Editor’s note: This is another column in Bill Boyd’s new series, “The Way It Was,” about growing up in Marysville. Bill continues to work with the Union County Historical Society to obtain information for his stories.
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When I was about five years old, I started going to Sunday school in the Methodist Church. I enjoyed those sessions – the singing, coloring, Bible stories and playing in the sandbox. Then, maybe a year later, I decided I would like to go to the church services in the sanctuary following my Sunday school class.
So the following Sunday, my sister, Betty, who was 12 years older than I was, took me to a church service. We found a pew about half way down the aisle, and I sat there with her.
It was pretty exciting with the organ music, and the choir. I was having a great time. Then a bit later, Pastor Simms began his sermon. I didn’t understand what he was talking about, so I got bored. At some point, I don’t know what I was doing, something struck me as funny, and I started to giggle. My sister tried to stop the giggling, but the harder she tried, the more I giggled.
Betty put an arm around me, and tried to shield all those people from my giggling. She did a pretty good job, but there were a few people who turned around and stared at me. What could be worse then to get the giggles while you are sitting in a pew in church?
I’ll tell you what. Just fast forward a dozen years or so to the Spring of 1950. It was a special Sunday with much of the worship service being performed by MHS graduating seniors, including me, who were members of the Methodist Church.
Each of us was assigned part of the service to perform. Part of my job was to lead the congregation in singing a couple of hymns. We had a short rehearsal on Saturday afternoon. For each hymn, I was to step to the pulpit and announce the hymn number. Then I was to say, “Please rise.” Once everyone was standing, I was to say, “Let us sing together,” and then I was to nod to the organist to begin playing.
On Sunday morning, the church was packed. All of us graduates wore our black graduation gowns, and I thought we looked very churchly. There were three ornate chairs behind the pulpit. I sat in the center chair. A friend of mine, Bill Worthington, sat at my left.
As I sat there waiting to lead the congregation in singing the first hymn, I thought about how the current minister, Pastor Alexander, sometimes got the congregation to stand without saying a word. He just extended his arms in front of him, palms up. Then he raised his hands a bit and the worshipers stood up.
I wondered if I could do that. I bet I could. So I decided to give it a try, instead of the way we had rehearsed. When it was time to sing, I arose and went to the pulpit, where I announced the hymn number. Then, without saying a word, I extended my arms, palms up, and I raised both hands a bit.
Oh boy, the whole congregation popped up out of the pews at the same time. Then I heard a kind of snort from Bill Worthington. That guy could find humor in almost anything, and when I raise my hands, and everyone stood up, he thought it was really funny.
I was okay until I turned to look at Bill. As soon as our eyes met, we both started to giggle. He had done that to me in school several times. Bill could hide his giggling, because he was sitting on a chair behind me. I, on the other hand, was standing at the pulpit with the entire congregation staring at me.
Oh man, this was a lot like when I got the giggles years earlier. But this time I couldn’t be hidden by my sister. The whole congregation was looking at me, waiting for me to say, “Let us sing together.” I was giggling on the inside, but it was just a smile on the outside. I knew that if I started to speak, I would start to giggle. So I just stood there, smiling.
I can’t tell you how long I stood there, but it seemed like an eternity. Then, I think the organist picked up on my problem, and she started playing immediately, with no signal from me.
I think giggling in church is pretty rare, so it will probably never happen to you. But if it does, I hope it is when you are sitting in a pew, and not when you are standing at the pulpit with everyone looking at you. That can be really uncomfortable!
Those wishing to contact Bill Boyd can e-mail him at williamboyd514@gmail.com