Harmonic Rhythms

When my wife and I first started leading the praise and worship services in church back in the early 1980’s, we were attending a small fellowship that met in various rooms at a large motel and convention center near the southern border of our hometown.  Most of the rooms were totally empty except for rows of folding chairs… which meant that the only accompaniment that we had was my faithful twelve string guitar!

The twelve string gives out a richer and fuller sound than a normal six string and with the added amplification of a small PA system, adequately filled the small rooms and supported our voices.  Everything usually worked out well… except for when some folks attending the services brought their tambourines and tapped them along with the music.  The problem was that they didn’t know how to play a tambourine and worse yet… tended to beat on it out of cadence with the songs we were playing.

Now, I consider myself to be a decent rhythm guitarist and well able to keep a steady pattern of metric pace during a song, but it became increasingly difficult to keep the correct beat when a loud and offbeat percussion was added to the mix!  It finally got to the point where (as I had previously seen done at a Second Chapter of Acts concert that we had attended), I asked the head usher if he could gently ask people in the congregation playing their tambourines to stop!  The problem ceased after the ushers incorporated this process and Piper and I were able to focus more of our attention toward leading the congregation into the presence of the Lord… instead of just working to keep the rhythm of the music intact!

The memory of those early days of leading the music services came floating back into my memory yesterday as I turned to a scripture in Philippians 2:2 where Paul encouraged his readers saying:

“Then fill me with joy by having the same attitude and the same love, living in HARMONY and keeping one purpose in mind.” (God’s Word ©) 

I do not believe that those charismatic folks, who thought it okay to bring their tambourines into the church, realized the disharmony they caused to the flow of the praise and worship and the way it upset the united, one purpose of the congregation during the service.

The Prophet Jeremiah also spoke about our heavenly Father’s input into the importance of harmony and rhythm in our lives when he told of God,

“who gives rain in both spring and autumn and MAINTAINS the RHYTHM of the seasons, Who sets aside time each year for harvest and keeps everything running smoothly for us.” (Jeremiah 5:24 MSG) 

When Piper and I returned home from attending Bible College in Oklahoma and began to deal in earnest with her growing health needs, the Lord made it stunningly clear that we needed to continue to flow within the HARMONIC RHYTHMS of the song of our lives that she and I had co-scripted with the Lord, throughout the many years of our relationship… as we faced the most difficult trial of our lives, of our marriage and of our faith.

As we endeavored to re-establish our network of family and friends following our three-year absence, we slowly realized that there were certain individuals and environments that were like the off-beat banging of that TAMBORINE some 25 years previous.  And as I have spoken of in past posts, it got to the point where I had to make the difficult decision… with the leading of the Lord… to limit our interactions with these individuals and situations. 

The off-beat rhythms and disharmony of their inputs came across as the Bible describes the absence of the God kind of love as “a loud gong or a clashing cymbal.” (I Corinthians 13:1 - KJV)  The disturbances not only caused noticeable changes in the environment… but were also physically and spiritually harmful to the both of us… and especially in Piper’s physical countenance.

Looking back on those personal experiences and having been on the receiving end of the “loud gong” and “clashing cymbals” with actual off-beat TAMBORINES and disharmonic words and actions… has caused me today… to be extra sensitive to my words and actions when I minister to people going through rough patches in their lives.  I realize now more than ever, that sometimes the best thing I can do for these folks is to simply share a smile, a cup of coffee and a sweet treat and/or maybe just hold their hand in silence.

I don’t need to immediately try and “fix” the situation or offer my personal experiences, education or ministerial wisdom.  My job is to love them where they are, to begin to learn and understand the HARMONIC RHYTHMS of their lives and then help them to get back in tune and flow in the ways that God has led and guided them throughout their lives.

What do you think about all of that?  What are the HARMONIC RHYTHMS that carry you successfully through the everyday events and situations of your life… And how can you assist others in need, to return to the unique HARMONIC RHYTHMS of the song of their lives?

Have a terrific rest of your week, stay in tune to the HARMONIC RHYTHMS of the song of your life, and as you do… keep EXPECTING God’s BEST!