The news of an impending baby is greeted in many different ways. For some poor people there is consternation as they worry about another mouth to feed. For others there is delight the prospect of a son to inherit the family farm. Yet more worry about the baby’s health especially if there is an inherited genetic problem in the family. For most people though there is a mixture of delight, excitement and a little apprehension thrown in for good measure.
Whatever about planned parenthood there is plenty of work to be done when you know the baby is on the way. Will the mother continue working? What colour will you paint the nursery and what sort of buggy or car restraint will you buy?  Then there is the whole question of what will the baby be named?
Christians baptise their children of course and often a parent or a Godparent will give a Christening or baptismal speech… Jews on the other hand will have a Brit Milah ceremony at which the baby will be named.  Others don’t bother with any ceremony and simply call the child after its father or its grandmother or even a famous film or sporting star. Some of the names given will be so odd or embarrassing that, once the children have grown, they will change it by deed poll.
Whether you have a baby shower or not a baby is usually welcomed for what they are.
When you look at their tiny hands, their wide eyed gaze and feel their soft, soft skin you know every baby born is simply another miracle.

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The parishioner was worried. My parish priest is leaving for another parish and I have been asked to present him with a gift and to give a little speech. I have no idea what I should say. Can you help? he asked.. It appeared that this priest had a wonderful gift for getting things done. He had single-handedly raised the finances for a parish hall and a new school. He had organised rotas of parishioners to run all the different activities in the parish and had taken an active part in all these activities himself. Moreover he had a wonderful sense of humour which endeared him to one and all.

I suggested that his speech might start by saying that Fr. John was used to having a captive audience for his sermons but tonight he has to listen to his parishioner speaking.

Then he could go on to say that there was nothing unusual in that because he had always listened to his parishioners and that the result was that he was leaving not only parishioners but very good friends. He could go on to mention some of the things he had done while in the parish and to mention how disappointed people were when they heard he was leaving. He should speak about where the priest was going and what he was going to do there while suggesting that it just wasn’t possible to do more than he had done in his current parish. He should finish by saying he would be greatly missed but that he had left a very worthwhile legacy behind. Finally he should wish him God Bless in the days to come. The parishioner said afterwards that the priest had asked him had he ever cobnsidered writing sermons?

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Has it ever occured to you that speaking in church is very different to giving an ordinary speech? If you are reading from the Bible the punctuation and language is totally different to that of our everyday use. So you have to practice reading aloud and you also need to check on those unfamiliar names of people and places. So ask the experts. If you are makign an appeal for a charity for instance, tell a story because that’s the best way to grab the attention of your audience and make them emphasise with the charity in question.Remember too that churches can be bigger than an ordinary hall and make sure the amplification system is working properly before you start.

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Have you ever noticed how many sayings we use from the Bible not only in sermons but in every day use? Like the seed “We fall by the wayside”. We are exhorted to “Love our neighbour” and to “Forgive those who injure us seven times seven”. We kill the “Fatted calf” when we are entertaining. We know that in our father’s house there are many mansions. And we all know that “The first shall be last and the last first.”

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