An old farmer went to the city and attended the big city church.
He came home and his wife asked him how
it was.
"Well," said the farmer, "it was good.
They did something different however. They sang praise choruses instead
of hymns."
"Praise choruses?" said his wife, "what
are those?"
"Oh, they're okay. They're sort of like
hymns, only different."
"Well, what's the difference?" asked the
wife.
The farmer said, "Well, it's like this.
If I were to say to you, 'Martha, the cows are in the corn.' Well, that
would be a hymn.
If on the other hand, I was to say to you, 'Martha, Martha, Martha, Oh
Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA, the cows, the big
cows, the brown cows, the white cows, the black and white cows, the
COWS, COWS, COWS, are in the corn, are in the
corn, are in the corn." Well that would be a praise chorus.
"Well," said the young man, "It was
good. They did something different, however. They sang hymns instead of
regular songs."
"Hymns," said his wife, "what are those."
"Oh, they're okay. They're sort of like
regular songs, only different."
"Well, what's the difference?" asked his
wife.
The young man said, "Well, it's like
this. If I were to say to you, 'Martha, the cows are in the corn.'
Well, that would be a
regular song. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you:
'O Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry
Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth.
Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by,
To the righteous, inimitable,
glorious truth.
For the way of the animals who can explain
There in their heads is no shadow of sense,
Hearkenest they in God's sun or his rain
Unless from the mild, tempting corn
they are fenced.
Yea, those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight,
Have broke free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed.
Then goaded by minions of dark and night
They all my mild Chilliwack sweet
corn hath chewed.
So look to that bright shining day by and by,
Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn.
Where no vicious animal makes my soul cry
And I no longer see those foul cows
in the corn. Amen.'
"Then, if I were to do only verses one,
three, and four, and do a key change on the last verse; well, that
would be a hymn."
