Tossing Cookies and Preaching

This has been a very interesting week. I've been trying to hide the fact from as many people as possible that I have had a nasty stomach flu. I hate telling people that I am sick as it makes me feel like a weeny. I really thought it was going away so it was no big deal. Today, nature proved me wrong!

I was having a wonderful morning, thinking I had recovered from the demon that invaded my body Tuesday night. I finished the final details for my sermon, drank some yummy green tea, and was ready to preach at our ecumenical lenten lunch-in. I even ate a bite of a snack bar, one of the first things I had tried in days.

Then, the demon rumbled and rumbled some more. Only an hour before I was to preach, it came back full force. I probably feel worse now than I have the entire sickness. Ick.

So, as most ministers understand, you can't really bail out on preaching. It doesn't matter if they have to drag you in on a stretcher, IV pole, foley and all...the show must go on.

Amazingly, I made it through the sermon. The Pastor's helped out by reading the scripture and doing the benediction. I almost was ready for the benediction, but could not stand up after the sermon and prayers. The beast held on during the 9 minutes or so I was up there. Had I been up there one more minute, or even thirty seconds, I probably would've lost it. From what I understand I looked like something out of a horror flick, but at least I was there. One of the Pastor's says it was a good thing for an intern to experience. I will reexamine that thought when my head isn't hung over a toilet every few hours....