Recently, while cleaning the cellar at my house, (my close friends are doubting this story already), I discovered a very old copy of the Bible. It obviously must have belonged to one of my ancestors. Since I enjoy the writings of Saint Paul, I decided to look at the Book of Acts and was surprised to find, for the very first time the 29th chapter. I wanted to share it with you. May you find it a Blessing, as I did.

ACTS XXIX

And it came to pass, when Paul was at Corinth, he and certain disciples came upon a mob that was stoning an organist. 2. And Paul said unto them, “What then hath he done unto thee that his head should be bruised?” 3. And the people cried with one voice, “He hath played too loud. 4. Yea, in the singing of psalms, he maketh our heads to ring as if they were beaten with hammers. 5. Behold, he sitteth up high in the loft, and mighty are the pipes and mighty is noise thereof, and though there be few of us below, he nonetheless playeth with all the stops, the Assyrian trumpet stop and the stop of the ram’s horn and the stop that soundeth like the sawing of stone, and we cannot hear the words that cometh out of our own mouths. 6. He always tosseth in variations that confuse us mightily and he playeth loud and discordant and always in a militant tempo, so that we have not time to breathe as we sing. 7. Lo, he is a plague upon the faith and should be chastised.

8. Paul, hearing this, had himself, picked up a stone, and was about to cast it, but he set it down and bade the organist come forward. 9. He was a narrow man, pale of complexion, dry, flaking, thin of hair. 10. And Paul said unto him, “Why hath thou so abused thy brethren?” 1. And the organist replied, “I could not hear them singing from where I sat, and therefore played the louder so as to encourage them.” 12. And Paul turned round to the mob and said loudly, “Let him who has never played an organ cast the first stone.” 13. And they cast stones for a while until their arms were tired from the throwing and Paul bade the organist repent and he did. 14. And Paul said unto him, “Thou shalt take up the flute and play it for 30 days, to cleanse thy spirit,” and afterwards they returned to Corinth and sang psalms unaccompanied and then had coffee and were refreshed in the faith.

I need to hasten at this point to assure you that I am very well treated and so this is no reflection whatsoever, of my situation. I am very well treated and quite happy in my current position. Many of my colleagues are not so fortunate. While this was intended to be humorous, I have never know of a guild organist who was not accused of playing too loudly, it just seems to come with the territory.

This “find” in my cellar may have been a very good thing. I would guess that some readers go searching for their misplaced Bible to look for the 29th Chapter of Acts. Once you find your missing Bible, you can refer to it more often. When you read the part about “be ye kind one to another,” remember that also applies to the staff of your church.

If you have a good organist, you are very blessed indeed. Keep him or her. Very few students are studying organ now and even fewer are seeking a career as church musicians. All churches are aware of this crucial shortage of qualified organists.

Due to deaths of Guild organists and lack of students graduating in organ, the American Guild of Organists (AGO) is loosing membership every year, although through seminars and workshops at colleges and universities, we seek to draw more talented young music majors into the field of organ performance in sacred music. Increasingly Choir Directors, Ministers of Music and Choirmasters who play the organ find themselves being pressed into service with dual roles.

There, now wasn’t that was enlightening? I trust having read that lost chapter from the Book of Acts really was refreshing for you. Kind of puts a song in your heart. Right?

Josef Walker is Choirmaster/Organist of Heidelberg United Church of Christ and serves on the executive board of the American Guild of Organists.