Sacrament Meeting Fun
It isn’t often that a Sacrament meeting provides uplift, humor, suspense and entertainment at it’s finest…and all quite accidentally with no pre-planning. I am still laughing. Today we had just that kind of meeting.
It all started out a couple of weeks ago when the Sacrament meeting speakers didn’t show up because they forgot to re-set their clocks with the coming of daylight savings time. The conducting bishopric member said he had dreamed in the night that the speakers would not show up and he had some ideas about what to say if that happened and he ended up being the speaker. He gave a great talk worthy of having prepared for weeks. The bishop then got up and filled the rest of the time with another uplifting and amazing message, especially for it being on the spur of the moment. It takes talent and bravery and the gift of the Spirit to do that.
The couple who missed their opportunity to speak were asked to give their previously prepared talks today, but again when the meeting began they hadn’t shown up. Uh oh. The bishopric member got up to announce the speakers and noted that they were not there yet but were expected at any moment as they had called to alert that they were having car trouble. In the meantime the counselor turned the time to the other counselor who hadn’t had the opportunity to be a fill in speaker the last time this happened. He spoke for a few minutes and then was tapped on the shoulder by the other counselor. He nodded and prepared to conclude his talk. We were sitting in the back so I glanced over to the back door and noticed the clerk standing there indicating to the bishopric in the front that the speakers had arrived. The counselor was just about to quit speaking when he was tapped on the shoulder again by the other counselor. We aren’t sure what was said this time but whatever it was the speaker was a bit rattled but kept on speaking and actually gave a fairly long talk. It was very good by the way. I kept wondering where the speakers were. Why didn’t they come in?
Meanwhile, the bishop, who must have also been wondering, signaled for his teacher-age son to come to the front and sit next to him for a little conference, which he did. Afterwards the son left the stand and went out into the foyer. Those of us in the congregation had no idea what was happening out there but we did note the scheduled speakers still had not entered the chapel.
After the counselor concluded his talk, the bishop got up and hoping they could hear him asked that the speakers please come into the chapel and take seats on the stand. He talked for a bit and then repeated his request. He actually repeated it in several times and several ways with a bit of desperation in his voice. He finally asked if the brother would at least please come in and just give a short testimony…all this while the minutes were ticking away and we were wondering what was going on with the speakers out in the foyer. Surely they must be embarrassed at being late and didn’t want to come in. (As I write this I can’t help but start chuckling at the scenario that was unfolding out there in the foyer…now that I know after the fact what happened.)
At this point the bishop asked all the men in the congregation who had ever served in the military to stand and he honored them. I am not sure why he did that but it was nice. A time filler perhaps??? Then he asked a man who is moving out of the ward to come forward and bear this testimony. Speaker #2. Once again the bishop asked the speakers to come in. It was then that my daughter Megan and her husband poked their heads in the chapel and as the bishop was vocally wondering what had happened to the speakers and asking yet again for this brother to come bear testimony my son-in-law Kyle began walking up front and said out loud that he would be happy to bear his testimony. I was sort of shocked and wondered if he was nuts or what. When he got close to the front the bishop who was at the microphone said something to Kyle indicating that he didn’t need to come up and then he asked another man to come bear his testimony. But Kyle ignored him and just kept right on walking up to the front, climbed the steps and sat on the podium behind the bishop. At this point the suspense of what was happening with our speakers and why was Kyle on the podium so willing to speak when he clearly wasn’t invited to do so was killing me and I could hardly hear what the next speaker was saying. I kept looking back at Megan and she was smiling broadly and clearly enjoying the moment.
I realize this is confusing and hard to keep straight which speaker I am referring to, but I didn’t want to use names here to protect the innocent. Anyway, after the 3rd speaker sat down the bishop stood and then invited Kyle to come forward and speak and bear testimony. He introduced him as a fairly new convert and stake financial clerk. Kyle finally got the microphone and before he bore testimony he briefly explained what none of us had known about what was going on in the foyer and why he found himself on the podium speaking in the meeting. As he sat on the stand waiting for a turn and wondering if he would have one, it must have dawned on him what was going on.
It seems the clerk who was waiting in the foyer for the scheduled speakers to arrive had mistaken Kyle and Megan for the scheduled speakers and when Kyle and Megan arrived late he had invited them to come forward into the meeting and take their places on the stand. Kyle and Megan had no idea of what had been going on the chapel and thought he was joking and just laughed and of course didn’t go in. Then the bishop’s son came out and told them his dad said to come in and at least bear their testimonies. Kyle and Megan declined to do so still thinking someone was playing a big joke on them. The son insisted so finally with great reluctance Kyle and Megan came in the chapel and that was when Kyle said out loud that yes he would come forward and bear this testimony and bravely walked to the front. He had no idea the bishop was talking about someone else and being a good sport that he is and very obedient he marched right up to the stand.
At this point I was about to bust up laughing about the whole scene, but the sincere testimony Kyle bore was excellent and he was able to salvage the meeting and give the uplift we all needed. But now after the meeting here at home as I think about it…..I am laughing! I will never forget the look on Kyle’s innocent face as he sat on the stand behind the bishop wondering why he was invited from the foyer to come to the podium and speak. I guess I’ll have to get Kyle to give further light on what was going on in his mind. The rest of us were pretty confused and thinking he was awfully eager to speak and a fabulously good sport. A little humor, suspense and intrigue are always kind of fun to have in Sacrament meeting. It makes for a memorable one that won’t soon be forgotten, especially by Kyle. I am betting he is never late to another Sacrament meeting.
