a sound? The question is: Is it the sound God intends? I felt God ask me if it has a sound, what is it? Is it the right sound? Is it the sound He intended? Is this a sound that is music or is it preaching? I could tell however that’s not what God meant I began to realise God meant the Global Church has a collective sound. A year ago, I was on the far NSW South Coast visiting

Bushfire victims with our Chaplains and volunteers. The mayor and CEO of the largest club began to thank their local Chaplain,

Jeremy Fernando. They began to tell the story of the selfless acts of Jeremy and his church of just 50 people. People in the room were constantly nodding and agreeing, and I distinctly heard these words, “This is the sound of the

Church.” This is the sound of people serving their community.

As the year unfolded, the normal reactions from society to their first pandemic were fear, panic, or denial. I started listening to the Global Church, and sadly not all was good, with some leaders of churches telling their people Covid is a conspiracy; telling people not to wear masks or take precautions; and even worse, the politicising of Church. The church divided over their governmental leaders, all declaring their pick is God’s pick. I kept asking God, “Is this what the sound of the Church is”?

Without being political, I’m asking the question as the world groaned in pain, as it ached in suffering and as it fought from every angle. Was the church making the best sound? Let me tell you something about sound: Sound has immense power. It has the ability to agitate, and it has the ability to heal, inspire and enlighten. Sound effects mood and emotions which powerfully effects decision making.

Did you know, sound travels at 1230km/hr and when you exceed this speed, it’s called ‘breaking the sound barrier’. Sound comes from vibrations that create waves in the medium they move through. This means that sound is greatly affected by its environment. In a vacuum, such as deep space, there’s no sound at all. I think the sound of the Church is influenced massively by our cultural environment. For example, the Aussie Church, which is loved by many countries around the world, has a sound.

“Relaxed”, “Honest”, Doesn’t take itself too seriously. This is the environment we were brought up in. You want to know something scary? We all believe our version, our emphasis is the Best one! Symphonic, diversity with harmony because everyone believes their version is right. What if, the Church believes it is declaring truth? But the world hears anger and judgement. What if the Church believes its’ sound is taking ground for Jesus? But the world thinks we are taking rights from the under privileged. Is there a sound barrier the Church needs to break through? The corporate sound of the Church reverberates from the Christians who are members of it. So as we engage our community, what is the sound of a Christ follower? Cymbals are meant to be used to accentuate or strengthen certain moment’s in music, not slammed together incessantly through the song! (I always feel sorry for the cymbal person waiting the whole song before they clang once at the end!) “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1 – 3 NLT) Did you hear the sound of that scripture? Fighting for justice alone isn’t the sound God wants. How we do it is more important Having the wisest or most intelligent voice in the room is a clanging symbol without love. Being right, truthful, correct prophetic, a voice to the nations without love is nothing!! The sound of Love is patience and kindness. Love is never a sonic boom of jealousy and pride. Love isn’t the noise of getting your own way nor is it the noise of a pen writing down the wrongs of others. Love sounds like joyous celebration for everyone when truth wins over injustice. The sound of Love is heard in a person’s faith that never gives up hope in God. The sound of Love is when you and I choose endurance through every situation”. The sound of Love is when we serve others in our community. When we do this, guess what? We sound like the Church!