Wayne Weekly “C’Mon Ring Those Bells!”
Written by Wayne Taylor on December 1, 2017
We hear lots of jingling these days. Sleigh bells being featured on favorite Christmas holiday songs, Salvation Army jingling from those little hand bells and school concert presentations, even church cantatas. Bells have taken on holiday significance.
There are other bells, too. The ringing of church bells. These aren’t heard as much these days. The limestone or brick churches that once held those beautiful bells are far and few between. Many of these once vibrant people filled churches have become community offices, museums, even restaurants. The bells have been sold off and the steeples no longer ring out their songs.
New churches have become pretty mundane buildings in many cases. The massive stone structures often have been replaced by wood frame and even steel buildings. No provision for bells that once called people to worship.
I often think that some of these massive structures were built by those who were true believers in the gospel, or at least sincerely acknowledged the existence of the Almighty and tried to live by His laws. In many instances the bells stopped because the church no longer preached the gospel message, trading in the oracles of God for a social gospel. Other bells ceased to ring because congregations shrunk to a handful of faithful church goers, and the cost of maintaining the once magnificent structure became impossible.
Now, we all know that Christianity is not a building. The true “church of Jesus Christ” are those who have truly put their faith and trust in the finished work of the Savior. But that being said, it’s still sad that church building bells don’t ring as loud, or don’t ring at all as they did in days gone by.
As believers, we are the church. We are to be the ones who “ring out” the good news. Our bell tower is our bodies, our bells are our voices and actions.
C’mon, ring those bells!
What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear! Matthew 10:27
