At Ball State University, I served as the principal percussionist for both the wind ensemble and the symphony orchestra. It was my responsibility to look at the music that we were playing and assign parts to each member of my section. Part assignments not only require thought for each member’s strengths and weaknesses but also require consideration for what would be best for each individual’s growth and learning in the collegiate setting. I needed to consider what they would be comfortable with while also thinking of the best way to push them for healthy development.

Each member in the ensemble has certain instruments that they feel (more) comfortable with, or certain aspects of playing that they enjoy more than others. However, it’s important to be well rounded and as percussionists we have to all learn to play every possible thing. It is also important to make sure that each member is still enjoying the experience and that they are encouraged through their strengths, which can function as a foundation for the rest of their learning. Therefore, the assigning of parts and distributing of tasks is extremely important for how they can improve their playing ability and experience the fullness of percussion with all of its variety and nuance. However, something I have found is that many times the members of my section all know that they need to develop in different ways, so they’ll ask me to give them something they’re uncomfortable with — they have a desire to gain experience in different elements of percussion.

Similarly, in our Christian walks, we should have a desire to experience Christ in all of his fullness! Matthew 22:37 says “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” We should learn to love God with all of the different aspects of our lives. We shouldn’t only seek Him through whatever we’re comfortable with, but we should strive to pursue Him in every way. If we really enjoy touching the Lord through hymns, but never read our Bible, we may be experiencing the Lord in one aspect, but not in His fullness. So should we just focus on reading our Bibles and stop singing hymns? Of course not! Our enjoyment of hymns can bring us to Christ and encourage us to read our Bibles. Each hymn has a foundation in scripture and exploring those connections will bring us into a deeper and more enjoyable experience of Christ. This thought should be applied to every aspect of our Christian lives, whether it’s praying, studying the Word, walking with God, or discovering the endless qualities of Christ!

Colossians 1:19 “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,” (ESV)

Christ has all of the fullness of God dwelling within, and we get the opportunity to get to know this Person in all of his riches! Let us learn to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul and minds. Let’s all continue to push each other to experience Christ in His fullness and discover Him in many different ways!