There was a throw-away comment in my last sermon that was designed to get a laugh:

I’m currently a student at Yale and they teach you there that when you’re confronted with a difficult question or boxed into a corner in a conversation, the best thing to do is change the subject.

This line has been picked up on by some people here who happened to read this sermon on-line. “I liked your sermon,” they say, “but not the part where you made fun of Yale.”

First, the line did get a laugh when I preached it so it accomplished that purpose. Someday I’ll get around to posting my sermon from the week prior, which had even more mockery of Yale. It’s such an easy target!

Second, the line is an almost verbatim quotation from my ethics professor a few weeks ago. In any event, I was just struck that this would be the one thing people here would hang on to. It’s always interesting what people hear or read, compared to your intentions for the sermon.

I’ve spent some time on this blog carping about Yale. They have every right to defend this fine institution and their comments can be a useful check on what can be my spiraling negativity.

Now I have an Old Testament mid-term tomorrow morning. Look for a joke about that in a coming sermon…or not.