This photo was taken a long time ago – in the days when I had hair (I know you can’t see it in the photo) and my waist was a lot slimmer (yes it was THAT long ago!). You can tell how long ago it was because I had a Gordon the Gopher puppet (in the background).

It’s something I do from time to time to entertain and amuse, and sometimes I even make a serious point about it. When I do this in public I always say that people should not try it at home. There is a knack to it and if you get it wrong at the least you will find you will hurt yourself trying to pull the glove onto your head, you may end up getting your face slapped by an exploding glove, and at worst you could suffocate. Leave it to the professionals (ie me!).

I wonder if sometimes when we hear sermons or talks in churches we think that the speaker has said, “Don’t try this at home.” For example, last night we had a really special evening with the Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell. He was speaking about what a ‘church without walls’ might be like. It was inspiring stuff. At the end I asked people to pause and ask themselves what God might be saying to them from the evening. Then I asked them to think about what they are going to do about what God had said to them… and there was a murmur from the congregation at that point. I don’t know what people were saying or thinking but it felt like they were saying, “We didn’t expect to receive homework!”

Jesus never said, “Don’t try this at home.” Quite the opposite in fact. He asked us to follow him, and he did some amazing and outrageous things in people’s homes…

Be blessed, be a blessing.