There they were, Frances and Jonathan, sitting over breakfast coffee having got the three kids off to school. It had been one of those mornings when some homework had been forgotten to be finished, and the school uniform had not been put out in the weekend to be washed and an argument had arisen over something very trite.
Frances said, “If I was a drinker I would pour myself a drink of something to cope with the day. I'd better just get on with it. Did anyone comment on your sermon yesterday, love?”
"No,” said Jonathan, “sometimes I feel like Father McKenzie in the Beatles' song where I spend time during the week getting a sermon together for what purpose?”
“Have you any idea what you might make the subject this week?”
Jonathan replied, "I've preached on the Beatitudes, healing ministries of Jesus, Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac, Joseph, Jeremiah, and some of the minor prophets. Perhaps I should do something entirely different like horse riding."
“What! How can you relate that to Christian ethics?"
Jonathan replied, “I’ll think of something. Anything to wake them up.”
Frances could see he was feeling a bit despondent so left him to it. She had tidying up to do and getting out in the garden.
Nothing more was said and Sunday arrived. The kids had already biked up to church and Frances got in the car and said, "What are you going to preach about. Is it still horse riding?”
"Yes, that is what I said it would be.”
“In that case I’m not coming in. I'll wander up to the shops and have a browse and be back in an hour."
With that, Jonathan got out of the car, collected his books and strode over to the church.
As he was going up the steps a flash of inspiration hit him. There had been alot of talk on the TV and radio that week on careless sex and the diseases that it could bring.
"I'll talk on the Christian aspect of Sex and Love."
An hour later Frances was back in the car as people came out after the service and some came over to her.
"You weren't there today. Well, you missed the most inspired service."
"Really? He only tried it once and fell off."
Margaret Hawkey
Frances said, “If I was a drinker I would pour myself a drink of something to cope with the day. I'd better just get on with it. Did anyone comment on your sermon yesterday, love?”
"No,” said Jonathan, “sometimes I feel like Father McKenzie in the Beatles' song where I spend time during the week getting a sermon together for what purpose?”
“Have you any idea what you might make the subject this week?”
Jonathan replied, "I've preached on the Beatitudes, healing ministries of Jesus, Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac, Joseph, Jeremiah, and some of the minor prophets. Perhaps I should do something entirely different like horse riding."
“What! How can you relate that to Christian ethics?"
Jonathan replied, “I’ll think of something. Anything to wake them up.”
Frances could see he was feeling a bit despondent so left him to it. She had tidying up to do and getting out in the garden.
Nothing more was said and Sunday arrived. The kids had already biked up to church and Frances got in the car and said, "What are you going to preach about. Is it still horse riding?”
"Yes, that is what I said it would be.”
“In that case I’m not coming in. I'll wander up to the shops and have a browse and be back in an hour."
With that, Jonathan got out of the car, collected his books and strode over to the church.
As he was going up the steps a flash of inspiration hit him. There had been alot of talk on the TV and radio that week on careless sex and the diseases that it could bring.
"I'll talk on the Christian aspect of Sex and Love."
An hour later Frances was back in the car as people came out after the service and some came over to her.
"You weren't there today. Well, you missed the most inspired service."
"Really? He only tried it once and fell off."
Margaret Hawkey
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