It was one of those glorious summer days, and morning worship started with the hymn “Summer suns are glowing over land and sea.” Which has such lines as “Every thing rejoices in the mellow rays, all earth’s thousand voices swell the psalm of praise”.
The first time I noticed something wrong was during the prayer. Not everyone was silent in prayer. I opened my eyes to see two of the congregation waving their arms about “Strange I thought” but continued to lead in prayer.
Following the notices and offertory a not too experienced reader came to the lectern and announced the passage to be read. But she had not got far before she too started waving her hands, then faltered over her words. She continued a few words, then said “get out of it” with a further wave. It was then that I saw it, a big blue-bottle was flying persistently around her, and every time she settled down to read the scripture, it came back to put her off. She managed to hit it after a while, and it disappeared.
I heard it buzzing around once or twice, then it spotted a lady in a lovely floral dress, and made straight for it. There started a battle between five people and the fly; It was determined to settle on one of those flowers printed on the material, and the lady, her husband, two people in the pew behind and one in front became determined to shoot it down. Five people cannot do that quietly !
After one of them managed to score a hit, it flew off and peace returned. Until that is, the sermon time. Do blue-bottles like after shave ? I think this one did ! Have you ever tried to preach, or to concentrate on listening to a sermon, when an attack of dive bombing is taking place? I don’t remember what I did during the attacks but I did get a few titters from various parts of the church. I must have looked funny !
I have always thought highly of organists, and ours happily ended the story with a well aimed piece of music – Handle’s Largo. WACK ! Here endeth the fly !
Now here is the thought for the day. Not many of the congregation visit the church gallery, but I have often. On the window sill of each gallery window you will see them. Flies, of all shapes and sizes, blue-bottles, wasps, and sometimes a bee or two, all with their feet in the air… dead. They got in somehow, flew around, and tried to get out again by bashing their heads against the glass, until exhausted or starving they died with all the others.
Very occasionally you might fine a person in church who is like my bluebottle, they distract others and don’t seem to be there for the right reason,
There are many people who just do not know the purpose of their being here in this world. They know nothing of the loving God who made them, or His wonderful plans for their life. So they waste all their life like flies buzzing on a window, trying to achieve by their own efforts that which can never give them the Blessings of the Christian life and happiness. What can one do ? Well When I see a fly buzzing on my window I get a tumbler and piece of card. I Capture the fly in the glass, and let it go, outside the house. FREEDOM ! How many lost people have you shown The Way, The Truth, and The Life ?
People are more important than flies! Don’t leave them to die Show them the way to freedom now.
Your Friend Gerald Gossage.