Never Gonna Leave Your Tithe

When I came here in July 2004, my plan was to follow God’s wishes.

One of the promises that I made to him then, was that when he got me work, I would tithe. So, today I think, having been earning since September, I carefully finished adding everything up, and I kept that promise.

The collection at church was taken by Jack - the guy whose truck I crashed back in May.

Jack's communication skills aren't award-winning - the first time he’d rung me up he’d never even told me who he was, he’d just presumed that I'd somehow know. Anyway, forget what you’ve heard about the evils of money – after the service tonight, Jack unusually came up to me and exchanged small-talk. Or maybe he actually wanted to talk to someone else, and I was just in the way. Or maybe he needed a loan to pay off his motor insurance.

Anyhew, with his traditional air of sarcasm, he nonsensically comes out with "I see your mate's here tonight."

I have absolutely no idea what he means, so, quite reasonably, I ask: "Who?"

"Your English mate the singer. Daniel Bedingfield."

Okaaaay, so either "here" means "New Zealand" where internationally famous pop-singer Daniel Bedingfield must therefore be on tour, or there's someone else from England at church, who also sings, to whom Jack has just given the hilarious nickname of "Daniel Bedingfield," expecting me to understand.

So I reply "Ha ha, yes, of course. How are you?"

"Aren't you going to say hello to him?"

Well you can tell where this story is going - standing just behind me at church was Daniel Bedingfield.