After more than 20 years serving as the pastor of the local church, I have seen some very funny things happen on Sunday mornings. In the 1980’s, I worked as a youth pastor in a very traditional church. This particular denomination is known for its historic buildings which often contain extraordinarily large and luxurious shelters. This particular church features towering stained glass windows at the front, rows of carved hardwood benches, and a giant chandelier hanging from a vaulted ceiling nearly forty feet from the ground. The sermon will be delivered from behind a large pulpit perched high above the heads of those seated in the congregation. Every Sunday morning, priests would stroll the central island as the opening ended, robes and sashes waving in the wind, and take their rightful positions on the large wooden thrones that were deliberately placed on either side of the altar. After the light pouring in from the window created a halo around the Senior and Associate Pastors, the service was then ready to start.

On such a beautiful morning, this stuffy atmosphere was unusually filled with roaring laughter. The church can be known for many things, but our church is best known for its choir and organs. The pastor’s wife is a long-standing choir member and is notorious for being the only person to hold the last note of the hymn just a little longer than everyone else. This is a real effort to ensure that everyone within earshot can identify superior tonal qualities and retain their now aging soprano voice. More often than not, the hymn would end up with just him and the organist standing by to see who was shameless enough to go the distance. To the disdain for the congregation even more, he seemed to always be able to hang on for a bit longer. That is, until the new organs arrive.

Over the years, the organist has petitioned the church’s finance committee to upgrade his antique pipe organ. Time and time again, his requests will be turned down so that items such as new carpets or a fellowship room makeover can be purchased. He must have worn them already, because in the end the decision was made to buy the newest and best organ available at the time. I remember that the entire back wall of the sanctuary had to be redesigned and specially constructed to accommodate the speaker assembly, the organ needed to enhance the sound used by all of those pipes. This thing literally has all the bells and whistles.

I will never forget the first Sunday morning when the new organ made its maiden voyage. As per tradition, the opening hymn was sung, with only the first, second, and fourth verses. It was clear that the organist was playing really hard, but who could blame him. He is proud of his baby like any new father. The louder he played, the stronger the chorus sings. With each verse that went on, it became clear that we had a voice battle against the organs ongoing. When the last chorus is sung, you can feel the anticipation rising because we all know what’s coming. Sure enough, when the final chord was played, the organ player held the keys like he was trying to drown someone. Everyone watched with joy as the pastor’s wife took a deep breath. It’s active! After all the other sounds had long since faded away, there the two opponents remained, locked in a kind of musical battle. I looked up at the organist just in time to see him grin evilly as if to say, I’ll keep this chord all day if need be. Sure enough, after what seemed like immortality, the priest’s wife’s voice finally gave in, and only with a squeak that pricked her lips, she collapsed back into her chair. As if on cue, the entire audience laughed and applauded. It may just be me, but I believe that the church is often the best place to find God’s sense of humor expressed through the weakness of the human condition. If you need to find a local church or church directory, try using the link below. I looked up at the organist just in time to see him grin evilly as if to say, I’ll stick to this chord all day if need be. Sure enough, after what seemed like immortality, the priest’s wife’s voice finally gave in, and only with a squeak that pricked her lips, she collapsed back into her chair. As if on cue, the entire audience laughed and applauded. It may just be me, but I believe that the church is often the best place to find God’s sense of humor expressed through the weakness of the human condition. If you need to find a local church or church directory, try using the link below. I looked up at the organist just in time to see him grin evilly as if to say, I’ll stick to this chord all day if need be. Sure enough, after what seemed like immortality, the priest’s wife’s voice finally gave in, and only with a squeak that pricked her lips, she collapsed back into her chair. As if on cue, the entire audience laughed and applauded. It may just be me, but I believe that the church is often the best place to find God’s sense of humor expressed through the weakness of the human condition. If you need to find a local church or church directory, try using the link below. and only with a faint squeak that pierced his lips, he collapsed back into his seat. As if on cue, the entire audience laughed and applauded. It may just be me, but I believe that the church is often the best place to find God’s sense of humor expressed through the weakness of the human condition. If you need to find a local church or church directory, try using the link below. and only with a faint squeak that pierced his lips, he collapsed back into his chair. As if on cue, the entire audience laughed and applauded. It may just be me, but I believe that the church is often the best place to find God’s sense of humor expressed through the weakness of the human condition. If you need to find a local church or church directory, try using the link below.