Skip to main content

A Salutary Tale...

Image
By
A lady went to her minister and said: “I won’t be coming to church anymore.” 
The minister said: “May I ask why?” 
She said: “I see people on their mobile phones during the service, some are gossiping, some just aren’t living right. They are all just hypocrites.” 
The minister said: “OK. But can I ask you to do something for me, before you make your final decision?” 
“What’s that?” she asked. 
The minister said: “Take a glass of water and walk round the church with it twice, but don’t let any water spill from the glass." 
She said: “Yes, I can do that.” 
Afterwards, she came back to him and said: “I have done it.” 
The minister asked her three questions: 
  • Did you see anyone on their mobile phone?
  • Did you see anybody gossiping?
  • Was anybody living wrong? 
She said: “I didn’t see anything, because I was so focussed on this glass, so the water wouldn’t spill.” 
The minister told her: “When you come to church, you should be so focussed on God, so that you do not fall. That’s why Jesus said – ‘Follow me’. He did not say ‘Follow Christians’. Don’t let your relationship with God be determined by how others relate to God. Let it be determined by how focussed you are with God.” 
Anon
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Virtual Worship - 3 April 2022

By
A Methodist Way of Life - April 2022 - Praying Daily Service sheet (pdf) Start by listening to ‘Lead me Lord’:  Hello and welcome to the Bradford North worship video for April, the first of 12 services focusing on the commitments contained within the Methodist Way of Life and introduced by Rev David Goodall in last month’s video. My name is Claire Nott: I’m a local preacher on trial in the circuit and one of the lay pastors at Baildon Methodist Church. The anthem you heard at the start was Samuel Wesley’s ‘Lead me Lord’, based on Psalm 5 verse 8. Our call to worship is a selection of other verses taken from the same psalm: I pray to you, O  Lord ; 3      you hear my voice in the morning; at sunrise I offer my prayer [ b ]     and wait for your answer. all who find safety in you will rejoice;     they can always sing for joy. Protect those who love you;     because of you they are truly happy ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fresh Aire Fair Trade

By
Our Fairtrade organising committee will be launching its new name, Fresh Aire Fair Trade, during Fairtrade Fortnight with a circuit event: 10.00 am to 12.00 noon Saturday 12 March 2011 St Andrew's Methodist Church The event will be opened by Rev Richard Atkinson, former minister of the Woodhouse Grove Circuit and Chaplain of Woodhouse Grove School. Richard is making a special visit back to the circuit for the event which will include refreshments and opportunities to buy "Fair Trade" and "Traidcraft" food and gifts. There will be children's events and a chance for all to win a prize by designing a new logo for the group. We look forward to welcoming you. (Also see the Fairtrade Fortnight events at Thackley Methodist Church)
Post a Comment
Read more