The Bible is really quite wonderful. But I already knew that, didn't I?

A few years ago Bill, a retired pastor and seminary professor, convinced me and Tim, another pastor friend, that it would be a good idea for the three of us to memorize the Book of Revelation and recite it before our church on a Sunday evening. I mention that he was retired because a few days before the event, when I was scrambling to prepare, and fearing that I would make a complete fool of myself in front of a lot of people (1000 people turned out), I was thinking it was easy for him to talk about memorizing a third of a book in the Bible; he had time, for heaven's sake. But I didn't. What was I thinking, I was thinking.

On the night of the event, just before we went out and did this terrifying thing, Bill reminded us that no matter how poorly we might do in the memory department, God was pleased with us and would bless his word. He was right: for two-and-a- half hours all the people, children included, listened as ...