Great Preaching Cock-ups No 1

Sometimes I get passionate while I’m preaching. Sometimes I get too passionate, to the point where I lose control of my thought processes. Back in the day I was speaking about the need to sustain a relationship with God, rather than merely using him as a slot machine where we put the prayers in and out come the answers. Others have talked in terms of the need to seek the face of God, and not just his hand. ‘How would you like it’ I asked the parents in the congregation, ‘if your kids only ever asked you for stuff without ever telling you they loved you?’ (I was only a new parent at that stage, so I hadn’t yet worked out that that was exactly how it is).

Not yet satisfied I pressed the point even further. ‘It’s just like filling your car up all the time, but never ever actually having a relationship with the petrol pump!’

Incidentally, this was the same sermon in which I had earlier referred to the Jews ‘taking their pork chops to the Temple to offer sacrifices.’

Bad day.