July 1 - Hotter Than Hell?

It was a blistering Sunday. The air temperature was already into the 90s by the start of the 10am church service, and a barely detectable breeze just toyed with the congregation...almost made matters worse. The little church had no air conditioning, only a few windows that opened, and even fewer electric fans. It was going to be a long hour.

The congregation along with a few visitors were fanning themselves with the weekly church bulletin as the pastor entered. When ritual called for them to stand as services began, some remained seated, fearing they were close to loosing consciousness and it might be better to be closer to the ground if they keeled over.

The pastor, a caring man, was concerned about his flock... concerned that he might loose a few during the course of the service. He upped the pace a bit, not noticeably rushing, but moving along a bit faster than normal. He was also prepared... never letting an opportunity to make a point, to teach a lesson, slip by.

When the time came for the sermon, we walked to the pulpit, and gave the shortest talk of his career.

"It's a very warm Sunday today. Some people say it's hotter than hell... But it's not."