I know a Methodist preacher who, on his very first Sunday at a church in a small southern town, made it to the end of his very first sermon in his new parish, and then asked the congregation stand for the last hymn. As was their custom he said, ''Now during the singing of the last hymn, if there are those who would unite with our church, or those who, in response to the sermon would simply like to come forward and kneel in prayer for a time at the altar, please feel free to come during the hymn."

The hymn was hardly begun when a young man shouted out loud, ran down the center aisle, leapt over the altar rail, and threw himself bodily upon the altar with shrieks and screams. The new preacher just stood there shinned.

A couple of ushers came forward and helped the weeping, screaming young …