Greetings!

Ah, yes, the seemingly eternal problem of talking during the prelude...  I
would like to share an incident that happened to me...

A few summers I was substituting at a church, not far from Mt. Vernon
(George Washington's estate)...

After one service one parishioner said to me that they couldn't hear my
prelude...  I politely said, "If people wouldn't talk so loud before the
service, they wouldn't have any trouble hearing it."  The kind, aging lady
then nodded her head in agreement. On the next Sunday, before beginning my
prelude, I turned on the chime stop and, playing G above middle C,  "rang
the bells" as a call to worship...  Apparently someone had given the
chatters the good word, because there was a great improvement that
Sunday...

Yes, the church is a small church with a country-like atmosphere... and I
guess people do want to catch up on the latest news...

One think I did take home from that church is the message the regular
minister preached the one Sunday he was there:  "Make Jesus your friend."
When other friends are no longer your friend, remember that Jesus will
always be your friend...  I have never forgotten that message, even though
it has been about three years since I subbed for that church...

Oh, um, and after the services on the two or three Sundays I subbed,
someone always thanked me for my efforts (by either coming up to the organ
and telling me during my postlude, or by telling me as I was leaving the
church)...

Best wishes to all...


Morton Belcher
fellow list member....

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