'We are all one in Christ Jesus'

Sermon preached by Headchoristers Anna and Dawn on Sunday 22 June

May the words of our lips and the meditation of all our hearts

be acceptable in your sight, O Lord our strength and our redeemer. Amen.

In the New Testament reading, we heard that “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus”. But if we look at the world and the Church, this is often not the attitude we see. In the Church of England, women were not ordained as priests until 1994. In the Catholic Church, women remain firmly prohibited from entering the priesthood. These inequalities have also historically been reflected in church music: the first girls’ cathedral choir was only founded in Salisbury in 1991. Though the last 20 to 25 years have, thankfully, seen rapid progression in women’s roles within the Church of England, this history of inequality does seem to contradict Paul’s claim that there is no longer male or female, for all are one in Christ Jesus.

Contradictions like this can also be found elsewhere in the Bible, even within Paul’s letters, if we aren’t careful and don’t view them within the context in which Paul was writing. In 1 Timothy 2:11–12, we read that ‘A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet’. Surely a clear indictment of women in ministry? Well, perhaps not when it is suggested that, in Ephesus, where Timothy had stayed, the newly-formed Christian community was under threat from a cult that worshipped a goddess named Authentia or Artemis and was led by female priests. These two religious beliefs — Christianity and the cult — were becoming conflated, so that confused beliefs, such as Eve being the mother of Adam, were spreading and preventing the true message of Christ from reaching the people. So when One Timothy says that women shouldn’t be preaching, within the context of Ephesus at the time, it meant that these women shouldn’t be preaching, to avoid the good news of Christ from being misinterpreted. Similarly, in One Corinthians 11, Paul states that women should either cover their hair in worship or have it shorn off. As you can tell by the fact that our choir robes don’t include an itchy red headscarf, this is obviously not a stance taken by the Church today, and is more to do with the sexual connotations that women having their hair down had at the time, rather than any need for us to hide our hair from God. In fact, elsewhere in the Bible we are encouraged to use our whole bodies in worship.

However, it seems small misinterpretations or misreadings like this can lead a church astray for centuries, and I’m glad to see that now, progress has been made in allowing women to assume positions of authority and influence in the Church. Recognising that all of us, male and female, are made in the image of God, the Church is finally beginning to prioritise Christ’s message of universal love and acceptance, summarised by Paul’s statement that ‘all are one in Christ Jesus’, over these small, difficult corners of Paul’s letters that can so easily be misinterpreted. The first girl choristers came to Portsmouth in 2006; Anna and I joined in 2018 and 2019, and even while we have been in the choir we have seen improvements in the equity between boy and girl choristers. We now have two regular services a week; we alternate equally for Sunday services; we have similar traditions and opportunities as the boys; and girls from year 3 upward are now able to join the choir.

It is due to man-made tradition that boys have been the only top line for so many centuries. This doesn’t mean that the tradition is bad or wrong. In fact I argue strongly that boy choristers should continue to be nurtured, encouraged, and valued. But by adding girl choristers, the church has become enriched. The benefits have been enormous. For cathedrals who have adopted the two choir model we have here, twice the number of children are in church multiple times a week. Baptisms and confirmations are on the rise, and crucially, choral music is now supported and upheld by double the amount of people, young people, than before. We have helped develop choral music into a tradition that can continue to flourish for many generations to come. And progress has been good, as Dawn mentioned earlier. Looking down at our young probationers, alongside those installed as choristers and prochoristers today, I see girls who have an opportunity we didn’t have, but one we have helped to create, along with the wonderful music department of this cathedral who have worked so hard to establish these equal opportunities. They are the future of choral music and it is so encouraging that they are receiving the same training as the junior boys. The future of both choirs is incredibly bright. But as the church is traditionally a male-led, it is natural to wonder whether or not it is ‘right’ to introduce girl choristers to such an important role in worship.

As Christians, we believe that the Bible is the true word of God. As such, we must prioritise it as our guide in any situation. In terms of the issue of girl choristers, there is no direct biblical reference that tells us if it is right or wrong. This is, of course, due to the fact that choristers as we know them today were not a thing in biblical times. So naturally, we need to look at other teachings, such as in today’s reading, to understand the situation. Another beautiful quote from One Corinthians (11.12) is “For as woman came from man, so also is man born of woman. But everything came from God.” The way we can understand this is that both male and female are equally God’s children and even though we physically differ, we complement one another perfectly and no one gender is superior in the eyes of God. Rather, he made us all to worship him as our creator.

And the role of a chorister is to do exactly that. Yes, it is a world class musical education with opportunities that no other institution in the country can offer. Dawn and I have duetted live on National television, completed 4 BBC radio broadcasts, 2 CDs, and participated in international tours. But the very foundational purpose of a chorister is to lead the congregation in their worship through music. St Augustine said “those who sing pray twice”. Therefore, it is clear that we must all sing, and lift our voices in joyful worship. So, I conclude with this. We are not here as a political statement. We stand here today and sing because God has made us, not inferior to our male counterparts, but wholly perfect, in his image and with the sure confidence that he desires us to join with all people in the eternal choir of his kingdom.

Amen.