“They call us to wake, to pray, to work, to arms, to feast and,

in times of crisis, to come together.” ¹

BELLS. Their tolls signal a new birth, a wedding, a departed soul, an emergency, a call to unity, a New Year.

Ringing in the New Year: What bells will we hear?

 Hear the loud alarum bells–Brazen bells!

What tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells!

In the startled ear of night

How they scream out their affright!

Too much horrified to speak,

They can only shriek, shriek,

Out of tune. ²

Does the New Year sound an alarm to our ears? Are these the bells we hear of fear, chaos, and uncertainty? If we continue to hear the peals of those clanging out the fright, then we will ring in the New Year with alarm shrieking in our heads.

If, however, we, the church, are one with the Lord as the bride of Christ, we should hear wedding bells.

 Golden bells!

What a world of happiness their harmony foretells!

Through the balmy air of night

How they ring out their delight!

From the molten-golden notes,

And all in tune.²

 The sound from within will be a harmonious melody in tune with God. Whatever alarms are ringing from without cannot disturb the joy of the Lord within and what the New Year with Him will bring to our ears and to our hearts.

 Ringing in the New Year: What bells will we hear?

A new birth that we helped deliver to Jesus.

A passing soul joyously ringing out “Saved!”

A unity resounding forth as “One in the Lord.”

Not the alarm, but the peace of Christ that chimes within.

  Let us ring the bells of a Happy New Year!

 ¹ The History of Bell Ringing. www.bellringing.org/history

² Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Bells.”  From The Works of the Late Edgar Allan Poe, vol. II, 1850.   https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/bells

(Sharon G. Tate blog 01/01/17) teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word