Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - June 1981

Contributor - Richard R. Westra

Title - Organ of Christ

Topic - Church

In the past three months, the pipe organ, which has stood in our church for over 20 years, is being rebuilt by a few men of the church. Under the supervision of an organ builder, they have taken apart everything but the console. As I saw all this taking place, my mind turned o the church. Through it all I saw the church and all the possibilities of a church hat is rebuilt.

1. God is the builder and the one who plays the tune

Paul referred to the church as "God's building"; Peter called the church "God's spiritual house"; but we might refer to the church as "God's pipe organ". For we are living pipes, created in the image of Christ Jesus, our Lord, called to play the same tune that the Master Builder himself brings. forth. Whereas the world plays the music of strife, envy, hatred, jealousy, lust, greed and idolatry, God's people know the heavenly music. Through Jesus Christ they have come to know the true meaning and the true purpose of living. They have come to know the real purpose for which they were designed. That is, the people of Christ see themselves as God's instruments, created from the foundation of the world to be "holy and blameless". "God destined us in love to be His sons through Jesus Christ.... to the praise of His glorious grace, which he freely bestowed on us in His Beloved" (Eph. 2:5 - 6). Is there any other music worth hearing? We, who are in Christ, were designed by God to play the notes of praise according to the counsel of His will. This is possible, when we let him play the keyboard of His church which he set forth in Christ Jesus.

2. The Holy Spirit provides the Power

As each of these pipes receives the air from the wind chest, they t)lav an even and beautiful note, that brings joy to the listener. Without the air, there is no sound. There is only one source and that is through the specially designed feeders. This is an interesting analogy, because the Greek word for Spirit is , "pneuma", which, literally translated means "a blowing", or "wind", or "blast". Just as the pipes play the music for which they were designed when they receive a supply of wind, so the church will play the music of the designer when she receives the Spirit. The church cannot be alive without it.

Paul reminds the church in Corinth that through the Spirit we receive knowledge of God's word: "not taught by human wisdom, but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truth to those who possess the Spirit" (I Cor. 2:13). In the same letter he instructs the church that she does not receive power from any other source than the Spirit of God. For example, God called Paul to preach. But he could not make the message known through words of human wisdom, but only in "the demonstration of the Spirit and power" (2:4). Power comes through the "wind" of God.

Furthermore, the gospel of John teaches that the Holy Spirit will convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement (John 16:8). First, he convicts the world of sin, because the world has not believed in Christ. Only the Spirit can make this sin of unbelief obvious to a person. We believe in Jesus because the Holy Spirit has opened our eyes to sin and to his redemption in the blood of Christ. Secondly, the Spirit convicts us of righteousness by leading us in the way of Christ. The fruits of the Spirit are: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Gal. 5:22, 23). In order to live by the Spirit, we must allow it to blow through us, so that we can walk by the Spirit. Thirdly, the Spirit seals us for the day of salvation and thereby assures us of faith (Eph. 4:30). We have nothing to worry about when the stamp of the Spirit is upon us. We will know this when we are hooked up to the feeder which receives the power of God. Anyone not being fed by the Spirit, will be convicted of judgement by the same Spirit.

"The Church is the Organ of Christ "

The organ has many pipes, and each pipe carries a unique tone. Depending on the size and length, each pipe will carry that tone as long as it receives the wind from the wind chest, and as long as it obeys the hands and feet of the organist. When each one plays at the appropriate time, and each one plays in harmony with the others, there is unity in sound. That unity we call beautiful music. Each note makes its own contribution, so that it becomes lost in the whole, producing one melody.

The same can be said of the church. Each member of the church is a single pipe, called to play a single note at any given moment in time.

To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are inspired by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. (I Cor. 12:8 - 11)

Just as the organ, composed of many pipes, produces one melody when the right notes are played at the right time, sow the church, composed of many members, is one unit in Christ. When the Lord requires, each one gives to the one unit, so that the whole church may do the work she has been called to do. For the one Spirit we were all baptized in one body, and all are powered by one Spirit.

The church does not consist of one person anymore than the organ consists of one pipe. If the small pipe should say to the larger one, "If I could only be a big Pipe", where would the little note come from? And if the outside pipe were to say to the centre pipe, "I want to be in the centre", where would the centre pipe stand?. And if the pipe in the back were to say to the pipe in the front, "I want to be where everyone can see me", where would the pipe in the front be? The organ builder has so arranged it that each pipe takes its place on the wind chest. If all were a single pipe, where would the organ be? As it is, there are many pipes, but one organ. And there are many gifted people in the church, but one church.

While it is essential that all the pipes of the organ work in order to produce the best music, we are well aware that not all of them have to work in order to make melody. The flute section, or the clarinet section may not work, but the ones connected up to the main keyboard the ones out in front, must work. At least the main section of pipes must all be functioning . If one or two fail, then the music sounds sick. Or if one has a sticky valve . .. and remains open, thus playing continually, then the effect is lost.

In the church, the consistory must be working and carrying out the task God has assigned for her. If the pastor carries the tune all the time and gets stuck doing much of the work, the church will remain ineffective. Or when two elders try to do all the spiritual supervision of the church and the rest relax at home, the church will not work. Even though many of the regular members do their share and make a valid contribution, but the main section, the leaders, fail to do their task, the church cannot grow. Once the leaders are carrying their share of the responsibilities, and all consistory members are doing their part, then the more support they get from the different sections of the church, the better the quality of life that will exist in the church. When all the sections are using their gifts; God is making the best possible music among his people. Growth, spiritual and numerical, will be the result.

Furthermore, each pipe plays according to the amount of metal that is apportioned to it. The larger the pipe, the deeper the sound. According to the grace of Christ given to the church, each member is given a measure of faith which God has assigned him (Rom. 12:3). More often than not, the longer one has been united to Christ, the deeper one's faith. And as the measure of faith increases, the responsibilities within the church increase. To whom much has been given, much is required. "Therefore, the members must not think of themselves more highly than they ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith which God has assigned him."

Conclusion

A pipe organ is an expensive luxury for most churches. Without constant repair, pipes will cease to play, others will refuse to quit playing, accumulation of dust will cause a whole section to remain silent, and broken seals will mean lost energy. When the organ gets to the point where no one small repair or no one tune-up will make better music, it must be rebuilt.

Many churches suffer the same sickness. The church is very costly. Do we not know that we are the organ of the Holy Spirit, that we are built by God Himself, and that we were bought with a price? When some members refuse to contribute, or others want to play the same tune, or accumulation of dead traditions kill whole sections, or broken promises sap the energy of the church, the church has to be rebuilt. No small repairs will fix it, and no tune-up will make the difference.

Let each one of us examine our life to see that we have been cleansed by the Spirit and that our way of life is worthy of the gospel of Christ. We must not ask, ,Where did I used to play?", but, "What can I now play to improve the spirit of the church?" Doing nothing from selfishness and conceit, we must renew our minds with the mind of Christ, so that we consider others better than ourselves. Looking to Christ as our organist, and to God as our builder, we must do everything that will build up the church in knowledge, faith, love and service.

Please click the "Back" button of your browser to return to previous page.