I broke the bar stool

A few Sundays ago, I ended my sermon and went to the back of the auditorium during the closing song so that I could be ready to greet everyone as they exited the service. Since this was a Sunday where we had a good 15 minutes worth of worship music after the sermon, I went up onto the mezzanine with all of the technicians to soak in the sight and sound of hundreds of people at Grace Church worshipping the Lord in spirit and in truth. Because I had been standing all morning, I climbed up on one of the tall, metal bar stools that have been used for past Crosswalk Shows and peered over the ledge.

I was completely engulfed in this beautiful time of worship when in between the last two songs, my trusty bar stool gave way and completely collapsed, sending me tumbling down to the floor…hard (do you realize how far down it is to the ground when you’re sitting on a bar stool?)! The sound of the crash seemed deafening to me. I’m sure that everyone who was in the second service must have heard it. And oh, did it hurt!!

So the next day Tim Reedy, our Media Director at Grace Church, who was standing just steps from me when the unfortunate incident occurred, sent me and a few others on staff the following e-mail threatening to start his own blog that he would call, “Life on the Mezzanine.” He said that this would be his first entry:

May 07, 2006: ". . . the service went well yesterday. Great music, nice sermon, blah-blah-blah...the real action took place just after the conclusion of the song 'Kneel.' Pastor Scott, after giving his sermon for the morning, joined the media techs on the mezzanine for the final couple of songs. As the second to last song ended, the stool that he was sitting on (editor’s note here: Scott likes stools because it enables him to look down on his subjects) gave way. He, along with the stool, came crashing down. The legs of the stool collapsed. Scott-Scott lay on the floor with the debris. Thankfully, he did not break any bones. Only his pride was broken here. However, the stool had seen better days and it was banished to the dumpster. Scott, visibly shaken, mustered enough of energy and pride to get up, shake himself off, and blame the lowly media producer for purchasing inferior products. Yeah, blame the media producer for the breaking of a solid steel stool. It has nothing to do with the multitude of pizzas and ice cream cones that are consumed following Scott, Bryan and Andy's Monday lunch meetings. I suggest a salad with low-cal dressing instead of pizza and fries. So, I will be asking for $500.00 for the purchase of new stools for the mezzanine. I will order extra-strength ones . . . "

Now what Tim failed to tell everyone is that after I fell, he did not even offer any type of help at all. There I was lying on the mezzanine floor…unconscious…maybe even dead, and what does Tim do? He and his lovely wife, who happened to be sitting right behind me, just LAUGHED! No compassion…no sympathy…nothing but LAUGHTER. That does it! I need to do more preaching on the story of the Good Samaritan. But then again, maybe Tim’s lack of Christian aid was a good thing. After all, the thought of Tim performing CPR on me is horrifying! Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!!