Emphasis Preaching Journal

One Sunday, the normally splendid choir in a middle-sized church sounded absolutely dreadful. When it came time for the anthem, the director, who had always previously remained inconspicuous, took several loud, flat-footed steps to the center of the chancel and jammed his music stand down on the floor. Before he could raise his arms to conduct, the organist issued an immense blast, all stops out, and then began a series of softer runs up and down the keyboard, following no rhythm whatsoever. Choir members got to their feet in a state of disarray, some lurching upwards, others rising slowly as they fiddled with the music in their folders. At various points, they sang, a couple of them quite loud and, of all things, smiling. Others chanted off pitch. Three just muttered over their music. None of them sang together and as the piece continued they began, at odd intervals, to sit down. At length the organist quit playing. The conductor dropped his arms and shuffled off. One lone soprano warbled an "Amen."

At this point the director came back out, with a bit of a twinkle in his eye. "Now," he said to the distressed congregation, "you see what happens when we forget that all of our individual gifts are to be used for the common good." Saying that, he withdrew to the side of the chancel. The choir arose in perfect unison and, with blended voices, offered a beautiful anthem of praise.