The Church in the Market Place

It being Friday, I cleared the decks today for a return visit to Market Harborough.  Anywhere that is that deeply steeped in sin needs help.
This time I steered well clear of any Liberty Bodices, and restricted myself to standing outside Weatherspoons armed with the portable evangelism assistance device.

As is often my way, I confined myself to a message that I believed would bring instant recognition from my auditors.  A feeling of shared experience and common purpose that would lead us move forward in our common spiritual quest, is how I would describe it if in fact I wasn't bringing the Gospel Light into the darkened hearts of those who are profoundly lost and spiritually blind.
But every time I tried to get over my message - based on the story of the Locusts in Joel - I found I was being interrupted. Joseph had appeared, equipped with an amplification system that must have been twice as powerful.

Joseph's message - "Don't listen to him! He believes in a floating furnace in the infinitely deep pit!" didn't win him any converts, either. But he certainly wrecked my hopes.

When it was time to get the bus home, in my haste to pack up I dropped the car battery of ny amplifier on my foot and as a result fell over. Just as I was staggering to my feet, I head Joseph telling the driver: "You don't want to pick him up, mate. His condition is like unto that of the newt". At which the bus, complete with Joseph, moved off and left me sprawled on the pavement.

So yet another long walk home. But my heart is still full of the joy of those who labour in season and out of season, doing the work of an evangelist. How lovely on the Charnwood hills are the blisters of those who bring good news!