Hebraic Musing – How is being a Christian like playing in a Band?
Johanna’s parable
about “Playing in a Band” is fascinating.*
Here’s her introduction:
I used to play the
flute in a city band during the summers.
We played weekly concerts at the bandshell in the local park, thrilling
our audiences with stirring marches, pop tunes and occasionally some really
challenging pieces. Each member of the
band has a musical "score" to follow.
We are obliged to follow what the music tells us; what volume to play,
what notes to play, when not to play, how fast to play and what rhythm to
play. If a band member plays a wrong
note or plays when the music indicates a rest, or does anything contrary to the
score or the director, they will be chastised by both the other band members
and the director. If a person repeatedly
goes against what is written in the music they would, no doubt be asked to
leave the band.
Does this have a
parallel in the ideal behavior of Church members? As Christians, we have been given a
"score" and it is called the Bible.
The Word who became Flesh is our director and our fellow band members
are the body of believers.
But Society, and
even those who claim to be fellow believers, repeatedly tell us not to follow
the score, the Bible. They tell us to
stop being legalistic and do as we please.
They tell us to stop doing what the director, our creator, wants us to
do. Imagine the cacophony in Yehovah's
ears as He listens to His children’s "loud, confusing, disagreeable sounds
of noise and dissonance" while they are pretending to be Spiritual!!!
The problem – Everyone
wants the band members to play their instrument according to what is written in
the pages of the musical score; but not all church members are living their
lives according to what is written in the pages of the Bible.
Each member picks
out the parts where we play a beautiful melody, like John 3:16 “for God so
loved the world…”, but then have trouble obeying commands like loving your
enemies, turning our cheek, denying yourself, rejoicing when persecuted,
etc. Do those “bad notes” clash with
the beautiful melody we are trying to play in His band?
Meanwhile, here’s
how Jesus, our Loving Band director, wants us to be – “And do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that
you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans
12:2 NKJV How well do we obey these
words of our conductor?
If we are a band
member, we cannot pick out which measures of music we will play. We are bound to the musical score directed by
the Director; as believers we need to be bound by the entire Bible.
Are today's
denominations like sections of the band, each one saying our music is better
than yours? Who has written the music
you are playing? Did you write a solo
for yourself to be seen, heard and admired?
Or worse yet, is your music one long rest after another as you sit back
and do nothing, never even opening the Bible?
So, if you want to
be in the “Kingdom’s band” you need to read the score, the Bible, and just like
the band member holds their instrument properly, using their mouth to connect
with the instrument and with the proper fingerings so their music blends in
with others to accomplish the goal, and great is their reward!
Here is how
Johanna summarized our goal:
If we are looking at a reward we must live according to the Bible, with all
those seemingly complicated rhythms of the Torah and Prophets, in addition to
the melodic Psalms. We have had enough
cacophony, now it is time to abandon man-made theology and focus on the
timeless musical score of Yehovah.
Points to Ponder
What
do non-believers hear about denominations and divisions in the “Church”?
How
much dis-unity, cacophony and discord do we encounter within the Body of
Christ?
What
makes us think our own score might sometimes be better than HIS?
♫ We Are One in the Spirit, and
One in the Lord, and We Pray that All Unity May One Day Be Restored. ♫
Yosef a.k.a.
Joe Brusherd October
21, 2025
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages
exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)” Weekly “Hebraic Musings”
* Inspired by and excerpted from Johanna
Hocker’s “Playing in a Band, parable”
Playing
in a Band, parable,
by Johanna Hocker
I used to play the
flute in a city band during the summers.
We played weekly concerts at the bandshell in the local park, thrilling
our audiences with stirring marches, pop tunes and occasionally some really
challenging pieces. Each member of the
band has a musical "score" to follow.
We are obliged to follow what the music tells us; what volume to play,
what notes to play, when not to play, how fast to play and what rhythm to
play. If a band member plays a wrong
note or plays when the music indicates a rest, or does anything contrary to the
score or the director, they will be chastised by both the other band members
and the director. If a person repeatedly
goes against what is written in the music they would, no doubt be asked to
leave the band.
We have been given
a "score" and it is called the Bible.
It has been called, Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Yehovah is our director and our fellow band
members are the body of believers.
Society and even those who claim to be fellow believers repeatedly tell
us not to follow the score (the Bible).
They tell us to stop being legalistic and do as we please. They tell us to stop doing what the director,
our creator, wants us to do. Imagine the
cacophony in Yehovah's ears with our spiritual "loud confusing
disagreeable sounds of noise and dissonance".
Everyone wants the
band members to play their instrument according to what is written in the pages
of the music, but few want to live their
lives according to what is written in the pages of the Bible.
Oh we might pick
out the parts where we play a beautiful melody, like John 3:16, but then ignore
the parts like Leviticus where it tells us to worship Yehovah with total
surrender, like an animal burnt to a crisp in a BBQ. A band member can not pick out which measures
of music they will play, they are bound to the music, just like believers need
to be bound by the entire Bible.
Today's
denominations are like sections of the band, each one saying our music is
better than yours. Who has written the
music you are playing? Did you write a
solo for yourself to be seen, heard and admired, or is your music one long rest
after another as you sit back and do nothing, never even opening the
Bible.
If you want to be
in the band, the Kingdom of Yehovah you need to read the score, the Bible, then
just like the band member holding their instrument properly, using their mouth
to connect with the instrument (typically), with the proper fingerings their music
blends in with others to accomplish the goal, and great is their reward!
If we are looking
at a reward we must live according to the Bible, with all those seemingly
complicated rhythms of the Torah and Prophets, in addition to the melodic
Psalms. We have had enough cacophony,
now it is time to abandon man made theology and focus on the timeless musical
score of Yehovah.
As you go on your
way, may Yehovah go with you.
May He go before
you to show you the way,
May He go behind
you to encourage you;
Beside you to
befriend you;
Above you to watch
over you;
And within to give
you peace.
In the mighty name
of Yeshua, Amen
Johanna Shager
Hocker, M.S.
