A Little Faith Goes a Long Way—Something Small Becomes Expansive

Let’s talk about crescendos. I don’t mean the one at the end of last week’s choral anthem or organ postlude. I’m referring to the many things in our work that begin quite small but grow into something greater – things like prayer, hope, faith, spiritual depth, and musicianship. In music, the thing that makes the fortissimo at the end of the crescendo so mighty is the gentle pianissimo from which it emerges. That works in music – and it also works in life.

Small Prayers – Big Effects
Each week our music ministry administrative assistant prepares a list of prayer concerns from our sanctuary choir and their families. The list is distributed by group email before the weekly rehearsal. So many names! It can be a bit overwhelming. The great thing is that the prayer list isn’t just for any one choir member or the director. We join in collaborative intercession from homes and offices across our city throughout the coming week. Each prayer is united with dozens of others – something that begins small becomes something even greater. The voices combine in prayer much the same as they do each time we lift our voices in praise and choral worship. God hears each individual voice as well as the ensemble!

As church music directors, we often receive requests to pray from the flock in our care. It is very humbling to have someone ask us to hold something difficult in our hearts and pray along with them. At such a time one may ask, “Is my faith strong enough for this? Is my faith too small?”

I have realized over time that my prayers are not built upon my own fragile strength – they are fueled by the power of the Spirit within me. When I assure someone that I will pray for them, it is to align myself with them in their journey, to offer a reminder that they are not alone in the crisis. The power is not in my prayer and my carefully chosen words; the power source is the Holy God to whom my words are offered. I think of times I have prayed for people who have been healed versus other times when it did not turn out the way any of us had hoped. I do not believe that the answers to prayer hinge on the size of my faith. Prayer itself seems like such a small thing but has greater implications than I can even begin to imagine. Prayer is a small act of ministry that can strengthen a casual relationship into a treasured friendship, benefiting both individuals equally. Just think of the implications of an entire ensemble praying for each other!

A Bit of Hope Goes a Long Way
Hope is the thing that keeps everyone in the community praying. Hope wakes us up every morning to begin our work anew. Hope gives us energy to plan for the next rehearsal, the next worship service, and the next big event. Hope is with us when we try to enlist more singers or instrumentalists. Hope is with us when we select repertoire to inspire musicians and congregants alike. We don’t have to understand hope; we should just ride it throughout life’s journey. Prayer is the medium for keeping hope alive – you pray for me; I pray for you. Hope is important in every facet of life, not just in the big crises.

Hope often begins in small, subtle ways. Hope is the tiniest light that cuts through the darkest night. Hope walks with us through the night hours. Even in the most hopeless situations, hope slips in quietly through the loving prayers of friends and family. Hope itself is an answer to prayer. Hope, a small thing, becomes a wondrous gift. Hope builds hope. That which was born in tiny beginnings becomes greater and greater. What begins as hope crescendos into victory!

Hope is the thing with feathers —
That perches in the soul —
And sings the tune without the words —
And never stops — at all —

—Emily Dickinson

A Little Faith Goes a Long Way
Remember when the disciples asked Jesus why they had not been able to heal the man’s son who suffered from terrible seizures? Jesus said it was because of their unbelief, their inadequate faith. He then offered the parable of the mustard seed. A faith as small as a mustard seed can move a mountain. Astoundingly, he added, “Nothing will be impossible for you.” I wonder how many mountains my minuscule faith has moved in my lifetime. These were Jesus’ disciples – what chance do I possibly have?

Here’s the thing: my faith takes root when I trust so highly in God Almighty that I offer prayers for myself and others, I seriously consider a new opportunity, or I take a risk outside my comfort zone. Each action proclaims God alone can move the mountains and remove any obstacle. Faith is strengthened whenever I pray. Like hope, faith grows in a community of praying people. My small prayers become great offerings. Faith begins as a tiny seed, but over a lifetime it grows into something substantial. Growing faith is a gradual crescendo – and of course, there are some diminuendos along the way. That which was quite small grows into something vast and expansive – poco a poco.

Start Small – Aim Big
So tomorrow morning, let hope tap you on the shoulder and nudge you toward the coffee pot. Indulge in a warm shower of blessing, get dressed, and take a tiny leap of faith out the door. As you sit down at your desk with your blank planning page before you, add this message to the top:

But those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

—Isaiah 40:31

I don’t know about you, but that sounds a bit like a list of crescendos to me. Start by walking; later you can run; eventually you will soar. As you plan your days, your weeks, your months, or even your next big thing – begin small and see what God will do.