Waiting for “As We Stand and Sing”

Far too many Christians anticipate the end of the sermon, when the preacher uses those well-worn words, “As we stand and sing.” In fact, many can sense when the preacher is nearing those words, and they begin to tune out, thinking that–finally–the service is about done.

Closing a sermon is difficult, because a preacher wants to spend so much time on the “meat” of the sermon that the conclusion often gets left out of the preparation process. So, we default. We end the same way nearly every week, with no real thought to how this will bring the sermon to a fitting end. We just know it will, well, bring the sermon to some end!

Preachers, we need to do our best to make those last few moments of the sermon well worth the mental effort of the hearers. Many “tune out” because they have heard us conclude every sermon for months or even years in basically the same way. How many of us end nearly every sermon with the “challenge” to “pray more and study more,” then we ask them to stand and sing? If I have heard that every week for months on end, I am not too likely to listen very closely either.

But, listeners, you have a responsibility, too. Your preacher’s heart is aching for someone to respond. He wouldn’t be preaching if his heart was not “in it” (or, he shouldn’t be!). He has prayed for this moment all week. He may “default” often, but it is not due to a lack of compassion or love for the lost or erring. You owe it to him to listen through to the end.

And, listeners, you owe it to the lost to keep listening! It is deeply distracting when people are putting away Bibles, closing up cases for glasses, and even grabbing car keys while the preacher is making one last appeal to someone (anyone!) to respond to the loving invitation of our Lord. What if your distracting actions cause someone to think that this just isn’t important? Do we ever think about that, or do we, as listeners, too often “default,” too?

So, this week, as your preacher angles toward those words, may he strive for a deeply moving and helpful conclusion, and may we who hear listen through with a view toward eternity, all the way through. And then, we will stand and sing!