Yesterday's service was marked by endless bouts of forgetfulness and human error, but thanks to God's graciousness it all came out alright in the end!
My act of human error was to fail to remove the original version of the service from my brief case and replace it with the new one. Both were there and I put the wrong version on the 'lectern' (music stand). I didn't realise until I reached the sermon and had read the first paragraph! I told people what had happened, that I was sure the second version was more appropriate. Not being sure whether or not I actually had it with me, I took a deep breath and blagged it - covering the main points if not delivering quite what I had carefully prepared. Many years ago one of my tutors told me I should preach without notes now and then to remind myself I could still do it because the day would come when I dropped them or forgot them. Well, only once in ten years (and it was in my brief case all the time - I retrieved it during the next hymn as I'd also changed other things I wanted to use and could not successfully blag).
Other human errors were...
The caretaker forgot to unlock the car park gate so we couldn't get in (luckily there was pedestrian access and I know the door code so found him in the hall wondering where we all were!)
The Methodist minister arrived a week early for the WPCU service
One of my communion servers came out too early and the other one forgot to come out at all
One person due to take the collection asked someone to cover for them as they were away - and that person then realised they were also taking the collection and couldn't quite cover both sides at once
Still, the service went off fine, we covenanted together and with God, which is what really mattered.
Comments
My father, who was a secondary school deputy head, once commented that a school carol concert had gone so mind-numbingly perfectly that he'd secretly wished someone would trip up to liven the proceedings up.
Personally I'm comforted (after the event) by the things that go wrong as they seem to suggest we're still all alive and human. This probably just means I've had 48 years of rationalising around my own incompetence - and that I probably won't get that job organising the next BU Assembly (joke... not to be taken seriously! You're doing brilliantly whoever you are!)
At least you didn't buckle completely and ask if there was anything anyone felt led to sing next...
Of course not, the pianist would lynch me!
Sounds like a normal Sunday at our Gaff. Can't remember the last time I only had one order of service, and still knew where it was by the end. I normally print 4!