At The Sound of the Bell

The other night, I had a vivid dream.  I don’t know how much spiritual significance it has since most (if not all) of my dreams are simply crazy.  However, I believe this one has some merit.  So, please follow along, and comment if it speaks to you.

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My husband and I visited a church that met outside.  The view was gorgeous as the congregation faced a lake while the stage faced the congregation.  That day was gorgeous, too; not a cloud in the sky.  There was a roped off area in the lake to the right of the stage where the church does baptisms.  In the front-left of the stage, a large bell hung from a strong wooden post.  My husband and I did not know the significance of this bell.  We were so used to candles, a wooden cross, communion trays, etc as a form of worship, but never a bell.  The pastor of this church came up to the stage for invitation time, and explained the purpose of the bell.  He said, “If you just made a decision to change the way you are living to follow Christ, we want you to ring this bell.  The sound of the bell is an indication someone is new to the Kingdom.”  This was HUGE to me.  As people prayed, the bell would get everyone’s attention so the entire church could celebrate together and go encourage the person who just rang the bell.  I quickly realized the sound of that bell served several purposes.  To the one who rang the bell, it was a loud proclamation this person’s life was changed, and it was a sound for help.  To the others, the sound of the bell meant it’s time to let out a roar in celebration that another life is free in Christ.  It was also the sound that indicated someone’s life needed encouragement because the Christian walk is tough.  Seeing an entire church body celebrate together and minister to one another was a blessing to me.  How great would it be if the entire church body celebrated at the moment of decision?  How encouraging would it be to the new Christ follower that the Church has the new believer’s back?  This church knew to rally at the sound of the bell, and I loved witnessing it.

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How does this dream speak to you?  I’d like to see what God does through this.  Blessings to you!