Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are | Part 5 | Becoming United | Michelle Snook

Becoming United
Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are
November 13, 2022

I love a good musical. My favorite is probably Singin’ In the Rain... or Seven Brides For Seven Brothers... or... My Fair Lady (which I get to see in Portland with my daughter next Spring!) ...there are just so many good ones! Another that would land in my top ten would be The Music Man... the classic with Robert Preston and Shirley Jones. I’ve worked with enough young interns to know that I can’t take anything for granted when it comes to the musical education of the younger generations. So, for those of you who have not yet seen this classic film, allow me to enlighten you.
 
“Professor” Harold Hill arrives in River City, Iowa, posing as an organizer and leader of a boys' band. In reality, he’s a just a slick con man. He convinces the naïve townspeople to purchase band uniforms and instruments from him, while promising to train the young band members. But his real intentions are to skip town with their money.
 
As you might expect, nothing goes as Professor Hill planned. I don’t want to spoil the ending for those of you who haven’t seen it. So, let’s just say that something special starts to happen when those boys put on their band uniforms. A new identity starts to be shaped, and there’s a transformation that begins to happen in the community. The boys are playing a variety of instruments – it’s not all trombones or cornets; each one playing at their own level of competence. But something about being part of the group, dressed in their uniforms but contributing their own unique ability to the band, creates something powerful among them.
 
We are studying our way through the book of Ephesians in a series we’ve called, Becoming Who You Are. This week, we’ll be looking at the idea of unity – what it is, what it isn’t, and how we promote and protect it.
  
At the end of the movie, we see the uniformity of the River City boys' band, as they march in formation, all dressed alike, steps in sync. But it’s their unity – being in tune with one another, playing at the same tempo, maintaining the same rhythm, and staggering their breathing, that matters most…each one playing their part and contributing to the performance of the song.
 
The beautiful organism that we call the church is also filled with a diverse group of people…all crafted in the image of God…but with different backgrounds, a variety of giftings, and individual uniqueness. We are not the same, but the miracle of Jesus is that unity brings it all together.