Recently at church I heard something jangling during the middle of the worship music.
I assumed that someone near me was wearing an unbelievable amount of bronze bracelets. For all I know that’s a trend. Forget bling, this is the bronze age!
I looked around because it was really distracting and instantly found what I was looking for … a tambourine.
Three people down the aisle from me, a woman was playing her own tambourine.
During the fast songs, this was actually pretty great. It was very much a “stones will cry out” kind of moment.
She was doing her thing and that was beautiful.
During the slow songs, though, it was a little tougher. She and I have the same rhythm, and there’s a reason a quiet worship song does not have a loud tambourine.
My hope against all hope was that she’d play it during the sermon too. I was ready for one of the pastor’s key messages to be accents with the soft rumble, jumble of the tambourine.
The girl sitting next to me covered her mouth to keep from laughing and exclaimed, “I had no idea we had the option to bring our own instrument!”
And what is it about the tambourine? The only other time I saw someone bring an instrument to church, that’s what they chose too.
An elderly member of my dad’s church brought one, and then proceeded to walk to the front of the stage and stand next to the worship leader. It was very “Soy Bomb” of him. (Ancient reference.)
Why the tambourine? How come no one ever brings a saxophone and Kenny Gs that whole scene? No harp? Not even a piano necktie?
It was a lighthearted, giggly kind of moment, but my wife summed it up best.
“I’d rather go to a church where she can bring her own instrument, than one where she can’t.”
She’s right.
Question:
Have you ever seen something like that happen at your church?
