During a handbell choir practice the scripture verse, “All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it,” (1 Corinthians 12:27 NLT) came to my mind. As I looked around at my fellow musicians, I realized that a handbell choir is a visual of the body of Christ.
In handbells, individuals are assigned specific notes to play. Although your sheet of music includes everyone’s notes, you, and only you, play the A5 or D4. No one part is more important than another. One player cannot carry a melody. In a particular song, some bells may be played more often than other bells, but in a different song, those bells that rested in the previous song, will be ringing repeatedly in the next one.
If one person in a handbell choir loses their place in the music, it can cause disharmony or an unexpected silence that throws others off as well. If a player is missing, even familiar tunes can be hardly recognizable. Occasionally, I have had to practice a particularly tricky passage by myself. What could be heard sounded disconnected and monotonous. For the music to sound like the composer intended it to, everyone must be present and playing their part.
What is true for a bell choir is also true in the church body. It takes more than one person to comprise a church. No single individual can carry the ministry of Jesus. Each of us has a common purpose but unique gifts, all of which are necessary to accomplish what Christ intended. Everyone provides an essential part. When people are missing, or reluctant to use the gifts and talents God has given them, the church suffers. When we turn or drift away from serving Christ, that loss reverberates throughout the life and ministry of the church. Others are affected and feel a deep sense of loss.
Every person holds an important role in the life of the church. While it may seem that the pastor or the pianist or the Sunday school teachers are the most important, the church would cease to exist without the prayer warriors, the trustees, the maintenance workers, the children’s helpers, the kitchen committee, and every other individual. Just as each bell in a handbell choir is integral to create beautiful music, each person doing their part is vital for the melody of the church to be harmonious. God created you with a purpose and endowed you with gifts that are vital to the church today. You are needed. You are wanted. You are important.
Be encouraged!
©2022 Pamela D. Williams
