Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have-right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start-comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That’s why we have the saying, “If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-31 MSG) I love listening to Satchmo, the great Louis Armstrong, and how much emotion he puts into his trumpet playing. However, for all the years I have listened to his music and others I never realized how loud the trumpet was until my son Elijah brought one home from his music class a few weeks ago. Apparently, out of all the instruments he could have chosen, he chose one of the loudest. As he practices “Hot Cross Buns” the sound of his trumpet permeates every square foot of our house and into the neighbors’ houses as well. Though we obviously want to encourage our young Satchmo in improving his trumpeting skills we can only take so much at one time. When Cyndi took Elijah to the music store before receiving his trumpet they tried to sell her a trumpet cup as a sound dampener for $30. She naturally thought that was a ridiculous thing to spend more money on…that is until Elijah brought his trumpet home and began to blow! All of a sudden we began to see the trumpet cup as a worthwhile investment. The sheer volume of this instrument is exactly why it has played such an important role in history. Not just in American history to rally the calvary to battle but also in Jewish history to do the same. Certain trumpet calls were assigned to each tribe to signal when to move and when to set up camp as the people of Israeal followed God to the promised land. Here in this passage Paul no doubt plays upon that imagery to remind the church in Corinth that we are still following God to the promised land. Just as He chose the smallest of nations to reveal His glory so he continues to choose those the world would discount or pass by to do the same. Though we each have been given a specific and unique sound we are only to be loud and proud about one thing- Jesus! What should permeate our homes and our neighborhoods, our schools, workplaces, and our churches is not how great we are, but how great He is! We can be loud and proud about our story, letting everyone who wishes to, hear how our “right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start-comes from God by way of Jesus Christ”. We must be careful that in telling the story we don’t forget to bring glory to the one who wrote it. If Elijah’s trempeting prowess should one day include the works of Louis Armstrong, he will play it with all his skill, but will be to the glory of its originator, not to himself. How rediculous it would be to take a master’s sound and claim it as your own unique creation. And yet, this is what Paul is warning the church of. Every good thing we have, every skill, every sound, every idea or creative vision, flows from the originator Himself- Jesus. Paul is not describing the loathesome tradition of thanking Jesus at the Grammys for a successful song that contradicts everything He is about. No, this about letting the personhood of Jesus permeate every sound that comes from my life! Am I going to play some off notes? Yes, of course I am. Am I going to be quiet about this One who gave me this song simply because I’m not perfect in my presentation? No way! I’m going to be loud and proud because it’s about Him. The true test of where my heart is at in this is whether or not I am rejoicing when the sound of someone else’s trumpet recieves more attention then my own. If we are all making music for the King and it is bringing Him glory, shouldn’t I rejoice rather then resent the success of a fellow brother or sister? Ah, that’s the rub isn’t it? When I can play the song of another who is playing Christs song then I know I’m not taking credit for what I didn’t earn in the first place. I rejoice this morning in how You are using the various congregations of various tribes in the Seattle area. I am so thankful for the way they are bringing You glory as they bring many to them. I don’t despise the unique sound You have given me. Help me not to forget why You have given me this sound in the first place. Forgive me Lord, for letting pride dampen the sound You created to be loud and proudfor You!
Here’s a link to Louie:
