Brian pointed out that perhaps it wasn’t a good idea to refer, in my sermon, to how frequently I had seen a lousy chapel speaker pull a sermon out of his ass.
To lessen your horror, I should mention that I did not at any point use the word “ass” in the sermon. But I did use the word “crap” twice.
…And there was a brief discussion about male Corinthian temple prostitutes… but that was to give historical context.
True, there’s something to be said for watching your language in the pulpit. There are a lot of folks who freak out at semi-inappropriate language (there’s one guy in Dixon who will write the newspaper angry, incoherent letters whenever someone uses a term even as innocuous as “fart”) and there are some people who shouldn’t be encouraged to use any naughty language, and even my minor obscenities would cause them to stumble. (So don’t direct them to my blog. Or to me, outside the pulpit, ’cause this is how I talk.)
I will say that this reminded me of when I used to say naughty things when I was a teenager, and Mom would respond with, “That’s awful. Would you say such things in front of the pastor?” But after driving a few of my youth pastors to violent profanity, I determined that most pastors have probably heard much worse than I ever spouted. Or had even heard of; at the time I had no idea people did those sorts of things with sheep. (They must’ve picked up that kind of language in bible college.)
Not that relativity is an excuse.
So—next sermon, less ass.
Unless it’s about Palm Sunday. I can’t help what Jesus sat upon.