How many of you have ever played an instrument? Anything from a kazoo to a clarinet, from the spoons to the sousaphone, from using your steering wheel as a drum to playing a full-fledged drum set, from singing in the shower to lifting your voice on stage? Some of it probably sounded pretty good, maybe some was just joyful noise. From the best evidence that archaeologists have been able to glean from their findings, music either through use of the voice or crude instruments developed roughly at the same time as our ancestor’s ability to speak. From the time we could talk we made music.

During various periods of time have had explosions of new music. At the time that many of the classic composers were working, they were writing new music every week. There was always a new song for the Mass on Sunday (think about having a new hymnal every week!).

There were certain rules about music. There were certain tempos and movements that were expected. But as soon as the rules got established, they began to be broken. New instruments were created that were being added to the repertoire. The celesta that Tchaikovsky made famous in his "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" just begged to be used. This instrument is probably better known now for playing the theme for the Harry Potter movies. The composers would try to see who could use a new instrument in their piece first and who could do it best. They would stretch their creative muscles to try and figure out how they could use the new instruments and technologies in the creation of their music.

Then along came Stravinsky and his piece "The Rite of Spring." When this piece of music premiered the audience revolted. There were boos and fistfights in the audience. The police were called in by intermission to try to restore order. To some in the audience, the atonal style or the opening notes played on the bassoon sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard. But by the time the ballet had completed it’s premiere in Paris, London and the United States, the world of music would never be the same.

Fast-forwarding quite a few years we come to that icon of Rock and Roll: Elvis Presley. With his swaying hips and fast beats, Elvis changed the soundscape of music forever. Following in Elvis’ footsteps we get the Beetles and then the development of hip-hop music. Each of these changes in music caused a shift in music. And new instruments continued to be developed and artists sought to include them in their music. I doubt the creator of the record player envisioned what Run DMC would do with two turntables and a microphone.

But one thing that I have noticed is that just because there were changes and shifts in music – the previous styles didn’t disappear. If you take a tour on your radio, scanning through the stations, you can encounter classical, country, classic rock, bluegrass, hip-hop, rap, and maybe even some ska, do-wop, or swing. And even now artists continue to push the envelope as they find new and innovative ways to make music. New operas are being written alongside new hymns, ballads, and heavy metal. The variety of styles only highlights the amazing gift of music.

I’m betting that you probably have one or two styles of music that you like the most. There’s probably one or two styles that seem to "fit" for you. This is not to say that the others are not music or are inferior in some way. There’s just a comfort in some styles.

It’s kind of like a comfortable pair of old shoes. We all probably have a pair. They don’t look all that great anymore but we wear them not for fashion but for comfort. Maybe it’s an old pair of tennis shoes or a pair of slippers but when we put them on, we feel right at home. I have a pair of blue slippers and whenever I put them on, I can just feel myself relax. It’s like coming home.

I can turn on the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and get the same feeling. As I hear the soaring soprano of Christine singing to the Phantom of the Opera, it just seems to trigger something in the very root of my being. I must be honest and say that I don’t get the same feeling when I hear the Jonas Brothers or Miley Cyrus. This is not to say that they are not talented or that they do not create music. Only that it doesn’t seem to fit as well with me. They feel more like the uncomfortable heels I only pull out of the closet ever so often. They are certainly shoes but not my comfortable blue slippers.

Unlike varieties of music, Paul speaks of the variety of spiritual gifts. He lists a sampling just as I have done with music. There is an amazing variety of gifts that the Spirit has given us just as there are a variety of instruments in an orchestra. Maybe some of you prefer the violin with its ability to soar over the rest of the strings and take center stage. Maybe you prefer the humble tuba that keeps the bass-beat. Maybe you prefer to be like the percussionist who selects a variety of instruments each with their own tonal qualities so that the right note and tone can be struck at the right time in the music.

If we were to hear one of these instruments on its own, we might be able to hear some music but it is only when it is combined with the other instruments in the orchestra that the sense of the music is really understood. We would have a hard time hearing the immensity of Bach Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (you know the scary music) if we were only hearing the flute part. It is only when we get the whole orchestra playing along that we sense the immensity of emotion at work in this piece of music. Just like we would have difficulty understanding a piece of rock music if we were only hearing the drum set.

The Corinthian Christians had a problem. Paul wrote what we call 1 Corinthians in response to their problem. Some of the people in the congregation had gotten the idea that some gifts were better than others. This was particularly true of those who had the gift of speaking in tongues. Those who had this spiritual gift that can be dramatically displayed were convinced that theirs was the best gift to have and that since they had been blessed with the best gift, they were somehow superior to the other members of the congregation. They had the flashy spiritual gift – a public spiritual gift. They were easily noticed.

But what about those people who have never spoken in tongues? What about those who were hard to notice in the landscape of the church? Perhaps they longed to speak in tongues too. Perhaps they wanted the others to realize what they were doing.

Word gets to Paul to that the speakers in tongues were holding it over the others and he writes this response, "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone." It’s not about one gift being better than the others. All have gifts. And not only does everyone have a gift but they come from a common source. They are all drawn out of the same well. They’re all playing from the same piece of music – the music of the Spirit.

So just because some of the people in the congregation have the flashy gifts doesn’t make them better than the others. The bass is just as important as the violin. The accordion is just as important as the trumpet. All gifts are from the Spirit.

Remember what I said about the audience’s reaction to Stravinsky’s "Rite of Spring"? When it first came out the people didn’t even consider it music but now it is one of the classics. When Beetle mania first hit the U.S. shores, not everyone was convinced that this new music was music at all. When rap became more widely played in the 1980s, not everyone was convinced that we could call the rhythmic recitation of words, music.

Perhaps in the church we’re facing a similar situation. Maybe some of you aren’t convinced that we can call a group of people gathered in a coffee shop a church. Maybe some of you are convinced that true worship can only happen during the holy hour of 11:00 on Sunday. But let me tell you – there are some new notes being played in the church today. There are new combinations of instruments that are popping up in our church. Things that we never thought could contribute to worship are making a joyful noise.

Remember how Tchaikovsky sought to use new instruments in his "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy"? There are new instruments still being created today and old instruments are being played in new ways. The only difference between a violin and a fiddle is what the person holding the bow does with it.

Perhaps we can’t yet recognize how these new instruments will fit into our orchestra. Perhaps we’re rioting a little bit like the audience at the premiere of "Rite of Spring." Maybe some are calling out that what some people are playing is not music at all. Maybe some are shouting that these new ideas and innovations are not really music at all.

But we turn back to Paul who assured the Corinthians and, in turn, us saying, "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone." He goes on to say, "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."

We aren’t just given gifts for our own selfish use – they have been given for the "common good." It has been said that, "Ministry is not something to be left to the paid staff, but the work of each and every Christian." Each of us has gifts for the common good. The Spirit gives all of these gifts. No one’s gift is better or lesser than another’s gift. Gifts come in varieties are forms, it is up to use to recognize them as gifts from God and use them for the common good. If we work toward this, our gifts may come together and play the beautiful music composed by the Spirit.