Piano solos can be beautiful, but adding singers and words can transform a piece. Instead of each listener being impressed with their own individual, possibly vague emotions, all listeners can share the precise meaning and purpose of the song.
When my grandfather passed away, my grandmother honored his memory by donating a grand piano to our little church in Renton, Washington. At the time, I was the pianist there, and so her act was extra meaningful for me. Soon after it was installed in the church, I gave a piano concert of my favorite hymn arrangements. But as I prepared, I knew it was missing something. I knew the words, but the listeners might not. So we added narration and wrote out the words for those who came. The hymns had great meaning to me, since I knew the words, but by ensuring others also knew the words, the musical concert turned into a worship experience.
Words can add meaning to music, and a full orchestra can also magnify the impact of a solo, as each different sound adds fullness and variety. Similarly, a church needs to be more than just individual people doing their own solos. A single person can do amazing things, but each different person adds additional meaning to a church body and to life in general.
Time spent alone with God is vital and important, and praying in isolation can heal your soul. But the fellowship of others can add so much more color and vibrancy to our spiritual life. We are imperfect people, and we need support to keep us from trailing off into dissonance and losing the perfect pitch. But God provides so much more than just basic ‘life support’ if we will immerse ourselves in the life of an entire church body. Let yourself be refreshed by the encouragement of fellow believers!
Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.
Philemon 1:7