So this evening I was preaching at a church in Birmingham (the original one in England, not Alabama).
I haven't been well for the past couple of days and my condition remained throughout today. Nothing big, just a sore, raw and raspy throat. And I don't remember putting anything up there, but my nose was blocked up also. These symptoms along with an energyless body caused me to stay bed-ridden until last night, still not having prepared my sermon. I was still hoping on God for more inspiration and the words to say up until this afternoon, after my lecturer had preached in the morning. But no, I had parts still missing.
During the last worship song before I preached, I got a small kid to get me a glass of water to soothe my throbbing larynx. He did, and I got up to preach.
About 10 seconds into my my first illustration, which was meant to be a rib-tickler, I realised I had left my water down by my seat, and was about to motion someone to carry it over to me, when a phone rang. Yep.
It wasn't one of those repetitive monotones, but one of those catchy cool tunes, which you'd usually let ring a couple of times before answering. However, this was not the time. I paused momentarily for someone to turn it off, but I suddenly realised, it was coming from behind me. In a jacket on a chair behind me, this phone had been set to the ringing mode where it gets progressively louder the longer you don't answer it. Suddenly from amidst the congregation, the pastor shouts, "Oh, man, that's mine! That's never happened before. It'll stop ringing in a sec." But when it didn't stop, he had to come up out of the congregation, and pick it up.
This totally threw me off my sermon, but worse was the fact that it was all being recorded to be assessed for one of my modules.
Anyways, after the proverbial diarrhea had hit the fan, I cleaned it up and finished my sermon. There were some really good points in there, but overall it lacked the total enthusiasm and passion that are usually habitual of my sermons. I put this down to the lack of focus. That and the freakin' pastor's phone too.
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8 comments:
Hahahaha!! That's hilarious Daveo! I wish I'd been there =)
Do you have the sermon typed in your computer? If so and if you don't mind I would like reading it =) So what do you say about posting your sermon on your blog so you can nourish us too?? =D
Anyways, I miss you man and I hope you'll be in La Jolla August 5th (even sooner would be perfect!).
muhahahahahaha >-) thats quality...
mine was about as good... pastor was a freak & i ended up doin the whole thing on my own etc etc which was crazy!!
Mad mad mad!!!
I was waiting for you to say it was your phone, I know how that can throw u off. Hope u feel better. When you comin' state side
Hey Jón, I only have the sermon on paper, because I prepared so late, but I hope to type it up sometime. I'm also preaching tomorrow morning, but that's for a sermon class rather than a church. I might give you all an excerpt from the last sermon soon, if I get round to it.
And Schrecky, I'm not sure exactly when I'm coming over to the states, cos I haven't booked my tickets yet. I'll let people know when I do.
awww.. Daveo! You are amazing! I would have probibly burst into tears or tripped over the podium or something!! I am praying for your sermon tomorrow... which is today your time!! :)
I guess God was telling you to stop preaching at people ...
Sounds like quite the interesting predictiment but I'm sure you came through it better than you think and with flair...
at least everyone could blame the pastor for his phone. It's pretty understandable to get thrown off from a distraction like that, even if you didn't have time to prepare. Hope you feel better brother. Drink water, get some rest.
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