Older and wiser

Ok I've remembered what it was now....

I was going to talk a bit about my sermon on Sunday. It does actually link in a bit with Ian's blog on learning from mistakes. I once heard the excellent piece of advice:

Learn from other people's mistakes... you haven't got time to make them all yourself!

And yet I failed entirely to learn from a common sermon mistake. That grand old CLASSIC, a positive CORKER of a trap...

ASKING THE CONGREGATION A QUESTION

On Sunday I had to preach ever so briefly as we had to be out of church in time for the Remembrance service afterwards to start and get the 11am silence at the correct time. The gospel was Jesus describing the signs of the end times from Luke. His message beign that horrible things will happen in the world. Horrible things will happen to you. That doesn't mean it's the end of the world. These things happen. Do not be afraid My message was that through all the things that fill us with fear God is with us. Had I been able to find one I would have started with some little story abotu being afraid but instead as we were short of time I asked the congregation:

"What are you afraid of?"

A little cub scout in the front row SHOT his hand in the air. Never being one to ignore such eagerness I trotted over and asked him. I said, "So what are oyu afraid of?"

"Nothing" he said

"Nothing?" says I thinking Bridget Jones like thoughts that are unbloggable

"Nothing" he repeated

"not even a big scary monster" says I doing an impression of a big (well kinda) scary monster.

I wasn't entirely convinced by my recovery but I'm told that it worked fine. (Anyone who was there... feel free to comment!)

Of course what the little cub showed was what I was TRYING to get everyone to discover. There is no need for fear. God is with us always.

Oh Lord I thank you that you have hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to the young!