The Way of the Master’s soundman and techie (and all-around nice guy) Scottie, needed our help down in Huntington Beach on Saturday while Ray was away at a conference. He had a challenge on his hands: 47 choir members from a Mennonite Bible School in Pennsyvania were scheduled to visit the rough-hewn Pier where lesser mortals were known to be reduced to tears because of the intense conflict between open air preachers and the incorrigible pagan crowd. (C’mon, Steve. Who has ever been reduced to tears? you ask. Well, my wife and children for instance.)

What would the Mennonite singers think of all this? Would they lose their faith? Would they lose their innocence? What were they thinking coming down to this Philistine encampment in the O.C.?

We were pleasantly surprised!

They came to sing! And boy did they sing! Hallelujah choruses and sanctified songs celebrating the Savior among the sinners and saints! What was the reaction? Rapt attention. While a performer wheeled about on his 15-foot unicycle across the way, the greater audience listened—listened!—to the cherubic voices of the angels.

The Holy in Huntington.

After a few hymns were sung, a succession of preachers stood on the preaching box ready to deliver the message of salvation while the Mennonite singers stood around to listen, also with rapt attention.

Then we preached to the choir!