Wednesday, May 10, 2006

I am feeling sheep doggish




Sunday was Good Shepherd day, and I preached using both Psalm 23 and John 10. It went well in the first church, they liked it. And it was going well in the second church until I started talking about Jesus is the Good Shepherd and that I as their Pastor am the assistant to the Shepherd. Suddenly in my mind came the picture of a sheep dog herding the sheep, and without thinking out of my mind came the words "that we pastors were really the sheepdog". Well the whole place cracked up, I laid my head on the pulpit due to laughing so hard. Somebody said something about sheepdogs. I raised my head and said, "Now don't you tell the new Pastor I said we were dogs." I then went on to explain what I meant after I had gained my composure. I told about how sheepdogs work. I even told them about my friend Dorothy Ann who has a sheepdog, and that the sheepdog would herd the kids up and down the hall, and that it would even herd her. I was somewhat embarrassed afterwards. Several people left the church telling me they were going to get me a sheepdog to herd my kids with. (I think I could use one.)

I have always had a tendancy to stick my foot in my mouth, I even have a tendancy to mix words up and make new ones. But I don't like lossing my composure in the pulpit, and nor do I think it is a place of cracking jokes, I do think of it as sacred. Ya'll think it will be okay? I think they forgave me and even got it.

2 comments:

Brother Marty said...

Abi,
Sometimes the Holy Spirit makes His presence known. Here it is Thursday morning, and before reading your blog I was still thinking about your sermon Sunday. I'm growing to appreciate the role of a pastor more than I had in the past. I'm finding myself thinking more about where I fit in and if I have some "dog" in me.
I saw the Holy Spirit in you at that time, in that illustration, and by virtue of the fact that I'm still carrying it in my thinking.
Good job, Preach!

Marty

Dorcas (aka SingingOwl) said...

I'll bet it endeared you to them all! :-) Similar stuff happens to me regularly, even though I never plan it, and I figure I might as well laugh...what else to do when the whole congregation is losing it? ;-)