Preachin’ to the Choir and Singin’ to the Pews

As a teenager, I once overheard two church members commiserating.

“That’s all he ever does is preach the same, old messages over and over again,” whispered the one.

“And what about the choir? Their music is about as dry as our Sunday sermons,” mumbled the other.

The two matrons’ tones grew hushed when they realized I was still within earshot at the water fountain.

Knowing I’d probably overheard everything they said, the women’s voices quieted, but they didn’t stop chattering. In fact, the one gently nudged the other’s elbow and motioned her toward the ladies’ restroom.

“Come on. We can visit in there. I just hate idle gossip.”

I almost choked on my chewing gum. Although I was only 14 or so at the time, that comment struck me as funny in a weird, ironic sort of way.

Did Mrs. Sunday-Go-to-Meeting consider their conversation visiting?

What counted as “idle gossip” then? I was tempted to follow the pair into the ladies’ room just to find out, but it was time to locate my parents and head to the car.

The memory stuck with me over the years because our church’s pastor at the time was a well-respected pillar of the community, and I never considered his sermons “old news,” nor did I consider our choir’s musical selections “dry.”

The pastor preached the love of Jesus, and the church choir sang Heaven down. If that was “old” or “dry,” then I suppose I was old before my time!

If we write, I believe it’s important to find new and creative ways to “preach to the choir” and “sing to the pews,” but to never deviate from the story–you know, that old, old story. The one of Christ and the cross. The one that never loses its flavor no matter how many years pass.

Oh, and that minister who “preached the same, old messages over and over again”? The one who spoke about Jesus, salvation, and riches beyond compare?

That preacher was my daddy.

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 What are new ways we can tell the “old, old story”?

In Christian fiction, do you think we are doing an effective job of introducing Christ to non-believers?

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