By Suzanne Barnard
Handbells – a strong worship tradition in the United Methodist Church, and a life long discipline for me.
I began playing bells briefly in kindergarten (because God loves joyful noise, as well as beautiful music). For some unspoken reason, that kiddie choir didn’t meet the following year…but I started playing again in high school. In all the cities where I’ve lived since, I have always found a wonderful community within the bell choirs. Meeting weekly, you begin to know and love your bell buddies. Together, we stretch our talents for challenging pieces, which may or may not go as expected during worship. Together we go from musical technique to letting the spirit move through the music. (Together, we discuss whether the director’s new technique is serious or a practical joke.) And together we share life’s ups and downs – births, deaths, marriages, new jobs, retirements, health, and illnesses, all shared in this faithful community every Wednesday night. We have welcomed new members over time, and come to know their stories, too.
Whether your community centers around music or another theme, I hope that each off you come to feel the friendship and community that I have known in bells.
