Whose Time Is It Anyway?

Just who is in control of what happens in my life? It’s complicated …

The suggested title for your sermon is a not-so-thinly-disguised reference to an improv show that originated in the United Kingdom in the waning years of the last millennium: “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”

When ABC picked up this short-form improvisational comedy show, it ran until 2007, and since then has reappeared in various incarnations around the world, and segments can still be seen on social media. Often, the audience made suggestions for topics, or ideas were tendered as predetermined prompts from the host, which for a long time was Drew Carey. The show was modeled on a game show during which the host arbitrarily assigned phony points and likewise chose a fake winner at the end of each episode.

In the rapid-fire spontaneity of the dialogue, it was easy to understand how someone could wonder, “Whose line is it, anyway?”

By looking at this droll and surprisingly witty show, one can tease out a number of lessons. But the one that is suggested by...