Sunday, April 28, 2002

Tales from the Front Pew, Chapter 7

Tonight's sermon topic was the Fruit of the Spirit, taken from Galatians 5:22-23. We were not in our usual spot, the fourth row from the front. Instead, we were in the fifth row from the front to make room for the Gems (the girls group), who led part of the worship service. There was a basket of fruit on the stage, and Pastor Doug introduced his message by holding up an apple and asking, "Who wants some fruit?" Many hands from the less inhibited among us (the children) shot in the air, and our two cherubs were practically leaping out of their seats in an effort to get their hands higher than the others.

He lobbed the apple into the audience, taking careful aim at someone who was actually paying attention. An orange was lofted next, and a couple other fruits. With an apple in hand, Pastor Doug caught David's eye and gently underhanded the apple into the air.

Understand that I do play catch with my son, and he does catch pretty well. Only this time, he didn't. The apple missed his outstretched hands and with the distinctive apple-sounding thud, struck David in the forehead and bounced onto the floor. David yelped, probably more in surprise than in pain, and the audience roared. David is good at eliciting that kind of response. After making sure David was OK, Pastor Doug continued his pitching practice. His last apple was thrown to Josh who still had his hand in the air. Only this time he came a few paces down the aisle before lofting the apple. Josh caught it and was now satisfied that he also had an apple. To have one child get an apple thrown to him in church and not the other can be a cause for war. Pastor Doug is a wise man. He has three boys of his own.

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