The Orchestra
Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
It’s a wondrous thing to be invited to play an instrument in the orchestra of the Christian church with a host of other believers. I was invited to join in by the conductor. The symphony of faith from the surrounding orchestra of believers was both authentic and beautiful so that I wanted to joined in. I took up the instrument and sheet music that the conductor gave to me. I quickly found that I didn’t know how to play this instrument very well and it was on the job training. Then I realized I didn’t know the song I was going to be playing nor which parts I was going to be playing or when. Frustratingly, I wanted to look a few pages ahead to see where all of this goes, but then I would miss the part that the conductor would have me to play right now.
So I submit and begin playing the music only to start to looking around at other instrumentalists. What is their instrument? What part do they have to play? I think I’d rather change instruments. Why is that person playing that part or instrument? That doesn’t sound very nice. They could play that part better. The conductor asks me to sit down, focus, and continue playing my instrument.
I resume playing the song making mistakes along the way. I look out at the crowd with a judgmental eye and wonder why they aren’t joining the orchestra and then my instrument screeches and squeaks. Oh, that would be why. If I’m too busy judging them they won’t be able to hear the song. Nor would the sound of my judgmental music encourage anyone to join the orchestra of the church.
I put my eyes back on my sheet music only to discover I have a solo part. Absolutely not! I stand up in protest. No solos! The conductor bids me to sit down and trust him. I slowly sit down and resume playing the instrument he gave me. The solo part is quickly joined by a chorus of other instruments and wasn’t as scary as I had thought.
Then my eyes begin to well up with tears as the orchestra of the church is full of people who are all diverse, all with different talents, all given different gifts, all with different parts to play in the same beautifully arranged symphony. We can all work together as one orchestra bringing about a sweet song for the Lord.
In this life, we have been invited to join God’s orchestra. He gives us an instrument to play as well as the sheet music. He leads us like a conductor who is outside of time and knows the song He wants us to play. He stands with the orchestra outside of time, but guiding them within the time of the song. We have to trust God’s timing. We have to trust Him that He knows which part we should be playing, when we should sit quietly, when we should play fortissimo, when we can play a solo, and when we need support. We have to submit to Him. We have to play the sheet music He has given us or else it will sound like an ill timed clanging cymbal trying to play it’s own tune.
Questions to reflect on as we play in this orchestra of the church sharing this symphony of our faith with the world:
Am I standing behind the curtain or have I joined the orchestra yet?
Am I busy looking at other people in the orchestra and judging them for how they play their music?
Am I envious of other people’s God given instruments and not appreciating my own God given gift?
Am I busy trying to play my own song?
Am I judging the onlookers or inviting them to join the faith?
Am I resisting God’s song for my life because I envisioned something else?
Am I trusting the Lord to lead me even though I can’t see the next page?