Blowing My Own Trumpet

Short Talk (SHT039) Blowing my own trumpet © Jane Hulme 2015 Aim of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Props: (SHT039) To encourage people to “boast in the Lord” rather than in their own achievements. Boasting 2Corinthians 10:17 1) Toy trumpet.  You want a really cheap plastic one that makes a terrible noise!  You can buy a cheap plastic one on Amazon at: www.amazon.co.uk 2) Either a real trumpet that someone in your congregation can play well or a recording of a trumpet playing beautifully that can be switched on at the relevant point.  You can find a recording of an excellent trumpet playing “Amazing Grace” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3bJ0FA_Z0I 1) Either invite a trumpeter in your congregation (who is proficient) to come to the service ready to play a verse of “Amazing grace” (John Newton) or prepare your sound desk to play the YouTube recording of “Amazing grace” from the link above. 2) Invite a member of the congregation to stand up and shout: “Please stop playing. It is really hurting our ears” after you have played your “trumpet” for a few seconds the third time. SHORT TALK: “BLOWING MY OWN TRUMPET!” 2 Before the Service: ........................................................................................................................ (Walk in front of your congregation “playing” your toy trumpet. The idea is to make a terrible din!) What do you think of my trumpet playing?  Isn’t it absolutely fantastic?  I thought that I would give you a little treat this morning! In fact.....why don’t I simply carry on playing for you? (Pick up trumpet and carry on playing walking up and down in front of the congregation) I haven’t been learning the trumpet for long but aren’t I amazing?  I am so good at this.....  I’m not sure anyone else in this church could play the trumpet as well as me.  Let me treat you to a little bit more of my beautiful playing. (Pick up trumpet and carry on playing walking up and down in front of the congregation. After a few seconds the member of the congregation that you have pre-briefed stands up and shouts, “Please stop playing. It is really hurting our ears.” At this point you stop playing) Playing my own trumpet hurts your ears doesn’t it?  Playing my own trumpet is another way of saying that I am boasting,  I am saying, “Look at me. Aren’t I great? Aren’t I the best?” © Jane Hulme 2015 Some of you will come across people at school or at college or at work who like to boast about themselves.  They like to tell everyone how good they are at something or how great they look.  It isn’t nice to listen to is it?  It sounds a bit like my trumpet playing......rather unpleasant. But if we are really truthful with ourselves, we can all be tempted to boast can’t we?  We might be proud of what we look like,  or how fast we can run,  or how well we can play a musical instrument,  or something else.....  and we like to tell other people how good we are. St.Paul wrote something about boasting in one of his letters to the Corinthian church.  He said in 2Corinthians 10:17, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”  “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” You know everything that we are tempted to boast about has actually come to us as a gift from the Lord.  Even if we have had to work really hard ourselves to be good at something,  the skill and even the strength has been given to us from the Lord. Instead of boasting about ourselves, St Paul encourages us to boast about the Lord,  to tell others about how good and kind He is,  to tell others how great and generous and faithful and loving and fantastic He is. If we do that, and play the Lord’s trumpet instead of our own, it will sound beautiful to other people.  It will sound like this. (Either a live trumpeter who plays one verse of “Amazing grace” or you put on the trumpet recording on YouTube for approximately 40 seconds) © Jane Hulme 2015 3