Stephen Beach of St. Budeaux Parish Church in Plymouth just learned why trial lawyers never ask a question without knowing the answer. Beach was holding an online sermon during the COVID-19 outbreak and asked “Lord God, what are you saying to us?” He promptly caught fire. Fortunately, as shown in the video below, it was just his clothing and the good vicar is fine. He needs a new sweater and his parishioners need a stiff drink. First Prince Charles gets the coronavirus and now good reverends are catching fire.
The vicar from southwest England was giving the following sermon:
“It’s a great thing to pause in the presence of God and to ask the question: Lord God, what are you saying to us? And then, of course, to wait for an answer. I’ve just been pausing between these…”
That is when his sweater caught on fire from one of the candles and Beach exclaims in quintessential British style “Oh dear, I just caught on fire. Oh my word.”
We can each search for the message from the depressing (“we’re royally screwed”) to the scientific (“English vicars are simply more combustible than other ministers.”). Personally, I prefer the most hopeful message that God simply hates cardigans.
