The Sound of Harmony
Pastor Joyce Kang
12.21.24. Church Conference
Last Sunday, the beautiful sound of bells filled the Gardner Nursing Home. It seemed impossible three months ago because we didn’t have enough people. Yet, seven dedicated individuals, including conductor Mary Miller, gathered for an hour every Thursday to pray and practice.
A bell choir is an instrument of
teamwork—waiting, teaching, and supporting one another. If one person makes a
mistake, it affects the whole harmony. From the 4th grade of elementary school
to the “7th grade of life” (over 70 years old), we became friends and
companions, encouraging each other. I took over the seven bells at Bass Cliffs
that Lydia played last year. Initially, it felt overwhelming; I was used to
ringing only three bells. However I focused on what was essential in each song
and played only what I could manage.
Sometimes I hit the bells too
quickly, and sometimes I missed entire measures. Yet, gradually, I learned. As
the bells rang in the quiet chapel, I felt the presence of more than just seven
people. The Holy Spirit filled each note, and I sensed our love and friendship
woven into the harmony. At the nursing home, when people sang carols with us, I
experienced God filling every mistake and empty space with their voices.
In July 2014, when my husband was
appointed to Houlton and Hodgdon, we arrived with no family, friends, or fellow
Koreans. I worried whether we could truly make a home here. The first three to
four years of ministry were incredibly hard. But when we became family with our
church members, we were happy.
When I joined Mars Hill two years
ago, I wondered how we could manage these ministries. But God provided a small
group who could ring the bells—people who carried many ministries, sometimes
“ringing seven bells” themselves. Together, the three churches (Houlton,
Hodgdon, and Mars Hill) worked in harmony. We shared bulletins, worshipped
together in joint services, supported one another’s events, and served our
communities.
Children who missed Sunday services
for sports came to Together Tuesdays, where they volunteered and
worshipped. Backpacks for Kids reached four schools, delivered by adults, while
Senior Supper cards—handmade by children—touched lives throughout the
community. Volunteers in after-school programs became mentors and friends to
the children.
This year brought challenges: the
pain of denominational division, the loss of loved ones, and aging key leaders
who could no longer serve as they wished. Yet, a few faithful members stayed
steadfast, “ringing the bell,” and their harmony inspired others to sing. I was
especially moved during Mars Hill’s handbell choir performance last Saturday
and the Christmas party where so many prayed together. Seeing 10 children
participate in Pageant Sunday at Hodgdon and serving Together
Tuesdays with 11 volunteers at Houlton has been a profound blessing.
At the nursing home service, I felt
the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit. New choir members joined afterward,
and I am so thankful. Now, I don’t have to frantically ring seven bells; I can
focus on just three.
In many ways, this ministry has
been like my life—balancing the full-time calling of serving three churches
while raising five children. Sometimes I missed messages, struggled with
priorities, and felt overwhelmed. I cried often, feeling unworthy of my role
and worried I wasn’t serving the church as I should.
But now, like a tiny life growing
in the womb, I am shifting my focus. From July next year, I will center my
ministry at Mars Hill while my husband focuses on Houlton and Hodgdon. These
next six months feel like a pregnancy—time to nurture, grow, and prepare. Just
as Jesus came to earth as a tiny dot and grew to become the Savior of the
world, I pray that our churches will grow spiritually, emotionally, and
physically.
I pray we will thrive, not just
survive. I pray we will become the church our communities need. I pray the Han
family will live up to the calling that brought us here.
As I think of the bell choir, I see
a picture of the Kingdom of God—each note coming together in perfect harmony,
allowing the whole town to sing along. May we continue to ring our bells, join
our voices, and bring glory to God through love, unity, and service.
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