One Note, One Stitch at a Time
Psalm 8
John 14:15-21
November 16, 2008
27^th Sunday after Pentecost

            We gather here today surrounded by fabric art that members of our congregation.   I invite you to take a few minutes to look around at the artwork in our sanctuary and to listen to the music. Take time to quiet down and open yourself to God’s Spirit as you look and listen.  Look around.  We’re surrounded by love, history, stories, colors, and sacred threads.  Look around and see art made of threads and fabric, made one stitch at a time. 

            Each piece of fabric art tells a story about the creator, the Creator, and all others who are stitched into this story fabric.  The wall hanging made in Amish patterns and bold colors with hand stitched patterns of flowers and teal tells a story of the faith of a people who love the land, choose a simple life style and live out their faith boldly. 

            The quilt stitched with the pineapple pattern, a symbol of hospitality, reminds us that God’s story is one of hospitality and welcome.

            Look at the friendship quilt – each block was made and sign by friends and contains messages of friendship and community.

             A double wedding ring pattern is stitched into the quilt in the back made many years ago.  We remember that sometimes what we think of as new has roots in patterns created years ago.

            Counting and patience went into the counted cross-stitch picture of the cat washing in front of a quilt – of course.  These careful stitches remind us of the ways God carefully stitches our life together to create a beautiful picture of color and hope.

            Under the candles on the communion table is a beautiful wall hanging stitched with a big blue and green star.  That star shines with its careful stitches a message that God is in the details of our lives.  

            The lovely smocked dresses make me think of the passage from Colossians.  “As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience.  (Col. 3:12)

This fabric art wraps us with the love of God and the love of this community, 

Art brings us into the presence of God – to thin places where the ordinary and the eternal connect and the Holy touches us.  Art and music open our hearts and lives to God one note at a time and one stitch at a time.

            Recently a friend who knits prayer shawls told me this story about those who make these beautiful prayer shawls.  One knitter said as she knits, she prays Father, Son and Holy Ghost for three knitted stitches, on amen she brings the yarn forward and the starts to pearl, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost and then on amen she moves the yarn behind her needle and knits Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  Another knitter prays Father, Son, and Holy Ghost amen, brings the yarn and then pearls Creator, Christ, and Spirit amen moves the yarn behind the needle then knits and pearls her trio of stitches. 

            Jeremy Begbie, a well known church musician, theologian and scholar, wrote about trios of notes in the book he edited, “Beholding the Glory:  Incarnation through the Arts.  “Suppose for a moment that we allow ourselves to learn (about God) from the sound of a note (play middle C).  .  . the sound of the note is everywhere . . . It fills the entirely of my aural space.  If I play another note – say E above middle C, that second note also fills my head space.  Yet I hear it as distinct.  The notes ‘interpenetrate’, occupy the same space, but I hear them as two notes.  .  . Why not add a third note to our two-note chord? What could be more apt to speak of the Trinity as a three note resonance of life, mutually indwelling, without mutual exclusion . . . the notes connected in the triad sound through one another.”   Hear three single notes in a triad and experience the presence of God as Trinity as we gather together in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – the Creator, Christ and Spirit.

            Music and art help us to expand how we know and experience God.  The words of scripture also inspire us to make meaningful pictures and wonderful melodies that touch our hearts and connect us as a community of God’s people.  Let’s think about that as we look at today’s scripture lessons.

            In the gospel lesson we listen again to Jesus saying farewell to his disciples. Throughout our lesson today themes of love and spirit are interwoven in Jesus’ words.   Jesus knows the disciples are afraid of being alone like orphans when he leaves them.  Like a single note or one lone stitch, they will be all by themselves.  He assures the disciples, “I will not leave you orphaned.  I am coming to you. . . I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever.  You will know the Spirit, because the Spirit will dwell in you.” 

Jesus’ promise in this passage is not only to his disciples, but is for all believers. The community of spirited love is central as we follow Jesus’ command to love one another as Jesus has loved us. It is important for us to stay connected to each other and to Jesus through the spirit and through love.  The Spirit opens our eyes to see and our ears to hear pictures, words, and notes of love.  The spirit dwells in us as we reach out to love one another.   And we are not alone.  As we love one another we carry on the life and teaching of Jesus in our community and world.

Our art and music help bring us together as a community – inspired by the spirit –our life, as community becomes a work of love.   Sue Bender lived among the Amish in Lancaster County and learned how to quilt from them.  She reflected on her experience in her book, “Plain and Simple.” She learned more than just quilting from the Amish.  She learned about creativity as one lives in community with others.  When we create “there’s a spirit guiding us, in ways we often don’t understand . . . for Amish everything is ritual.  The Amish way is full of connections.  The Amish live what they believe.  Their life is their art. The Amish often leave a space in their quilt, a seeming mistake in the midst of their well thought out plans – to serve as an opening to let the spirit come in.”

            Art and music help us express who we are as God’s community and how we are linked together through notes that create beautiful harmonies and spirited music and through stitches that create colorful quilts, stitched pictures, and soft comforting prayer shawls.  Sound and Stitches expand our understanding of a loving God and pull us together as community. 

Remember Jesus words to his disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  God sends us out as a community to do God’s command – to love one another and the world as God loves the world and us.   How do we show God’s love? Begbie puts it this way, “ Music through its dynamic mixtures of sounds (reminds us) that God’s goal through Jesus Christ is the creation of a new people, a community sustained by the Spirit, bound with that love which binds the incarnate Son to the Father (and each of us to the Son.)” (Beholding the Glory, 151)  “At best the harmonies can be a foretaste of heaven.”

            God sends us as a community to do God’s command – to love one another and those in the world.  We are not alone.  Like one note or one stitch we join together and use our gifts, to be light and color and shape, to sing of God’s spirited love.  Today we celebrate the gifts of art and music and how God works through us with these gifts to bring hope, unity, joy and love to God’s people. Look around and see how God stitches our lives together.  Look around and see how this art made of fabric and sacred threads makes this space sacred, brings color, design and hope to our lives.  Look around and praise our God for the gift of creativity and community. Amen.