This weekend I am in Orlando at Exploration 2024, a gathering for young adults to explore how God may be calling them into a vocation in the church. I love helping people explore their call—I believe each one of us was created to contribute something unique to the whole of our life together. Our task (and it can take our entire lives) is to figure out what it is and live it.
It’s kind of like playing in a bell choir.
Unlike a vocal choir, where often all the vocal sections
(bass, tenor, alto, soprano) sing the same phrase with counterpoint notes, a
bell choir member has but 2-4 notes (well, we altos also often have only 2-4
notes, but at least we sing them throughout the song!). Which means that as the
song with bells is performed, a bell ringer must be prepared to come in at the
right time with the right bell. I have seen some bell ringers ring just one
bell through an entire piece, but the song would not be complete if they did
not play their part at the right time. If they played the wrong bell, or came
in early or late, or even refrained from playing, the musical piece would be
changed.
While in other musical groups, people play individual
instruments, all the bells together make the musical instrument. We all are the
instrument together. If someone misses
their cue, or misses a performance, the instrument will not be able to perform
due to missing notes.
Each of us carries a note we must play if the Song of Life
is to be complete. To not be aware we are carrying the note, to not play the
note at all, or to play it wrong results in the Song of Life devolving from
being a Divine Love Song to a cacophony of dissonant and disconnected notes.
Scripture put it this way:
“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. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the
common good.” (I Corinthians 12: 4-7)
You are needed in this world. If you don’t bring your whole
self, with your unique gift, to our life together, the vibrations that
reverberate in our souls is diminished. The beauty of life fades. The sweet
goodness of life is lessened.
Live so aware of yourself and others that you will know the
right cue—of when and how to let your life ring out in joy and delight.
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