In a monastery that trained young Christian brothers for various callings within the church, one brother lived in constant fear of being called upon to preach a sermon in the chapel. His apprehension grew with each passing day until finally he decided to approach the director of the monastery with a proposition. “Sir,” he said, “I am willing to do any menial job that you assign me. I would be delighted to go out into the fields and plow, fertilize and irrigate them by hand to increase the productivity. Just say the word and I will get down on my hands and knees and scrub the floors of the monastery or clean the lavatories. I would be honored to polish the silverware, paint the window frames or cut wood for our fire. I am willing and able to do whatever tasks you might ask of me. My only request is that you don’t ask me to preach a sermon in the chapel.
     Feeling quite good about getting this out into the open, the young brother let out a big breath and settled back on his heels. The director, however, looked at the young man and decided that a preaching assignment was exactly what he needed. “Tomorrow,” the director told him, “you are to conduct the chapel service and preach the sermon.”
     The next day, nervous and awkward, the brother stood in the pulpit and looked out into the eyes of his peers. Not quite sure what to do, he simply asked, “Brothers, do you know what I am going to say?” They all shook their heads in the negative. He continued, “Neither do I. Let’s stand for the benediction. Peace be with you.”
     The

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