The Lone Hen
The visiting minister was surprised when he went into the pulpit to find just one person in the congregation - an old farmer. He went down to him and said, "Is it worth proceeding?" "What do you mean?" said the farmer. "Well" said the minister, "is it worth having a service for such a small congregation?" "When I take the bucket of food to the hens and only one turns up I don't send it away hungry." Moved by this simple analogy, the minister went back to the pulpit and went through the whole service including a long and very forceful sermon. When he had finished he went down to the farmer and asked, "Was that alright?" The farmer rather tersely replied, "When I take the bucket to the hens and only one turns up I don't give it the whole bucket".
Originally published November 14, 2002.
