STTA started out as a radio program. I'd go down to the local radio station and sit in from of a console and a recorder. I age myself when I tell you I started out with a reel to reel. I'd sit there with a stopwatch in my hand and read from my script.
Sometimes it came out right. Often times I'd have to start over. I made good use of the rewind button. When I finished, the tech-guy at the radio station would put my spots on a cartridge that looked a lot like the old eight-tracks that used to be in automobiles.
"Something to Think About" was broadcast right after Paul Harvey. After his iconic, "Good Day," my, "Hello, my name is Howard Merrell, this is Something to Think About," would go out to radio-land.
Back in the day it used to be common for local businesses to play the local radio station over their public-address systems. A few times, I was giving my order to a waitress, or getting my change from a checkout clerk when my radio-voice came out of the speaker. Some made the connection, others just kept counting nickels. It never was really clear whether anyone really listened.
Is anybody out there tuned in?
I'm not on the radio anymore, but it is still a question I ask whenever I preach. People may look like they are paying attention, and often they are--to their cellphone, a grocery list, a mental replay of the fight they recently had with their spouse, or even "twenty-five reasons why this guy is all wrong."
When the preacher steps down from the platform or the teacher finishes the lesson, we are never quite sure what has been accomplished.
Anything?
From time to time we preacher-types get word from the other side. It happened to me recently. Somebody took the time to come and let me know that yes, indeed, someone was listening. Somebody out there in the sea of faces zeroed in on the message in the message and applied it to their heart. A life was changed.
Is anybody listening?
Most of the time we don't know.
Preaching is an act of faith. I believe in the power of God's word (see here). To teach Sunday School, to preach, to read the Bible to your kids before they go to sleep, involves believing that God works through His word. It's encouraging to have that trust reinforced from time to time. I'm thankful to my new friend for giving me a peek at what's going on out there.
Yes, somebody listened.
A fictional preacher-friend of mine has the same question in his heart that many of we flesh and blood preachers struggle with. Sometime it seems like Nobody is listening. You might identify with Parson Smedley's musings.
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