it finally happened
it had to happen. i think it's been coming.
today's preaching was TERRIBLE! seriously--i'd been working all week on a sermon but never actually got anything written down. it was a crazy week and nothing seemed to go the way i had planned nor intended. nothing major--just little stuff all of the time.
so i had completed sermon prep all week but no sermon. this morning at 5am i wrote my sermon. i delivered one at 8:45am and another 10am. i think the one at 8:45 was probably better than the one at 10. a cute little old man even complained--"if i wasn't going to preach on the scripture read why bother reading it?"
i was glad to know someone was at least listening and being honest with me. that's a good thing. i had been preaching explicitly about one of the texts--the wheat and the tares-- but had also been talking about Jacob. i'm pretty sure this is where i got lost.
i read the lectionary text but then told the story about how Jacob had tricked Issac into giving him Esau's blessing. i used more of this "absent" text than i did the text i read. joel asked me why hadn't i just used that particular text rather than the lectionary reading.
i don't know. i didn't think about it. i like using the lectionary--there are many lectionary helps available and i don't have to decide what scriptures to use. for whatever reason, i didn't think to alter the scriptures.
there will be a sermon planning retreat in Atchison near the end of August. i can hardly wait to go. this week have i felt completely clueless. it's good to be humble but this felt a little crazy.
i had hoped to attend the Preaching from the Center seminar/workshop in Albuquerque this fall. however, i think i noticed an important event at the small church so that will likely be a bust.
there is a leadership seminar with a preaching workshop at the end of it, this one is in KCMO and also in October. it is also at Church of the Ressurrection. which seems to be the UMC's favored mega-church. Rev. Hamilton is a very good preacher but i don't buy into the whole "bigger is better" thing. it's not "my thing" to go and listen to Rev. Hamilton. i've heard him quite often, he's good but i can't imagine he'll say anything new or different from what i've heard him say before.
joel says i should "humble myself" and just go. perhaps he is right--afterall Jim Wallis will be there and i'd love to hear him in person.
there is also a "Preaching from the Center" and Worship workshop in January 09--perhaps i could go to that as well.
last year there was a great seminar in Oklahoma (Septemberish?)--does anyone know if it will be happening again? i can't even remember where it was in Oklahoma.
today's preaching was TERRIBLE! seriously--i'd been working all week on a sermon but never actually got anything written down. it was a crazy week and nothing seemed to go the way i had planned nor intended. nothing major--just little stuff all of the time.
so i had completed sermon prep all week but no sermon. this morning at 5am i wrote my sermon. i delivered one at 8:45am and another 10am. i think the one at 8:45 was probably better than the one at 10. a cute little old man even complained--"if i wasn't going to preach on the scripture read why bother reading it?"
i was glad to know someone was at least listening and being honest with me. that's a good thing. i had been preaching explicitly about one of the texts--the wheat and the tares-- but had also been talking about Jacob. i'm pretty sure this is where i got lost.
i read the lectionary text but then told the story about how Jacob had tricked Issac into giving him Esau's blessing. i used more of this "absent" text than i did the text i read. joel asked me why hadn't i just used that particular text rather than the lectionary reading.
i don't know. i didn't think about it. i like using the lectionary--there are many lectionary helps available and i don't have to decide what scriptures to use. for whatever reason, i didn't think to alter the scriptures.
there will be a sermon planning retreat in Atchison near the end of August. i can hardly wait to go. this week have i felt completely clueless. it's good to be humble but this felt a little crazy.
i had hoped to attend the Preaching from the Center seminar/workshop in Albuquerque this fall. however, i think i noticed an important event at the small church so that will likely be a bust.
there is a leadership seminar with a preaching workshop at the end of it, this one is in KCMO and also in October. it is also at Church of the Ressurrection. which seems to be the UMC's favored mega-church. Rev. Hamilton is a very good preacher but i don't buy into the whole "bigger is better" thing. it's not "my thing" to go and listen to Rev. Hamilton. i've heard him quite often, he's good but i can't imagine he'll say anything new or different from what i've heard him say before.
joel says i should "humble myself" and just go. perhaps he is right--afterall Jim Wallis will be there and i'd love to hear him in person.
there is also a "Preaching from the Center" and Worship workshop in January 09--perhaps i could go to that as well.
last year there was a great seminar in Oklahoma (Septemberish?)--does anyone know if it will be happening again? i can't even remember where it was in Oklahoma.
Comments
I don't think they are doing it again this year, however. I just went on their website and didn't see anything.
Of course, I want you to save your Con Ed money for the RevGal Big Event in the Spring! I don't think it will be a preaching focus, though. One of these days I will go to the Festival of Homies.
btw, I'm sure it wasn't terrible this morning. You can't hit a homerun everytime. Base hits are okay. :)
Also, don't be too hard on yourself. Someone wise told me that it takes 10 years for a preacher to find his/her preaching voice...and I think there's truth to it...also...we ALL have duds once in awhile...someone else once said to me "Sometimes I can feed them brunch but other times all they get is cereal"....