The Grinding of the Axe

Sermon preached at St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Swanscombe, on 16th July 2006 based on Amos vii.7-15 and St Mark 6.14-29.

There’s a scream.

Dan sits bolt upright in bed,
sweat pouring off of him,
his heart thundering in his chest,
his mind trying to work out just where he is.

He sits in the darkness of his bedroom
trying to gather himself.

The display on the bedside clock
says that it’s 3:05AM,
and he realises that he is at home,
in bed and safe.

Everything is okay,
he’s just had a nightmare.

[PAUSE]

The alarm goes off at 06:30 as usual,
and Dan gets up, showers,
dresses in his suit,
has his Crunchy Nut Cornflakes,
and heads off to the office in his new Mazda.

As usual, he’s ¼ of an hour late at the office
- things would be much different
if the gas company were not constantly
digging the road up.

Still, Emma,
Dan’s secretary is on hand with his coffee,
his biscuit and today’s paperwork.

Dan sits down at his desk,
takes a swig of coffee and grimaces.

"Emma!

Please remember
that I only have 1 sugar in my coffee,
not two.

It tastes like you’ve drowned Bertie Bassett in it!"

The biscuit is a garibaldi
and not a Jammie dodger
and the paperwork is not quite arranged
in the order he’s used to.

"Well," says Dan to himself,
"that’s the price I pay for hiring a temp.

Still she’ll be gone by next week."

[PAUSE]

The morning is spent
reviewing customer accounts.

While Dan is pleased to see
that he has received payment from 5 customers,
he is annoyed by the fact
that Mrs. Klein is still in arrears
and owing over £15,000.

He decides that he will deal with that after lunch.

[PAUSE]

A chicken dinner later,
Dan returns to the office,
assumes his seat and takes out
Mrs. Klein’s account.

Just as he reaches for the telephone,
Emma bursts in, giving him a start.

"Emma, for goodness’ sake,
what on earth are you doing?"
shouts Dan,
wiping the erstwhile contents
of his glass of iced water
from his trouser leg.

"I’ve just fired one secretary,
I don’t want to fire you after only three days."

"I’m sorry, Mr. Lovell," says Emma,
"But it’s Mrs. Klein.

She’s demanding to see you, now!"

"Ah, I want to see her," says Dan, "send her in."

[PAUSE]

Mrs Klein enters the office.

Dan is rather surprised
by the fact that she was eighty-two last birthday.

"Well, Mrs. Klein,
what can I do for you?"

Mrs. Klein shuffles nervously.

"I want you to cancel my debt," she says.

"I’m sorry, Mrs Klein, I really can’t do that."

"But, Mr Lovell,"
says Mrs Klein softly,
"how do you expect me to pay £15,000?

I only borrowed £7000 from you."

"Well," says Dan,
"I’m afraid that’s your problem.

I am sorry, but
the Erodian Personal Finance company
clearly states its interest rates
on the documentation I gave you.

I simply can’t afford
to let you off such a great debt.

It would be in breach of my contract."

"That’s not what Miss Penfold
told me in Church the other day.

She told me that your company
has been charging exorbitant interest
on everyone’s accounts
and could easily afford
a much lower interest rate.

She also told me that you sacked her
when she told you that
the company was being immoral
and you were being unfair.

You forced her to go
without any means of support
for her or for her two little twins.

You axed that poor woman’s
only way of making a living.

Do you really think that’s acceptable behaviour?"

"Mrs. Klein,
I'm sorry.

I must enforce
the Erodian Personal Finance Company’s
policy on staffing.

I had no choice whether or not to sack Miss Penfold
on the grounds of disloyalty,
even if she was a very good secretary.

...not that it is any business of yours.

It was your business
to check all the paperwork
before you signed it.

You borrowed £7,000;
according to the contract you signed,
I'm sorry to say you now owe
the Erodian Personal Finance Company
£15,000.

Now, I am a reasonable man.

Just before you came in,
I was going to phone
the bailiffs to pay you a visit.

I’m going to be generous
and give you ‘til the end of the week
before I decide to pick up
the phone and tell Mr Lugg…
What on earth’s that?"

Dan’s eyes are fixed
upon the surface of Mrs Klein’s hand
where he spots a large tattered hole,
which passes straight through
from one side of the hand to the other.

He looks at her other hand
and sees another hole,
like the first.

"There’s one on each foot as well,"
says Mrs. Klein her voice changed,
"and one more just here."

Disturbed,
he looks her in the face
to see a forehead covered in scratches,
indeed there are thorns in her hair.

Then he looks into Mrs. Klein’s eyes
and sees not a little old lady,
but the eyes of a man and not just any man,
but the Son of Man staring back at him
like a mirror
showing Dan his own soul.

Dan takes one look and screams!

A scream!

There’s a scream.

Dan sits bolt upright in bed,
sweat pouring off of him,
his heart thundering in his chest,
his mind trying to work out
just where he is.

He sits in the darkness of his bedroom
trying to gather himself.

The display on the bedside clock
says that it’s 3:05AM,
and he realises that he is at home,
in bed and safe.

Everything is okay,
he’s just had a nightmare.

[PAUSE]

When do you think Dan will realise
that you can kill a prophet,
but you will never kill their prophecy?

Do you think he will ever listen?

Have you heard the voice of the prophet?