Sunday 4 August 2013

I will tear down my barns .....

An interesting morning service of Holy Communion today, interrupted by a farmer who asked us to move some of our cars in order to drive his huge combine harvester down the road. It raises the question over scale, and whether or not the desire for larger machines is out of proportion to the infrastructure of the area. The incident (a repeat of one last year) slotted well into today's Gospel reading about the farmer tearing down his barns to build bigger ones. Change the word barns for tractors and the parallel is complete. I will sell my old farm equipment for new and larger ones and say to my soul, you have wealth amassed; eat, drink and be merry. As the farmer disappeared out of the door with one of the drivers I commented to the congregation that maybe he could have joined us for worship instead, and had the vehicles moved when the service was finished. But that was a silly idea.

2 comments:

  1. I received the following in an email from one in this morning's congregation:

    I have to say this morning's service, for non-singing or dancing, was probably one of the most entertaining I have attended in St xxxxx's! Noises off, intrusions plus, loud whispered accounts of the second car being moved, stoic refusals to take the collection until the hymn was sung, and then proceeding down the aisle on the return trip for the Communion with her stick in danger of tripping Xxxx up. However, having summarily dismissed her at the chancel steps, I was next in line. She effectively shut her out of the pew, so I sat in the one in front.

    I was then asked in hushed tones to (after she had her drink) check the collection - she would count it but I would check it.....but waiting for it to happen I realised xxxxxxx had it all in hand!!!

    You were cool man!!!!!

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  2. I ought to add that the person in question would have waited a long time for the offertory hymn. I had announced at the start it would be a said service, and we had sung nothing up to that point. In fact all we sang was the Merbecke Gloria - unaccompanied.

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