Hard Sayings
Stories
Object:
Contents
What's Up This Week
"Hard Sayings" by Craig Kelly
"Equipped for Life" by Peter Andrew Smith
"Out of the Fog" by Peter Andrew Smith
What's Up This Week
Following Jesus and his teachings is not always easy -- sometimes it requires us to face up to some hard truths, as Craig Kelly poignantly reminds us in this week's edition of StoryShare. But this week's stories also illustrate that if we open our hearts and commit ourselves to him, we can find comfort and assistance wherever we need it -- whether it's in coping with the violent death of a loved one, trying to manage a difficult classroom of recalcitrant young people, or dealing with loneliness on the open road.
* * * * * * * * *
Hard Sayings
by Craig Kelly
John 6:56-69
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?" But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, "Does this offend you?"
-- John 6:60-61
"Please tell me he's going to heaven, man."
The wind snaked through the alleyways and street corridors, finally flying past two men sitting on a curb in front of the emergency room entrance at Mercy Hospital. Both looked down at the pavement in silence. One of them shivered as the wind brushed passed him, drying and hardening the blood that saturated his shirt. His name was Courtney, and those words were the first he had uttered since he and his friend arrived at the hospital.
An hour and a half earlier, Courtney had been walking with his little cousin down Sixth Street after watching a movie. What he didn't know at the time was that his cousin had started hanging out with a local street gang. The three bullets to the chest drove that reality home with a vengeance. What was a fun night out at the movies became a bloody tragedy as Courtney was left cradling his cousin's head in his lap on a dirty street corner, vainly trying to hold back the blood pumping out of his cousin's chest onto the pavement.
After calling 911, Courtney immediately called Jordan. They grew up on the same block, virtually inseparable. Both of their moms were drug addicts, and neither of them had met their fathers. All they had was each other. Where one was, the other wasn't far behind. However, at 16 something changed. Jordan's mom died of a drug overdose, and he moved to another city to live with his grandmother. She immediately began taking him to church with her. Courtney was left alone with his mother, while Jordan experienced real love for the first time in his life. He and Courtney tried to stay in touch, but they lost touch over time. Courtney dabbled in drugs and gangs, but a year in juvenile detention set him straight.
Jordan had moved back to the old neighborhood a year earlier, taking a position as an assistant pastor at a local church. He had tried to reach out to Courtney, but they only exchanged phone numbers. Jordan hadn't heard from his old friend in months, until that night.
"C'mon, Jordan, you're the guy with all the heaven and hell answers, right? I need to know my baby cousin's got his wings. I mean, we all God's children, right? My cousin had nothin'. He was just tryin' to get some cash for his sister, you know? For some clothes. You know he was even tryin' to get out of the gang? He wanted to go to college, Jordan. He wanted to do the right thing. I know he's not perfect, but… but who is? I just need to know he won't be in any more pain. I need to know he's with God up in the sky, man."
Jordan said nothing, just staring at the Bible in his hands. What could he say?
"C'mon, Jordan, I hear all you church guys sayin' how God loves us, how Jesus died for us. Why would he want anything bad to happen to us?"
"Courtney…" Jordan began. He opened his mouth, trying to speak, but the words caught in his throat. He began squeezing his Bible, hoping some words of wisdom and comfort would somehow bleed out, something that would make everything okay.
"Man, I want so bad to say that your cousin's in heaven," Jordan finally said.
Tears started trickling down Courtney's face. "Then just say it."
"Was he following Christ?"
"Does it matter?"
Jordan looked up, praying for strength. "Well… yeah. Yeah, it does."
Courtney looked at Jordan like he had two heads. "What? You kiddin' me? What happened to all the 'God is love' stuff y'all keep preachin'? Now a 17-year-old kid gets shot in the street and God won't let him in? Doesn't sound like love to me."
Jordan shuffled closer to Courtney, putting his hand on his shoulder.
"Look, I don't know what was in your cousin's heart when he died. Maybe he had just given his life to Christ before he died. But if he didn't… well… I can't lie to you, man. Yeah, God loves us, but he's also just. The Bible says in Romans that 'the wages of sin is death.' He laid down the law that sin must be punished by death, and he doesn't make exceptions. I wish sometimes it wasn't like that, but it's not my call, man. Our sins, the things we do wrong, the ways we break his laws, they separate us from God. He's so perfect, so holy, that any sin… any sin… cannot stand in his presence. Jesus himself said, 'Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.' "
Courtney looked at the small leather-bound book in Jordan's hands. "You gonna tell me now that your Bible there tells you that?"
Jordan brushed his thumb over the words inlaid in gold on the front cover: HOLY BIBLE. "Yeah, the Bible says in Isaiah, 'Your iniquities have been barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.' God cannot stand to have sin in his presence. And if your cousin didn't repent of his sins before he died, then he pronounced sentence on himself, and heaven won't be in his future. I'm sorry, Courtney, but I wouldn't be much of a friend to you if I didn't tell you the truth."
Jordan found himself wiping tears from his own eyes now. Here was his best friend from childhood, covered in his cousin's blood, desperately hoping that he was in a better place, and what could he tell him? That his cousin is probably in hell? Talk about kicking a guy when he's down. But what else could he do? Lie? Pretend that the Bible didn't say any of those things? As much as part of him wanted to, he couldn't do that.
"There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved."
Courtney slowly turned to look at his friend. "What was that?"
"Bible. Acts 4:12."
"I can't believe the Bible would say that."
Jordan sighed deeply. "Yeah, it does. Jesus himself said, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' I'm not being judgmental. I'm just telling you what Jesus said. He's the Son of God, bro. If he says it, I have to believe it's true. Otherwise, my faith is worthless. If your cousin didn't come to the Father through Christ, he didn't make it. That's just the way it is."
Courtney began to breathe deeply, trying to cool the blood that was boiling inside him. Finally, the rage overcame him. He jumped to his feet, stormed over to Jordan, ripped the Bible out of his hands, and threw it across the parking lot.
"That's what I think of your truth!" he screamed through his tears.
Jordan slowly rose to his feet, looking at where his Bible landed. He felt no anger or malice. If the situation had been reversed, he might have very well been the one throwing the Bible away.
"Courtney," he said softly, "you can throw that book away if you want. You can pretend it doesn't exist. You can try to deny it, but no matter what you do, it will not change the truth in it. If it offends you, then that's too bad. But it's the truth."
There was a long moment of silence as the two friends stared at each other. Finally Courtney turned and looked at the sliding doors that led into the emergency room. "But why would God let this happen?"
Jordan walked up to his friend, putting his arm around his shoulder. "I can't answer that, man," he said. "But I do know this: If you follow down the same road he did and not surrender your life to Christ, then his death will mean nothing. Do you really want that?"
Courtney said nothing, but instead started to weep in his friend's arms.
"I'm here with you," Jordan said softly. "God loves you, too. And we're both going to walk with you through this… all the way. And that's the truth, too."
Author's Note: I want to acknowledge the recording artist Flame, whose song "Goodbye" was the inspiration for this story.
Craig Kelly writes copy for CSS Publishing Company in Lima, Ohio. Hesitant to call himself an aspiring freelance writer, he is a self-proclaimed "dabbler" in writing.
Equipped for Life
by Peter Andrew Smith
Ephesians 6:10-20
"How do you do it?" Jane asked as they went out the front doors of the school onto the steps.
"Do what?" Trish said, pausing to lean up against the railing.
"Deal with this job. I've only been here a few days and I'm at the end of my rope. These kids are wild."
Trish rooted through her purse and pulled out a package of gum. "They're not so bad once you get to know them."
"I had someone swear at me today."
"Ouch." Trish offered the gum to Jane. "Your remedial class?"
"Yeah. I never knew that English class could get so colorful." Jane unwrapped a piece of gum. "I asked him a question and he just went off."
"The younger Johnson boy, I bet."
"How did you know?"
"He's been a handful for everyone who's had him."
"Well, he'll never do that to me again."
"Why?"
"I'm going to tell Jim that I won't take him back."
"Oh." Trish looked at the kids gathering for the late bus. "See that tall boy there?"
"The one with the tattoo on his neck?"
"That's the older Johnson boy. I had him a couple of years back. He caused me many sleepless nights."
"Huh. It must run in the family." Jane stopped talking as the boy in question turned around.
"I got in!" he yelled at them.
"I heard. Congratulations!" Trish shouted back with a big smile on her face. She turned to Jane. "He got a scholarship to State."
"What's he going to take?"
"English, actually. He told me he wants to be a teacher."
"I thought you said he was a handful."
"He was," Trish said. "He threatened to pull a knife on me my first week here. Things got worse from there."
Jane's eyes went wide. "How did you deal with him?"
"I prayed."
Jane laughed until she saw that Trish wasn't laughing. "You're serious."
"Very. That was my first week teaching and I almost didn't come back."
"I can't believe you thought about quitting. You have so much patience with the kids. You're a natural at this."
"No, I'm not," Trish said. "I have my bad days and days when I wonder what I am doing."
"Really?"
"Yes, but then I remind myself what this is really about." Trish looked at Jane. "Were you serious about wanting to know how I do it?"
Jane nodded.
"I pray before the day starts to remember that this isn't about teaching facts or information but about helping young people grow into adults. I pray for patience and calm and wisdom and strength." Trish paused to watch the kids getting on the bus. "When I'm praying I think about what I need to get through the day and ask God to help me wear it for everyone to see. I ask God to surround me with kindness, mercy, and grace."
"Does that work?" Jane asked.
Trish smiled. "Yes, it works, but sometimes the days are so crazy I'm stretched to my limit. That's why I take time to pray when I'm alone during my prep class as well."
"Huh," Jane said as the bus pulled away. "That helped you with kids like the older Johnson boy?"
"It helps me to be a better Christian and a better person. That helps me work with the kids who come to us so hurt and angry that they don't want to learn and don't trust anyone."
"I wonder if I could reach the younger Johnson boy." Jane stared thoughtfully at the empty schoolyard. "Do you think we could meet somewhere before school tomorrow and pray about it?"
"I'd love to," Trish said and together they headed down the stairs.
Out of the Fog
by Peter Andrew Smith
1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43
When he could no longer see the lines on the highway, Trevor carefully pulled the 18-wheeler over to the side of the road and turned on his flashers. He poured himself a cup of coffee and looked out at the thick gray fog surrounding him. He could be lost or he could be close to the interstate -- he really had no way of knowing. He tapped the display of the non-functioning GPS. What a time for it to not work
He shook his head. He had been making good time up until this point and actually thought he might make his delivery early. He clicked on his battery lamp and thumbed through his driver's log book. He'd been working pretty steady despite the economy and keeping on schedule with each delivery. He flicked back a few more pages. Had he worked that many weekends? No wonder Martha asked him when he was going to be home again.
He peered out the window. How long was this going to last? He turned the lamp off and closed his eyes. He shifted back and forth in his seat. Finally he grabbed the lamp to walk around his truck to do a visual inspection. Everything looked fine. If the fog would lift or even break a bit then he could hit the road again.
Getting back into the rig he noticed that his GPS had come unplugged. He jiggled the cord and it lit up. Huh, he was a little bit off course, but not too far that he couldn't get back to where he was supposed to be.
He put his log book back into place and saw the Bible Martha had given him for Christmas. "So when you can't go to church you can still take time to be with God," she had said with a sad expression on her face. It hadn't made any sense to him at the time, but here he was on the road again on Sunday morning. He missed going to church.
He chuckled as he thought of Mr. Silvers chewing on his peppermint in the pew behind them during the Easter sermon. Was that really the last time he was in church? It had been too long. Next Sunday he was going to be in church with Martha and the kids even if he had to turn down some work. He opened the Bible and started to read of King Solomon bringing the ark of the covenant into the temple. Outside of the truck the sun began to break through the fog.
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada who currently serves at St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things Are Ready (CSS), a book of lectionary-based communion prayers, as well as many stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
**************
StoryShare, August 23, 2009, issue.
Copyright 2009 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
What's Up This Week
"Hard Sayings" by Craig Kelly
"Equipped for Life" by Peter Andrew Smith
"Out of the Fog" by Peter Andrew Smith
What's Up This Week
Following Jesus and his teachings is not always easy -- sometimes it requires us to face up to some hard truths, as Craig Kelly poignantly reminds us in this week's edition of StoryShare. But this week's stories also illustrate that if we open our hearts and commit ourselves to him, we can find comfort and assistance wherever we need it -- whether it's in coping with the violent death of a loved one, trying to manage a difficult classroom of recalcitrant young people, or dealing with loneliness on the open road.
* * * * * * * * *
Hard Sayings
by Craig Kelly
John 6:56-69
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?" But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, "Does this offend you?"
-- John 6:60-61
"Please tell me he's going to heaven, man."
The wind snaked through the alleyways and street corridors, finally flying past two men sitting on a curb in front of the emergency room entrance at Mercy Hospital. Both looked down at the pavement in silence. One of them shivered as the wind brushed passed him, drying and hardening the blood that saturated his shirt. His name was Courtney, and those words were the first he had uttered since he and his friend arrived at the hospital.
An hour and a half earlier, Courtney had been walking with his little cousin down Sixth Street after watching a movie. What he didn't know at the time was that his cousin had started hanging out with a local street gang. The three bullets to the chest drove that reality home with a vengeance. What was a fun night out at the movies became a bloody tragedy as Courtney was left cradling his cousin's head in his lap on a dirty street corner, vainly trying to hold back the blood pumping out of his cousin's chest onto the pavement.
After calling 911, Courtney immediately called Jordan. They grew up on the same block, virtually inseparable. Both of their moms were drug addicts, and neither of them had met their fathers. All they had was each other. Where one was, the other wasn't far behind. However, at 16 something changed. Jordan's mom died of a drug overdose, and he moved to another city to live with his grandmother. She immediately began taking him to church with her. Courtney was left alone with his mother, while Jordan experienced real love for the first time in his life. He and Courtney tried to stay in touch, but they lost touch over time. Courtney dabbled in drugs and gangs, but a year in juvenile detention set him straight.
Jordan had moved back to the old neighborhood a year earlier, taking a position as an assistant pastor at a local church. He had tried to reach out to Courtney, but they only exchanged phone numbers. Jordan hadn't heard from his old friend in months, until that night.
"C'mon, Jordan, you're the guy with all the heaven and hell answers, right? I need to know my baby cousin's got his wings. I mean, we all God's children, right? My cousin had nothin'. He was just tryin' to get some cash for his sister, you know? For some clothes. You know he was even tryin' to get out of the gang? He wanted to go to college, Jordan. He wanted to do the right thing. I know he's not perfect, but… but who is? I just need to know he won't be in any more pain. I need to know he's with God up in the sky, man."
Jordan said nothing, just staring at the Bible in his hands. What could he say?
"C'mon, Jordan, I hear all you church guys sayin' how God loves us, how Jesus died for us. Why would he want anything bad to happen to us?"
"Courtney…" Jordan began. He opened his mouth, trying to speak, but the words caught in his throat. He began squeezing his Bible, hoping some words of wisdom and comfort would somehow bleed out, something that would make everything okay.
"Man, I want so bad to say that your cousin's in heaven," Jordan finally said.
Tears started trickling down Courtney's face. "Then just say it."
"Was he following Christ?"
"Does it matter?"
Jordan looked up, praying for strength. "Well… yeah. Yeah, it does."
Courtney looked at Jordan like he had two heads. "What? You kiddin' me? What happened to all the 'God is love' stuff y'all keep preachin'? Now a 17-year-old kid gets shot in the street and God won't let him in? Doesn't sound like love to me."
Jordan shuffled closer to Courtney, putting his hand on his shoulder.
"Look, I don't know what was in your cousin's heart when he died. Maybe he had just given his life to Christ before he died. But if he didn't… well… I can't lie to you, man. Yeah, God loves us, but he's also just. The Bible says in Romans that 'the wages of sin is death.' He laid down the law that sin must be punished by death, and he doesn't make exceptions. I wish sometimes it wasn't like that, but it's not my call, man. Our sins, the things we do wrong, the ways we break his laws, they separate us from God. He's so perfect, so holy, that any sin… any sin… cannot stand in his presence. Jesus himself said, 'Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.' "
Courtney looked at the small leather-bound book in Jordan's hands. "You gonna tell me now that your Bible there tells you that?"
Jordan brushed his thumb over the words inlaid in gold on the front cover: HOLY BIBLE. "Yeah, the Bible says in Isaiah, 'Your iniquities have been barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.' God cannot stand to have sin in his presence. And if your cousin didn't repent of his sins before he died, then he pronounced sentence on himself, and heaven won't be in his future. I'm sorry, Courtney, but I wouldn't be much of a friend to you if I didn't tell you the truth."
Jordan found himself wiping tears from his own eyes now. Here was his best friend from childhood, covered in his cousin's blood, desperately hoping that he was in a better place, and what could he tell him? That his cousin is probably in hell? Talk about kicking a guy when he's down. But what else could he do? Lie? Pretend that the Bible didn't say any of those things? As much as part of him wanted to, he couldn't do that.
"There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved."
Courtney slowly turned to look at his friend. "What was that?"
"Bible. Acts 4:12."
"I can't believe the Bible would say that."
Jordan sighed deeply. "Yeah, it does. Jesus himself said, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' I'm not being judgmental. I'm just telling you what Jesus said. He's the Son of God, bro. If he says it, I have to believe it's true. Otherwise, my faith is worthless. If your cousin didn't come to the Father through Christ, he didn't make it. That's just the way it is."
Courtney began to breathe deeply, trying to cool the blood that was boiling inside him. Finally, the rage overcame him. He jumped to his feet, stormed over to Jordan, ripped the Bible out of his hands, and threw it across the parking lot.
"That's what I think of your truth!" he screamed through his tears.
Jordan slowly rose to his feet, looking at where his Bible landed. He felt no anger or malice. If the situation had been reversed, he might have very well been the one throwing the Bible away.
"Courtney," he said softly, "you can throw that book away if you want. You can pretend it doesn't exist. You can try to deny it, but no matter what you do, it will not change the truth in it. If it offends you, then that's too bad. But it's the truth."
There was a long moment of silence as the two friends stared at each other. Finally Courtney turned and looked at the sliding doors that led into the emergency room. "But why would God let this happen?"
Jordan walked up to his friend, putting his arm around his shoulder. "I can't answer that, man," he said. "But I do know this: If you follow down the same road he did and not surrender your life to Christ, then his death will mean nothing. Do you really want that?"
Courtney said nothing, but instead started to weep in his friend's arms.
"I'm here with you," Jordan said softly. "God loves you, too. And we're both going to walk with you through this… all the way. And that's the truth, too."
Author's Note: I want to acknowledge the recording artist Flame, whose song "Goodbye" was the inspiration for this story.
Craig Kelly writes copy for CSS Publishing Company in Lima, Ohio. Hesitant to call himself an aspiring freelance writer, he is a self-proclaimed "dabbler" in writing.
Equipped for Life
by Peter Andrew Smith
Ephesians 6:10-20
"How do you do it?" Jane asked as they went out the front doors of the school onto the steps.
"Do what?" Trish said, pausing to lean up against the railing.
"Deal with this job. I've only been here a few days and I'm at the end of my rope. These kids are wild."
Trish rooted through her purse and pulled out a package of gum. "They're not so bad once you get to know them."
"I had someone swear at me today."
"Ouch." Trish offered the gum to Jane. "Your remedial class?"
"Yeah. I never knew that English class could get so colorful." Jane unwrapped a piece of gum. "I asked him a question and he just went off."
"The younger Johnson boy, I bet."
"How did you know?"
"He's been a handful for everyone who's had him."
"Well, he'll never do that to me again."
"Why?"
"I'm going to tell Jim that I won't take him back."
"Oh." Trish looked at the kids gathering for the late bus. "See that tall boy there?"
"The one with the tattoo on his neck?"
"That's the older Johnson boy. I had him a couple of years back. He caused me many sleepless nights."
"Huh. It must run in the family." Jane stopped talking as the boy in question turned around.
"I got in!" he yelled at them.
"I heard. Congratulations!" Trish shouted back with a big smile on her face. She turned to Jane. "He got a scholarship to State."
"What's he going to take?"
"English, actually. He told me he wants to be a teacher."
"I thought you said he was a handful."
"He was," Trish said. "He threatened to pull a knife on me my first week here. Things got worse from there."
Jane's eyes went wide. "How did you deal with him?"
"I prayed."
Jane laughed until she saw that Trish wasn't laughing. "You're serious."
"Very. That was my first week teaching and I almost didn't come back."
"I can't believe you thought about quitting. You have so much patience with the kids. You're a natural at this."
"No, I'm not," Trish said. "I have my bad days and days when I wonder what I am doing."
"Really?"
"Yes, but then I remind myself what this is really about." Trish looked at Jane. "Were you serious about wanting to know how I do it?"
Jane nodded.
"I pray before the day starts to remember that this isn't about teaching facts or information but about helping young people grow into adults. I pray for patience and calm and wisdom and strength." Trish paused to watch the kids getting on the bus. "When I'm praying I think about what I need to get through the day and ask God to help me wear it for everyone to see. I ask God to surround me with kindness, mercy, and grace."
"Does that work?" Jane asked.
Trish smiled. "Yes, it works, but sometimes the days are so crazy I'm stretched to my limit. That's why I take time to pray when I'm alone during my prep class as well."
"Huh," Jane said as the bus pulled away. "That helped you with kids like the older Johnson boy?"
"It helps me to be a better Christian and a better person. That helps me work with the kids who come to us so hurt and angry that they don't want to learn and don't trust anyone."
"I wonder if I could reach the younger Johnson boy." Jane stared thoughtfully at the empty schoolyard. "Do you think we could meet somewhere before school tomorrow and pray about it?"
"I'd love to," Trish said and together they headed down the stairs.
Out of the Fog
by Peter Andrew Smith
1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43
When he could no longer see the lines on the highway, Trevor carefully pulled the 18-wheeler over to the side of the road and turned on his flashers. He poured himself a cup of coffee and looked out at the thick gray fog surrounding him. He could be lost or he could be close to the interstate -- he really had no way of knowing. He tapped the display of the non-functioning GPS. What a time for it to not work
He shook his head. He had been making good time up until this point and actually thought he might make his delivery early. He clicked on his battery lamp and thumbed through his driver's log book. He'd been working pretty steady despite the economy and keeping on schedule with each delivery. He flicked back a few more pages. Had he worked that many weekends? No wonder Martha asked him when he was going to be home again.
He peered out the window. How long was this going to last? He turned the lamp off and closed his eyes. He shifted back and forth in his seat. Finally he grabbed the lamp to walk around his truck to do a visual inspection. Everything looked fine. If the fog would lift or even break a bit then he could hit the road again.
Getting back into the rig he noticed that his GPS had come unplugged. He jiggled the cord and it lit up. Huh, he was a little bit off course, but not too far that he couldn't get back to where he was supposed to be.
He put his log book back into place and saw the Bible Martha had given him for Christmas. "So when you can't go to church you can still take time to be with God," she had said with a sad expression on her face. It hadn't made any sense to him at the time, but here he was on the road again on Sunday morning. He missed going to church.
He chuckled as he thought of Mr. Silvers chewing on his peppermint in the pew behind them during the Easter sermon. Was that really the last time he was in church? It had been too long. Next Sunday he was going to be in church with Martha and the kids even if he had to turn down some work. He opened the Bible and started to read of King Solomon bringing the ark of the covenant into the temple. Outside of the truck the sun began to break through the fog.
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada who currently serves at St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things Are Ready (CSS), a book of lectionary-based communion prayers, as well as many stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
**************
StoryShare, August 23, 2009, issue.
Copyright 2009 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
