“Come on, and Ring those Bells”

Hello Friends,

Today, I simply want to inform you about something that is found outside the church. I bet at some point you have seen it. Some of you may have heard it. And some of you may have rung it before. What am I talking about? Well, I’m talking about the church bell that sits outside on a brick pedestal. I bring awareness to the church bell because recently people of the church came together to paint the bell and give it a “new life,” and it is part of the church’s history and story that continues with you.

Did you know that we aren’t the only church to have a church bell? There are many churches near us (and far from us) that have a church bell. Some churches have several bells and those bells are in a tower that people still ring today. Did you know that throughout history, church bells had a specific purpose? Church bells were often used not just to indicate the start of the worship service, but used as a means to warn the community that something bad was happening near by. For example, if there was a fire, someone would ring the bell to let the community know that something was happening and help was needed. The sound of the bell would indicate distress, call attention to something, and potentially save lives depending on the situation. Church bells, back in the day, were more than just a sound ringing in the air.

At some point, our church bell was used the same way. It rang when something was happening near by and it rang at the start of the worship service. Today, we don’t ring it to indicate that something bad is happening. Instead we ring the bell to indicate that something good is happening: that it’s time to praise and worship Jesus.

Now, the church bell, stamped with a date either from 1907, 1908, or 1909, once hung in the bell tower, at the time, of Dogwood United Methodist Church (now Dogwood Prairie United Methodist Church). Did you know our church had a bell tower? To some extent, it still does but there is no bell inside. Each Sunday morning the ropes dangling down from the bell through a cut-out in the ceiling were pulled with force to fill the air with a glorious sound indicating the start of worship, the start of people coming together for the common purpose to grow in their faith.

Today, due to safety reasons, this bell rests outside the church on the northside where those driving by can see it. Over the years the bell began to lose its luster. It was redone several years ago and it was recently redone this month by members of the church. The bell today has been given a new life and it offers those of the church the opportunity to keep its proud history alive for generations to come.

For some, this bell is just a bell. But, to Dogwood Prairie UMC it is much more than just a bell. It is a testament of how even the small things can create promising opportunities. This bell is the melody of the church and with each ring it let’s the community know that the church is still here for each and everyone of us. Today, the bell is still rung every Sunday morning! As the song goes, “Come on, and ring those bells.”

The next time you see that bell, make sure to ring that bell! The bell is a reminder that sometimes we need some work done in our lives to feel new, to have a new life, to embark on new opportunities. The bell reminds us that it takes work to keep our faith ringing for Jesus.

Let us pray: Dear Jesus, we thank you for our church bell. We thank you for its message, its history, and its beautiful sound. May the sound of the bell remind us to focus our heart on you so that we can be changed and made new for you and for others. Amen.

Your Friend, Holy Spirit!