1. “Where’s the piano?” One of the most noticeable things that people comment on is the absence of a piano or organ or band, which sometimes strikes visitors as peculiar. They have occasionally suggested the following reasons for why we do not use them.
a. "Are you too poor to afford one?” b. “Do you not like instrumental music?” c. “Are you just trying to be different?”
[Editor’s note: Ordinarily, I do not publish sermons, but in this case, a request prompted it to be done. What follows is not a transcript, nor is it just the outline; it is an effort to put the message into essay form; some differences will likely exist. The original idea for this particular sermon was suggested by an outline that appeared in The Preacher’s Periodical about 25 years ago. The content and organization are far different from the original.]
[Editor’s Note: I wrote the following article for the Columbia City Crusader, and it was printed on November 13, 1994. Now it is fifteen years later: some things have changed, but the major issues remain the same.]