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Good morning. If I ever get to write a book about the life of a Baptist Minister, it will include all sorts of weird and wonderful things. It will include the night I went to discuss a funeral with a family and ended up watching badgers as they fed them in their neighbour’s garden.  It will include the morning when an entire school assembly – both children and staff, helped me to act out the Palm Sunday story.  It will also include the moment when jazz singing legend Helen Shapiro gave me some unwitting theological advice.

It happened on the occasion when I had nervously filmed an interview with her for a cable TV network. She was, of course, the consummate pro – effortlessly handling every question with charm and wit.  Afterwards, we had the opportunity to chat briefly – and I confessed that I was having a few vocal problems with my Sunday sermon delivery. That is when she taught me about ‘chasing the fade’ – leaning closer to the microphone, rather than further away, when the voice is quiet.

Many years and many chapters of my life later, I’ve found myself in the midst of a time of great sadness and bereavement with the recent death of my wife.  That is when Helen Shapiro’s advice came back to me – chase the fade and lean closer when the voice is quiet which is exactly what I needed to do as I gave my tearful tribute at the funeral.  Often our sadness dulls the voice of God, as if heard through a thick curtain or a double-glazed window. Those are the moments when we need to lean closer to him, not further away – chasing the fade of his voice.

Dear God, today we pray for all who struggle to hear your voice.  Whether its sound is drowned out by other noises or deadened by sadness, we pray that they might hear you today.  Help us all to ‘chase the fade’ and lean closer when life is tougher, we pray. Amen