The Pastor’s Expensive Sermon
A new pastor moved to a small rural church. On his first Sunday, a terrible blizzard hit the town. When he stepped up to the pulpit, the huge church was completely empty except for one person—a young cattle farmer.
The pastor looked down, hesitated for a moment, walked over to the farmer, and asked, “My friend, the storm is terrible, and you’re the only one here. I’m debating whether I should go ahead with the service and the sermon today, or if we should just head home?”
The farmer thought for a moment and replied honestly, “Well, Pastor, I’m just an uneducated farmer, and I don’t know much about church matters. But I do know one thing: If I load up a truck full of hay and drive out to the field, and only one cow shows up, I’m still going to feed it. I wouldn’t leave it to starve.”
Hearing this, the pastor was deeply moved and inspired. He immediately went back to the pulpit. He began the service, sang hymns, read scriptures, and delivered a passionate, full-length sermon that lasted for over two hours—just as if he were standing in front of thousands of people.
After the service ended, the pastor walked the farmer to the door and asked enthusiastically, “So, how did you like the service today? Did my sermon help you in any way?”
The farmer scratched his head, looked up at the pastor, and replied, “Well, Pastor, like I said before, I’m just a cattle farmer. But I also know another thing: If I drive out to the field and only one cow shows up, I don’t dump the whole truckload of hay on its head!”
