Have you heard this one...about the new Pastor who was about to preach his first sermon before His new church? He worked hard on it all week long because he wanted it to be his best work. Being conscientious, he committed the words to memory.
When it came time to preach, he climbed the steps to the chancel's high pulpit. He looked out over the congregation and boldly proclaimed, "Behold, I come!" Suddenly, overcome with fear, he froze - he forgot his prepared text. Over and over he repeated to himself, "Do not panic."
Soon the sermon returned to memory. So, he climbed again into the pulpit and announced, "Behold, I come." Once more he forgot everything. He descended down from the pulpit and sat on his chair and uttered a quick prayer.
After a short pause he sprang up the pulpit steps shrieking, "BEHOLD, I COME!" However, he jumped into the pulpit with such force that it ripped from the wall and fell to the floor. It landed with a "BOOM!"
The pastor rolled out of the destroyed pulpit and stammered out an apology. A woman responded, "No need to apologize, Pastor. After all, you did warn us three times that you were coming!"
