I used to think God desired all his followers to not only march to the same Drummer but march in rigid rows, all following intricately detailed, prescribed steps. I pictured a group of Christians to be like a regimented drum corps, executing complicated moves to spell out certain specified words on the football field.
Imagine my surprise to realize after many years following Jesus that while He clearly desires unity among His followers, that does not mean He desires uniformity. In fact, it seems to me that the more we get to know Him, the less uniform we become! Instead, the more we live in His presence the more we live out our unique callings according to the unique gifts, personality and abilities He has given each of us.
In his book, The Listening Life: Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction, Adam McHugh relates a story from his high school days. Based on his experience playing alto saxophone in his jazz band, he writes, “I was skilled at playing notes when they were written out for us, but when it came to improvisation, I was a disaster. Improvising is taking the chords you are given, the baseline that accompanies you, your imagination and your courage, and creating something new, your own composition.” I chuckle as I remember similar attempts to sing jazz riffs in my local community college choir. Like McHugh, I found myself either singing a chaotic set of notes that didn’t make sense or just parroting what the person before me had sung. I found it much safer to sing notes someone else had written rather than branch out and take a chance on something creative. I didn’t want to risk doing it wrong.
How sad our Creator must feel if we settle for only treating His Scriptures, “…like sheet music that we endlessly rehearse and memorize” instead of using His Word, “…as the chords and rhythms that drive us forward into our own faithful and inventive compositions.” How He must smile when we step out in faith, maybe even taking the risk to begin a venture designed to make Him known to the world in a unique new way.
Of course, there is a big difference between just “doing our own thing” with no guidelines and being innovative within the boundaries God has clearly established in His Word. We must stay connected to Him in order to faithfully represent Him each day. But when the Holy Spirit sparks new life in our minds and hearts, it’s time to reflect that new life in new expressions of faith.
Then, as McHugh writes, “Our improvisation flows from what we have heard, and with the Scriptures ringing in our ears, we move forward to create something new and stirring, a piece that is compelling to those who listen to us.” Lord, give us imagination and courage to take a chance and create our own compositions and may we always acknowledge You as the One who created us with our unique designs.