I was coerced, way back in 1981, to join a fledgling handbell choir in my hometown of Eaton, Ohio. Grace Lutheran recently purchased three octaves of handbells, and when Adele Richter, the director, asked if I would ring, I agreed.  "How hard can it be? I've played piano for years!"  I thought. After all, each ringer is responsible for only two notes and the accidentals that accompany them, and surely a somewhat competent musician can handle that easily. NOT as easy as I thought, although several years of ringing and bell festivals made me at least somewhat capable.

            

When I moved to Kettering in 1986, I needed a new home church. My former director pointed me towards Epiphany, since it had an active handbell program. I attended a single service at Epiphany, liked the sermon Pastor Larry Hoffsis preached, and indicated I would like to transfer to the congregation and ring in the bell choir. Pastor Larry's wife, Cindy, was the founder and director of the choirs, and she inspired me to stretch my musical wings and soar.

Fast forward to 2000: the Hoffsis family was retiring -- Larry from ministering to the Epiphany fold, Cindy from directing three choirs. Who was going to direct the bells, we wondered? Someone pointed a discreet finger my direction and said, "There she is! She's rung for years. Jill would be a great director!" Oh no! Not me! I'm a ringer, not a director. God, however, had other plans. Why else would there be a directors' seminar that year right downtown at the convention center? And why had no one else stepped up to take the responsibility? After a crash-course on how to properly wave my hands to keep the beat, select music, and conduct a practice, I was very reluctantly off and dragging my feet -- I wish I could say running, but it wasn't so -- that fall as the director of one of the three choirs. Dolores Anderson, a far more accomplished director than I, agreed to keep the other two choirs ringing until January, and then they were mine. She officially turned the baton over to me, and that was that.

            

As I enter my seventeenth year as Epiphany's handbell director, I look back over those years and wonder -- marvel -- at the feelings this ministry stirs within me. I love both the triumphant, soul-stirring pieces as well as the quiet, meditative ones. I love that the congregation responds so positively to this music and feels that bells are important to worship. We ring these pieces with one smaller, but amazingly mighty, group. The dedication and drive which this choir displays awes and astounds me. Yes, they ring to the glory of God, but they also ring for the sheer love and challenge of it. 

Epiphany could use a few more souls devoted to the fine art of ringing, both in our current choir and perhaps in a beginners' choir. Anyone care to ring to the heavens? 

Jubiliate Bells practice on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. beginning September 6. This choir takes musicians as young as middle school age. New ringers with musical experience are welcome to join.

B ut ultimately, we sing a  new song -  together -  because Christ's love calls us to love and serve each other no matter what we are going through. We can take a part in each other's celebrations, doubts, suffering, victories and more through the music we sing. Being a part of the Praise Team means we are blessed to be used by God to facilitate this in our gatherings and share in a unique way of serving others in our time of worship.