What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you in a church service

[UberLutheran]

I've been involved with churches in some way since I was five, so I've had time to rack up a few embarrassing events.

When I was 19, I was playing for a friend's summer wedding in an unairconditioned church in Indiana. I was playing Sweelinck's Chromatic Fantasia when I noticed something buzzing around my head -- a wasp. I'm very allergic to bee stings, but the Chromatic Fantasia is a tough piece to play -- so I decided to ignore the wasp and keep playing.

Well, I thought the wasp had left -- but while I was playing the wedding march, I felt something crawling on my chest and realized that the wasp had crawled into my tuxedo! I kept playing -- and it stung me. Reflexively, my arms and hands contracted, and the result was a massive tone cluster, right during the march. The wasp proceeded to sting me again -- and again -- and again, each time with the same result.

I somehow got through the service, and afterwards went into the pastor's study, opened my tux, and laid down on the floor (you know, that anaphalactic thingie!). The groom rushed in, absolutely livid -- and saw me lying on the floor, my chest swollen to the size of a balloon, my face turning purple -- and a wasp crawling off my chest!

They called 911 and EMS arrived (and obviously, I survived!) -- but for the next five years, I couldn't play a wedding without somebody asking, "Did anyone remember to bring the wasp?"

----------==========**********O**********==========----------


An equally horrendous experience happened this past year, the day after Christmas.

Just before Christmas, I caught the flu and was in bed all the way through Christmas Eve -- and got my voice back three hours before the Christmas Eve service. Sunday came around, and I knew I would not have a choir or a cantor, but the Sunday after Christmas is Low Sunday and I figured it was no big deal because I could do the canting myself.

In my parish, we sing the Psalms, so I was leading the Psalm and everything was going OK -- until the last line. I could feel a huge wad of phlegm buiding up in my lungs, but I thought I could suppress it until the Psalm was over.

Well, I was wrong. I started the last line, and this body-racking spasm of a cough hit, full force. The congregation stopped singing entirely, and I could not stop coughing to save my life! Worse yet, the spasm was so intense that I couldn't get my breath, and I was seeing stars!

Finally, I gulped air into my lungs -- and the coughing spasm resumed unabated. Unfortunately, I "broke wind" when the spasm resumed. Mind you, this was not a little "toot" -- this was a four-second Alphorn BLATT which was made all the worse because a live microphone was placed right next to me for canting purposes!

I dashed out into foyer and finished my coughing spasm, then came back in. The lector was looking down and her shoulders were shaking from laughter - and she would not make eye contact with me. The pastor was biting her lips (but also dabbing her eyes and I could see her shoulders shaking). About half the congregation was shaking in their seats, punctuated with periodic guffaws!

With every last shred of dignity I'd ever had now completely obliterated, I played through the entire service, and when I was through and everybody was leaving -- again, nobody made eye contact with me but I could see them all turning their heads and laughing as they passed by!

I'm truly thankful it doesn't get much worse than that.

Next???

[GaelSong]

That's so funny!^_^

I have to say nothing embarrassing has ever happened to me in church except maybe an attack of the giggles when I was younger.

[AveMaria]

I mentioned this story on another thread. My most embarassing church related moment was during a friends' wedding. I was a bridesmaid, in a truly horrid peach chiffon ruffled milkmaid/shepardess dress. . . complete with a bow on the bum.

During communion, Father dropped the Corpus Christi. . .right down my bodice and into my cleavage. Without really thinking, I reached down my bodice and started trying to fish it out, which took a bit longer than I had expected. By this time, the poor Father was blushing and I was feeling pretty mortified myself. I did manage to retrieve it, and at a loss for what to do, consumed what remained as reverently as I possibly could, given the circumstances.

I cannot begin to express how grateful I am that this wedding was not video taped.

[UberLutheran]

During communion, Father dropped the Corpus Christi. . .right down my bodice and into my cleavage. Without really thinking, I reached down my bodice and started trying to fish it out, which took a bit longer than I had expected. By this time, the poor Father was blushing and I was feeling pretty mortified myself. I did manage to retrieve it, and at a loss for what to do, consumed what remained as reverently as I possibly could, given the circumstances.

I cannot begin to express how grateful I am that this wedding was not video taped.

The mental picture of this.... ROFL!!!!

[AveMaria]

The mental picture of this.... ROFL!!!!

Glad you got a chuckle at my expense. Some of my friends still tease me about that incident!

Of course, in retrospect, the peach chiffon dress is the most embarassing part.

[benedictine]

Um....... I once stood infront of the whole church waiting with an offering plate for about five minutes while choir played a horid song. I was waiting for the crucifer tobring the offeretory procession back up, and I came up too early.

Then, once I was the crucifer, and I walked too early, before the Old 100th was played, and people didn't stand until they saw me walking past them... the priest was furious.Not a fun incident.

But other than that, nothing major.

[Father Rick]

I think the most embarrassing incident for me personally happened when I was guest speaker at the church my father pastored.

For several years, I had been severely hypoglycemic (God has since healed me, BTW) but on this occasion I was in mid sermon, when my sugar level dropped significantly. I don't remember much of the incident, but apparently I turned green, my speech started to slur, and I was half way to the floor--still trying to hold onto the pulpit-- when one of the ushers rushed up and caught me. EMS was brought in-- and I was wheeled down the main aisle of the church on a gurney. How's that for livening up a nice quiet church service?

[PaladinValer]

Not really embarassing for me, but rather cute:

When I was but a little boy at a tender age of 6, my father remarried and I was the ring bearer. Well, the minister (it wasn't an Episcopal or Old Catholic service I don't believe) was giving his shpiel when suddenly, my new stepmother accidentally dropped his flowers to the ground.

I immediately left my place at the altar (being as young as I was, I was dying to do something active), picked up the flowers, and said (to the effect of): "Evie, Evie; you dropped your flowers."

[SirTimothy]

Embarrassing? I don't get embarrassed... *tries to remember if he's embarrassed himself*

I don't think I've done any of the typical church organist/pianist stuff, like playing the wrong hymn, etc. :)

Timothy

[pmcleanj]

My husband, who is a musician of the rock-guitar-and-keyboards variety, says "you've just got to realize that you ARE going to do something to make a fool of yourself, and stop worrying about it, or you'll never be able to play anything."

My ballet mistress of old put it "If you are going to make a mistake, make it a BIG mistake!"

Confidence is everything.

[Songspinner]

You want a cute story..

My mother and my father seperated when she was 4 months pregnant, and he has never bothered to show up since hen so i have never met him. When I was in my first year of Nursery school they made us make a Father's day Card. It never occured to me that it was strange that didn't live with my father and consiquently made the Card. And on the next Sunday i gave it to the only person I ever called Father...my Priest.

Was I cute or what? :angel:

[Brian Augustyn]

Well, I have previously recounted the disasterous funeral mass I served back when I was a RC altar boy. That was probably the most dramatically embarrassing church moment.

But...how about this...?

When I was in sixth grade we prepared for our confirmations. Now in the Roman Catholic Church in Chicago in the sixties, there way more kids coming of age than there were Bishops to do the job. We were, thus, told in no uncertain terms that if we dared to miss our chance we would have to wait at least one more year (or longer) to be confirmed. Under no circumstances were we to even think of not showing up.

Come the day, I was in day two of the worst flu I have ever experienced. Sister Patricia called my parents in a panic--I had to show up, sick or not. She said that she would sit with me in the sacristy, and she would bring me out only when it was my turn to get confirmed, at which point she would hustle me back to the couch. We agreed.

I was feeling very, very iffy, but my fever was down and I was not as shaky as I had been the day before. I was oddly relieved to be released the obligation to go through a lot of the ceremony (there was a lot of memorized recitation). It seemed cool that I just had to zip out, get smacked, and zip back.

The time came, I wobbled out and stood for my turn, the Bishop started down the row in my direction and everything was...actually, things were getting very warm and I was starting to feel as though my limbs were made of very heavy, very loose rubber. It seemed clear that I had only a very few upright moments ahead of me. I steeled myself as best I could, resolved to survive long enough to be confirmed. The Bishop toook forever.

Finally, as I stood quivering and sweaty, he reached me and did his stuff. I remained on my feet and did my part. He slapped my cheek and I was done. By that moment, I was seeing double and my stomach was lurching in a frighteningly painful way. I stumbled toward the four Sister Patricias who urged me on with a very concerned expression on her face.

Just feet from the doorway, I stopped on my uinsteady legs and grabbed my stomach. It felt as if I was being twisted in the middle like a wet towel.

The next second, as lovely and kind Sister Pat moved to my aid, a fountain of yuck erupted from me like a slightly smaller Vesuvius--a fountain that caught the poor nun full in the face and chest. That's right, on the day of my confirmation, I projectile vomited all over a nun in front of a church full of friends and family--and the Bishop.

I was pretty embarrrassed.

She got me back to the sacristy, barely reacting to the foul shower I'd just provided. I managed to get to a sink before anything else flew out of me. I weakly apologized over and over. Sister Pat waved this off (even as she toweled herself futily). She had insisted that I come--and I did manage to go through with my confirmation. That was the important thing.

I heard about this for years (oddly, I was a hero in the stories of the event my fellow confirmands told). Sister Pat never really reacted to me in quite the same way. I made her nervous for some reason.

That's the story...

Brian

[pmcleanj]

Finally, as I stood quivering and sweaty, he reached me and did his stuff. I remained on my feet and did my part. He slapped my cheek and I was done.
Slapped your cheek?

Is this normal?

In an Anglican confirmation, the confirmand kneels before the Bishop, who lays his or her hands on the confirmands head and prays that they "may daily increase in the Holy Spirit, more and more".

We don't get slapped. Is the slapping symbolic of something? Do you get the laying on of hands as well, or is the slap it?

[ScottishJohn]

I was on a holiday in Prague and had read that there was an English speaking service on a Sunday morning in the board room of a Czech church, so I decided to go along, giving myself plenty of time to get there as i had no Idea how to do so. Of course it took me a lot longer than I had expected and I reached the church buidling just as the service was due to start. My next problem was that the church was enormous, adn i had no idea how to get to the service i wanted to attend. (there was also a czech service going on) anyway I looked around and went up and down stairs and along corridors and evetually found a door with english singing behind it. I quietly pushed it open and walked in to find myself standing to the left of the pulpit at the front of the church! Well I wasn't sure whether to carry on in ar to go out andf find a way around. While I hesitated the musician stopped playin in the middle of a verse, the congregation stopped singing, everyone turned around to look at me, and the minister invited me in and had my life story from me before I could sit down and the srvice continued! Very welcoming but most embarrasing as well!

[Iron Sun 254]

Slapped your cheek?

Is this normal?

In an Anglican confirmation, the confirmand kneels before the Bishop, who lays his or her hands on the confirmands head and prays that they "may daily increase in the Holy Spirit, more and more".

We don't get slapped. Is the slapping symbolic of something? Do you get the laying on of hands as well, or is the slap it?

That's the way they used to do it, though it stopped before I went through.

[RobNJ]

Hmmm All I got was laying on of hands, and a cross done on my forhead with a oiled thumb

[Father Rick]

Slapped your cheek?

Is this normal?

In an Anglican confirmation, the confirmand kneels before the Bishop, who lays his or her hands on the confirmands head and prays that they "may daily increase in the Holy Spirit, more and more".

We don't get slapped. Is the slapping symbolic of something? Do you get the laying on of hands as well, or is the slap it? The 'slap' on the cheek is derived from the earliest days of the Church. In Scripture, we see it recorded that when the Apostles 'laid their hands on them', the believers would begin to 'speak with other tongues' (glossalalia). From this came the practice of laying hands on the believers to receive the Holy Spirit, then a light slap on the cheek to say 'ok... start speaking'.

[Brian Augustyn]

Slapped your cheek?

Is this normal?

In an Anglican confirmation, the confirmand kneels before the Bishop, who lays his or her hands on the confirmands head and prays that they "may daily increase in the Holy Spirit, more and more".

We don't get slapped. Is the slapping symbolic of something? Do you get the laying on of hands as well, or is the slap it?

The Bishop did indeed lay hands on me, as well as annointing my forehead. Then he smacked me, but until Father Rick explained it, I never understood why.

Thanks, Fr. Rick.

Brian

[Torah]

This is a true story.
One day after service, our pastor and myself were in the Church building talking. When up walks one of the kids from the congregation, about 10. And on each earlobe is a small little lizard.
{Here in Florida we get little lizards that the kids will let bite them on the earlobe and they look like earrings. [They don’t hurt] And they will hang on for a long time}
The little Girl was showing off her live earrings to the Pastor and myself when, up walks this lady.
{I’m going to call her Mary. She is a lady in her early 50’s but is very well kept and looks like she is in her late 30’s.}
The little girl shows Mary her earrings, and Mary says “are they real” and reaches out to touch one of the lizards, when she touch the lizards, he lets go of the ear and runs up Mary’s arm and Jumps right in the middle of her puffy hairdo. Mary starts running in place and turning in circles, screaming and waving her arms. {This gets every ones attention in the Church}
The Pastor reaches out grabs the lizard and throws it to the middle of the church along with the wig Mary was wearing. Mary runs to her wig and bends over to pick it up And finds out she was having gas pains and. POOT! She grads the wig runs to the Lady’s room, So she thinks! We hear a male voice say “This is the Men’s room”. Mary run’s to the Lady’s room locks the door and in about 5 min we hear her laughing hilariously at herself. She comes out all fixed up, and says. “That is the funnies thing that has ever happen to me”.
:D

[Torah]

I read this story some place. A little boy of 5 or 6 was act up in Church. The Father told his son that if he doesn’t stop he would take him out side and give you a spanking. Well, The little boy keeps on and his Father takes his son up in his arms and starts for the door. Just as they get to the door the little boy grabs the doorframe and pulls his head back into the Church and yells!
“Pray people Pray.”

[Colabomb]

Back in my Modalist days......

I was at church one time, and we were talking about praying out loud, I said "I don't pray well out loud, I prefer to pray to myself (meaning silently)"

[Andy Broadley]

Back in my Salvationist days I played the bass drum in the band. One Sunday evening during a lively piece of music, I lost my grip on one of my drum sticks and it sailed merrily accross the hall, missing the bandmaster by inches.

It was an 'OK ground....NOW' job.

[AveMaria]

You want a cute story..

My mother and my father seperated when she was 4 months pregnant, and he has never bothered to show up since hen so i have never met him. When I was in my first year of Nursery school they made us make a Father's day Card. It never occured to me that it was strange that didn't live with my father and consiquently made the Card. And on the next Sunday i gave it to the only person I ever called Father...my Priest.

Was I cute or what? :angel:

That is absolutely precious!

[Iron Sun 254]

At a church Halloween party my wife was dressed as a devil. While we were waiting in line the priest's 6 year old son asks if he can hold my wife's pitchfork. He suddenly points it at her and says "Start praying!"

[AveMaria]

*giggle giggle snort* Too funny, IronSun!

[TomUK]

I've mentioned earlier that i go on a pilgrimage every year to walsignham. One of the highlights of the pilgrimage is a candlelight procession round the shrine grounds singing the walsingham hymn telling the story of walsingham with the a rousing chorus of 'ave, ave, ave maria, ave, ave, ave maria'. Each time we sing ave maria we raise our candles high, but sadly when i lifted my candle to the heavens it set fire to a rather low hanging tree. I then can recall two middle aged women racing towards with umbrellas and thought they were going to put me to death for setting fire to some sacred tree, but thankfully they were merely beating out the flames. Mysteriously, at my pilgrimage the following year the tree seemed somewhat less low-hanging....

[romaneagle13]

Ok, I recall being about 10 and at a wedding--my mother's brother (my maternal uncle)was marrying my father's brother's wife's (my paternal aunt's) first cousin. So members of both my mother's family and my father's family were there. (It was like a big family reunion). Anyway, my father's brother's eldest daughter, my cousin Roseanne (who was 9) was there with me and we were dressed in identical blue party dresses and armed with baskets of net bags of confetti. Our job was to stand at the back of the church at the end of the wedding and and hand out the confetti to people to throw at the bride and groom. Well, Roseanne decided she wanted to see what was in the bags, so she tried to open one. She was having difficulty and pulling on it really hard. I reached over to stop her just as she got it torn open. But she did it with such a tug and was trying to pull it away from me as well and the confetti just went up in the air and all over her, me and the pew. Everyone within 3 or 4 pews saw it. My mother leaned over to see me with my hands on it and Roseanne and I trying to clean it up and suppress our giggles. Mom gave me a really angry, "you're going to get it later" look. When we left the church there was still confetti on the floor where we'd been sitting.

And last Sunday when I cantored at a Mass I don't usually sing at, the organist started playing what sounded like the intro to the communion hymn (it was the same tune). Thinking I was coming in late, I grabbed the hymnal, stood up and started singing. Communion had just begun. By the time I finished all four verses of the hymn, the organist asked me, "did you do the whole hymn?". I whispered, "yes", but communion still going on. He finished playing and just did some incidental music. It wasn't until after Mass that he informed me that what I had mistook for the intro was just some improvisational stuff and he hadn't intended to start the hymn until closer to the end of communion. Now I know why what should have been a congregational thing turned into another solo performance for me! :doh: I was so embarassed. He just thought it was funny.

[Zacharias]

I visited the Cathedral and I was asked to carry a banner in the processional. I was carring the banner around to it's stand and I caught it on a speaker hanging from the ceiling. I moved it off and finished processing. The other banner bearers looked at me and had goofy smiles.

[chalice_thunder]

Slapped your cheek?

Is this normal?

In an Anglican confirmation, the confirmand kneels before the Bishop, who lays his or her hands on the confirmands head and prays that they "may daily increase in the Holy Spirit, more and more".

We don't get slapped. Is the slapping symbolic of something? Do you get the laying on of hands as well, or is the slap it?

Actually, I know a few Bishops who add a slap after the laying on of hands. The significance is lost on me!
We have a retired assistant Bp. who says (over each candidate who is confirmed, reaffirmed or received) "Remember your baptism." Cool idea - but Lordy, when you have a regional confirmation, and there are 75 candidates - it really adds to the time!

[AveMaria]

One of my good friends, who was confirmed into ECUSA within the past 5-10 years, was slapped - lightly, of course. So apparently there are still a few slapping-bishops.

[PaladinValer]

If I remember correctly, that's a part of an Anglican tradition...

[AveMaria]

Sadly, I missed out on the slapping, which would have been interesting for the sake of T/tradition.

But I'll live.

[PaladinValer]

I missed it to, though I doubt my mother would have approved :P

[benedictine]

My bishop slaps!

[Wakeup2god]

My brother in the flesh who is also my pastor once anounced to the congregation that I had a 'thong' to share with them, meaning a song of course. Laughter is good medicine but boy did I blush.

[RedneckAnglican]

Bishop Payne who confirmed me wasn't a slapper, but Bishop Alard (God rest him) was...he slapped my wife and several of my friends...



When I was confirmed my wife had to work and none of my family was there and I was the only one from my church getting confirmed that day...I go up and kneel before the Bishop and he looks at me and says "Where is your family?"...I told him I was the only one there...so he looks at the group for the person who he just confirmed (they were from the sprawling metroplex of Woodville, Texas) and said "Come here and lay hands on this man...he needs a family"...not exactly embarrassing, but I really don't like attention called to myself...and that called some attention...

[Brian Augustyn]

Bishop Payne who confirmed me wasn't a slapper, but Bishop Alard (God rest him) was...he slapped my wife and several of my friends...

Unfortunately, this wasn't in the context of a Confirmation. ba-doomp-kleeeeessh

Talk about embarrassing; a bishop walking around slapping folks silly.

:P

Brian

[Wakeup2god]

Just thought you may want to know that over here in the UK a slapper means something different.

Slapper - (an ugly, loose woman)

[Colabomb]

I wasn't slapped.

[Zacharias]

I wasn't slapped.

Neither was I.

[Colabomb]

If I remember correctly, that's a part of an Anglican tradition...
Actually, I think Roman Catholics do it too. I remember something about it in a Jack Chick tract... and he for some reason never mentions Anglicanism....

Lol, except this one time...

I remember something about how this early Protestant "wouldn't have his Baby Baptized by a Priest of Rome" or something like that... But a Priest of England would do just fine ;)

[Father Rick]

Ok guys... I had to dig this thread up 'cause I have a new 'most embarrassing'...

Sunday, I was filling in at St. Stephen's Episcopal. I was taking the Book of the Gospels (with the nice gold plated cover-- you know the one with the 4 Evangelists on it) from the altar seen to bring out to the congregation to read. As I turned around, the Gospels slid out of my hands and flew across the altar area seen here,
http://www.saintthomasmorechurch.com/sitebuilder/images/altar-341x226.jpg
taking 2 big chunks out of the wood floor and slightly denting the gold plated cover. The sound of the 'crash' just rang through the sanctuary.

Nothing says 'I'm the new guy' quite like throwing the Gospels across the room!

[RobNJ]

Well, you certainly made an impression!!!!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

on the floor, on the book cover....^_^

[chalice_thunder]

Heavens!! Fr. Rick, can you imagine what people would have said if you'd picked up and launched the Missile? ;)

[benedictine]

Ok guys... I had to dig this thread up 'cause I have a new 'most embarrassing'...

Sunday, I was filling in at St. Stephen's Episcopal. I was taking the Book of the Gospels (with the nice gold plated cover-- you know the one with the 4 Evangelists on it) from the altar seen to bring out to the congregation to read. As I turned around, the Gospels slid out of my hands and flew across the altar area seen here,
http://www.saintthomasmorechurch.com/sitebuilder/images/altar-341x226.jpg





taking 2 big chunks out of the wood floor and slightly denting the gold plated cover. The sound of the 'crash' just rang through the sanctuary.

Nothing says 'I'm the new guy' quite like throwing the Gospels across the room!


Umm... This past Sunday, I carried the Gospel Book in Procession, like normally, and then stood it on the Altar, again, like normally, and then.................................................................................................
It fell over. Nothing nearly as bad as what happened to Fr. Rick!

[AveMaria]

Oh, no, Father Rick! Forgive me, but I'm giggling hysterically!

[Father Rick]

Oh, no, Father Rick! Forgive me, but I'm giggling hysterically!Giggle away...

I wouldn't have put it out here for you guys if I didn't think you would find it funny.

[Mic]

OK, I don't feel NEARLY as bad about breaking the Host into the Blood anymore.

At least I didn't throw anything! :P

Mic

[SirTimothy]

Well I finally have one. We had "Onward, Christian Soldiers" on Sunday as the leaving hymn. I was on the organ, swell out to full. And I hit the first two chords of the introduction, only then realising that I'm in the wrong key. It sounded dreadful. I had to stop and start again. :)

Oh, and Benedictine, why've you got your display thingy set to be Roman Catholic?

Timothy

[Finella]

Wow, this is a great thread -- nothing like a little leaven.... :)

I have been somewhat lucky in my long life of acolyting and musicing in the church that I have never set fire to anything, never coughed up a ball of phlegm in the middle of a chant (thanks, Uber, I was laughing so hard when reading your story--it's one of my worst fears!) nor have I spilled or farted or anything... yet.

My friends and family, well....

Once my mom was in the role of Chalice Bearer. The carpet of the dias around the altar and the area around it was this bright red, and the lighting was somewhat dim. My mom took the chalice from the priest and turned to step down from the dias toward the altar rail where people were already settling into kneeling position. She realized as she stepped that she couldn't clearly distinguish between the edge of the step and the shadows in the carpet, and before she knew it she missed the step and fell forward, launching the wine out of the chalice, all over the red carpet and splashing a few people at the altar rail. Oy. I think she managed to stay standing and just turned around and asked for more wine from the priest who hadn't even had a chance to leave the altar yet, and then, with a few red spots on her cotta, turned carefully back to the altar rail and managed to get through communion with some kind of dignity. Ever after as lay chalice bearer she would feel forward with her foot as if she were blind just in case.

At that same church I was an acolyte while a friend of mine was thurifer for the first time. I had shown her how to raise and lower the lid of the thurible and she was nervous about following all the detailed instructions for when to emerge from the sacristy, how many times to cense people, etc. We were just about to process out for the Gospel, and she came out, bowed to the altar, and crossed to the priest who was going to put incense into the censer and bless it. She raised the lid to the thurible and suddenly one of the chains came loose, dumping several glowing coals onto the same red carpet and sending sparks flying. The priest began stomping out the coals, alb and stole flapping, until it seemed the fire danger had passed. He gently waved off my mortified friend to the sacristy where she spent the remainder of the service trying to reattach the chain to the thurible... I think the thing wound up being out of commission the rest of the service.

[chalice_thunder]

Well I finally have one. We had "Onward, Christian Soldiers" on Sunday as the leaving hymn. I was on the organ, swell out to full. And I hit the first two chords of the introduction, only then realising that I'm in the wrong key. It sounded dreadful. I had to stop and start again. :)

Oh, and Benedictine, why've you got your display thingy set to be Roman Catholic?

Timothy

Hey Timothy.

I would venture to say ALL of us organists have been there. :D
(Uber can probably back me up on this!)

Next time, do what I do...play those same chords again and make a magnificent fanfarish extended introduction...you'll eventually get your wits back, and manage to slip back into the right key! :wave:

[Diane_Windsor]

Rarely am I embarrassed so I don't have a story of my own. But it was fun reading through the stories and laughing at your expense :P

Diane
:wave:

[karen freeinchristman]

One Christmas morning at the communion service, where it was so early that there were only about 20 of us there, and it was nice and peaceful, my mobile phone started ringing during the prayers. This might be a usual occurence in some with some church goers, but I never even use my mobile phone, and I don't even keep it switched on. It was only a junk-mail message from the service provider. Would have been good if it was God on the line!

[marciebaby]

When I was little and walking up the stairs towards the altar, I mis-stepped and fell backwards off the stairs and landed upside down in a large potted plant with my dress up over my head.

[svdbygrace]

I have a few...

Like at my Baptism, which was held in a stream (usally held in the Ohio River, but in this case in a stream), I was going down the steep incline, to the water, which my Father and the Pastor were already there... and upon entering the water, tripped. I didn't go all the way down, but not fun at all. Then being nervous from that anyway, when I was told to hold my nose, I didn't hear the command, and was lowed backwards, rather quickly into the water. All I remember was the Pastor saying "__ As a profession of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and a sign of the remission of sin, I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. I said Amen. and *splash* I had forgot to hold my breath (or even close my mouth all the way (oops!...). I was now drinking muddy creek water. I started coughing, and upon walking (with help) back up to dry land, everyone was asking me if I was okay. Embarassing! :( lol.

Another time was when I was asked to play Silent Night with another friend on the trumpet (and Clarinet... bad combination!). We put on our robes, which matched the ones everyone in the choir would be wearing (they were hand made for the occassion, out of thin material, and were purple (why I don't know). My friend and I walked up the center asile, to the front of the church, and I got my feet caught in the material. It riped, I trip... caught myself on the railing up to the choir area, right in plain view of the entire congregation. I managed to get through it, but never agreed to do anything like that again. ;)