Getting Down To Basics

A New York City pastor recalls what happened one fateful Sunday morning as the choir took its customary walk down the Church’s center aisle toward their benches in the sanctuary:

There is an iron grate in the middle of that center aisle, directly over the boiler in the basement. During the week, something got stuck in the grate and the sexton had to remove it in order to get the object out. But, unfortunately, he forgot to fasten the grate down when he put it back. Thus, potential disaster lurked the following Sunday morning when the choir began its walk down the aisle. To make matters worse, because a fuse had burned out, the lights over the middle aisle were off. In the semi-darkness, the altos got past the grate okay. However, one of the sopranos managed to get her high heel stuck in the grate. Using quick wits, she stepped out of her shoe and continued walking on down the aisle without missing…