the b.writer side...

The other day as one of my family members and I reminisced about the beginning of my ministry, this funny story came up.

I was doing part time ministry in a small Baptist church in Versailles, Missouri. I was so excited when the senior pastor told me that I would have the opportunity to preach one of the up coming morning sermons. I prepared and practiced and prepared and practiced, I was convinced that it would be so impressive if I began my message by quoting scripture from memory. I could envision myself wowing my congregation. I was sure that I was going to be the next Billy Graham. 

So the special day arrived and I began my sermon as I had planned with my memorized scripture. I stepped up from behind the pulpit which was on a raised platform that was about 3 feet from the front row. I raised one arm above my head and with my bible clutched tightly in my other hand (so they could see that I wasn't reading from it) and I loudly proclaimed "behold, I come" and immediately drew a blank. I could not remember the next line. Very embarrassed, I stepped behind the pulpit and gave a glance to my cheat sheet to try to read the next part of the scripture, again I stepped to the side of the pulpit, took a step forward and said again "behold, I come" and drew that embarrassing blank. I remember thinking, "what do I do now" and then it came to me, I thought for sure that I knew the next line, so I boldly stepped forward and stated "behold, I come" and as I proclaimed those words I stepped a bit too far and went tumbling off the front of the platform and where did I land? in the lap of one of the sweetest 85 year old baptist widows you could ever meet. I was humiliated. As I stood to my feet, I began to utter my apologies to the sweet little widow, to which she came back with one of the best one liners of all time, "pastor, you told me 3 times you were coming. I should have moved"

So there you have it, one of the of the many funny memories in my ministry days, which began nearly 25 years ago.

from the b.writer side...