I first noticed something was amiss when our pianist jumped up and ran off stage to answer her ringing cell phone. I could hear a few instruments in the orchestra dying off and I heard the cute little boy who plays the cymbals giggling. But since he is always doing something interesting, I kept playing. When the cymbals are only half your size, you are given much more leeway.
Then Heather’s reed started doing something very funky and each time she played a certain note, a very odd rumbly noise would happen. I could hear her snorting on her clarinet and believe me, that is something that will make you laugh even if you are normally quite Pious and Calm at church.
And then during ensemble, the lady who sings in front of me suddenly grabbed her cell phone and ran out of the sanctuary. Everyone tried to act like it was perfectly normal and so we kept singing. But apparently the “unusual” things had shaken us up a bit because everyone stopped singing after the second verse. Everyone but me that is. WE STILL HAD ONE VERSE LEFT. So, I began singing.
When I realized that I WAS THE ONLY ONE SINGING IN THE ENTIRE CHURCH I glanced toward my Pastor (who had rushed to play the piano because the pianist was standing in the vestibule talking on her cell phone) to find him doing his best to hold his laughter in. But he nodded his head and I kept on. Eventually everyone else chimed in and sang along.
Needless to say, we were all trying our very best to hold our giggles in. I was blushing and trying to find my music for the offertory while Emily kept whispering what on earth is going on?
Pastor Jeff was snickering by the time he reached the pulpit.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m preaching at Grand Central Station. Anyone else need to leave?”