As a pastor, I enjoy preaching and using ventriloquism in the children's sermon each week. What struck me today as I did both was what they had in common. The goodness of preaching and ventriloquism is often in the ears of the beholder. My own evaluation of my "performance" today was that I did not "connect" with my audience. They sat in the pews still and staring at me. It sometimes is difficult to tell if they are staring and plugged-in or staring and zoned out. Today was that kind of day. Much to my surprise, as the people left the church,several said it was the best sermon ever. Hmm. . . go figure, I thought to myself. One of the parents said later this evening that my children's sermon was the discussion topic in the car after church. "I got what Pastor Jeff was saying today," said the child to her parents.
Perhaps the lesson du jour is that on the best day and on the less than spectacular day, it is all in the ear of the beholder. If God can speak through a donkey in the Old Testament story of Baalam, then He certainly can use our meager efforts to do His work.
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