On Monday of last week, the Upper Room Devotional magazine’s article for the day was centered around the 1 Corinthians passage on love. And it struck a chord with me that is still resonating in my heart.

The central illustration is a four-part choral group. When close harmonies are sounded as if in one voice, it really sounds like a fivepart group.

The blended voices create a unity that is unmistakable — at least to the trained ear, which is not mine! Like the description of love in 1 Corinthians, the blended frequencies make something greater than itself and more pleasing than any single component.

Being a lover of music, I can appreciate this illustration. When I apply it to the life of a congregation, it also has value to me.

There are those beautiful times when a series of events happen in the life of a group that pulls the whole of the body into prayers, phone calls, serendipitous meetings, and harmonized planning sessions that bring such beautiful expressions of the faith and the common desire to grow the Kingdom of God.

These infectious times even cross the denominational boundaries, where one might begin to suppose that we are truly all of one body and one mind in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We look forward to and rejoice in this “fifth voice” of the Christian congregation. This happens when the laity jointly take on the burdens and joys of serving those in need. It comes mightily on the scene when the clergy work together in spreading the Good News throughout a larger region than any one congregation can serve.

It resonates in the hearts of the community when laity and clergy depend upon each other and meet the needs of the lonely, the outcast, the down-trodden and the despised.

We will soon be in the season of Pentecost, where we celebrate the work of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the burgeoning Church. I look with eager eyes upon the horizon, as I hear the faint sounds of music rumbling in the distance.

As the massive clouds on the horizon approach and the sounds of mighty winds are beginning to be detected, the energy source that makes and magnifies the “fifth voice” of the Christian community is on its way. And none too soon!

It is my prayer that, this year, the harmonious fifth voices of the Body of Christ may be heard in our lives, our loves, and in our churches for the glory of God Almighty in Jesus Christ our Lord!

Prather is pastor of Lake Palestine United Methodist Church near Chandler.