Preach Magazine Issue 1 - Creativity and innovation in preaching | Page 58

58 SERIAL Pulpit Bloopers For those who preach regularly, it is inevitable that from time to time we may not say quite what we mean… T he all-time heavyweight champion of pastor bloopers is the legendary Rev William Archibald Spooner (1844–1930), an English clergyman who became world-famous for his slips of the tongue. His uncanny ability to transpose words has given us such gaffes, today known as ‘Spoonerisms’ as ‘The Lord is a shoving leopard [loving shepherd]’, before a service, ‘Mardon me, Padam, this pie is occupewed. Can I sew you to another sheet? [Pardon me, Madam, this seat is occupied. Can I show you to another seat?],’ and at the end of a wedding ceremony, ‘It is kisstomary to cuss the bride.’ A nervous pastor, preaching his first ever Easter sermon, shouted out dramatically: ‘Jesus rose… and then he died again. Hallelujah!’ Another minister was conscious of the lengthy sermon he delivered the previous Sunday. In an attempt to assure his congregation that this week would be different, he said, ‘To compensate for last week’s sermon of 20 points, this week’s sermon will be pointless.’ The late Jack Exum Sr was really hungry. He had gone over time and as he was preaching, he was thinking about eating fried chicken with potatoes and gravy. He ended his sermon by reading a line from a song: ‘Rescue the perishing care for the dying, snatch the poor sinner from sin and the gravy!’ Mike Walk, preaching on forgiveness: ‘Jesus says to forgive 7 times 70. That’s 210 TIMES!’ Not quite Mike. Try 490… Email us your favourite blooper ([email protected]). We will print the best in the next edition of Preach magazine. Cartoon: Dave Walker www.cartoonchurch.com LWPT8173 - Preach Magazine - Issue 1 v3.indd 58 17/10/2014 12:54:11