Recent research I've read indicates that every 28 minutes someone is playing That Old Rugged Cross in a church somewhere. And it's being accompanied by organ music.

But why organ music? I mean, it's nice and all. My mom used to play the organ for our church. It somehow made everything that was sung in church more Christ-like. But chances are that Jesus never heard an organ when he was on Earth, and I'm not sure he would have wanted to. I think Jesus probably preferred sitting around the camp fire, playing the spoons and beating on the old wash pan. Made a more natural noise to the Lord.

I've heard of churches that don't even have an organ. Only a piano. They're saving up for an organ, but it has to be just the right organ. One that hasn't had the 'Flight of the Bumblebee' played on it before. Or any old Doors songs. A little Lawrence Welk would be fine, or maybe even some dueling organ music we used to see on Ed Sullivan. But good organs are hard to come by. So big. So expensive. But they are so Christian.

Where do you suppose the organ music in church thing comes from? Didn't the old churches in Europe have big old pipe organs like in the 1700's? Now those are organs. Nothing like the little electric weenie Hammonds or Yamahas of today. But those churches were Catholic or Anglican or Orthodox, and since they often charged for forgiving sins, they had the dough for the big ones. But where did the church come up with the organ in the first place?

I've also heard of churches today that don't even allow musical instruments of any kind to be played. I can't imagine where they get their justification for that. Joyful noise is all through the Bible, even though we don't know if they were in tune. Maybe organs were the best they had at the time. I don't know. But at least the musical saw didn't make the mainstream. Please. Even God has limits.