“O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.” Psalm 95:1

 

I am sure glad that the Bible doesn’t tell us to have beautiful harmony, or a first class voice, not that there is anything wrong with either of those.  But seven times in the Psalms we are told to make a joyful noise.  Anyone who has ever set with in 10 feet of me in a church service knows that I like to sing, unfortunately they also know that I can’t carry a tune in a bucket.  For that reason, some of my most embarrassing moments in church usually have something to do with music.  The following is probably the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me in church.

 

It was 1996, we were just getting started traveling and I was preaching a lot of Sundays within driving distance of the house, we would leave early in the morning and come home late at night, often into the early hours of Monday morning.   This particular trip was our first and only visit to a church that was about an hour and a half drive away.  Sunday School and the AM service were uneventful as I recall.  After the morning service we were sort of waiting around, not sure what we were supposed to do during the afternoon, and before long we realized that we were the only people left in the parking lot, not knowing what else to do we drove back home, Got lunch from Long John Silvers, ate it, washed up and drove back to church for the evening service.

 

During the Evening service the song leader said he was going to take some requests for favorites, during which time people would call out song numbers or titles and he would lead a verse or two of whatever song that was requested.  Toward the end of this time, the song leader said “I want to sing Blessed Assurance” but he didn’t announce the page number.  That was not a hindrance to me as I was a recent Bible College graduate and knew how to use the index in the back of the songbook.  I looked up the number, found the page and began to sing with fervor.  I was on the front pew, and Carmen and the kids (Who would have been 5, 3 and 1 at the time) were on the pew behind me.  As we wrapped up the chorus and headed into the final verse I was catching my breath after having just belted out  This is my story, this is my song PRAISING MY SAVIOUR ALL THE DAY LONG!!!!!!!!!!!!! When Carmen tapped me on the shoulder and  whispered in my ear, He is trying to sing a special.  It was then I noticed that the song leader was staring at me with an annoyed look on his face as he was singing, as I glanced around the room I realized that every eye in the little church was focused on me.  Never in my life have I been so embarrassed, I did my best to shrink my rather large frame into the pew and hide, but of course 30 seconds later it was time to get up and preach, which I did with a red face and a sheepish grin.

 

Several years ago I told this story in a church during a meeting and after church someone asked a question that I had never considered “How come your wife waited 4 verses to stop you from singing?” Even today if you ask her that question she will just laugh.

 

What is the lesson here? First if you sing poorly, as I do, do your best not to call attention to yourself, and second: Pay attention to the song leader and the congregation and Never, I repeat never, sing unless everyone else is.