Ten
So, I just preached my tenth Sermon at Coos Bay UMC. Definitely my record for consecutive sermons. I had preached 6 at different churches last summer. But it's a very interesting thing to be preaching every Sunday like this. It means always needing to have something to say, which I'm not always that great at. Often, I just like to b silent until I feel like I really have something to say. Now, I have to say something meaningful whether I feel like I have anything to say or not.
It's been a really good experience, though. A few of them have been surprizes. Imbibe the Spirit in particular ended up being exactly the words that I needed to hear at that time. It's not all that often that one successfully preaches to themself, but it happened that time.
Also, it's been interesting to see if I was really brave enough to tackle difficult subjects when they present themselves. I haven't done too badly. So far, the words, "heroin, sex, prostitution, pornography, cocaine, AIDS, Democrats, Republicans, vote, campaign, drugs, drunkenness, evil, terrorism, pregnancy, abortion, death penalty, war, sexist, rape, murder, adultry, lust, menstration, and politics" have all appeared in a sermon of mine. I did chicken out a little bit with To Whom Can We Go?, though. I could have brought up homosexuality in that one, but I didn't. Of course, I was also running a fever of 101 degrees when I wrote it, so I may not have been in the best condition to handle that topic with the tact necessary. Another time will present itself, I'm sure.
So yeah, ten consecutive sermons to the same congergation, without repeating myself, as far as I can tell. That's kind of cool.
It's been a really good experience, though. A few of them have been surprizes. Imbibe the Spirit in particular ended up being exactly the words that I needed to hear at that time. It's not all that often that one successfully preaches to themself, but it happened that time.
Also, it's been interesting to see if I was really brave enough to tackle difficult subjects when they present themselves. I haven't done too badly. So far, the words, "heroin, sex, prostitution, pornography, cocaine, AIDS, Democrats, Republicans, vote, campaign, drugs, drunkenness, evil, terrorism, pregnancy, abortion, death penalty, war, sexist, rape, murder, adultry, lust, menstration, and politics" have all appeared in a sermon of mine. I did chicken out a little bit with To Whom Can We Go?, though. I could have brought up homosexuality in that one, but I didn't. Of course, I was also running a fever of 101 degrees when I wrote it, so I may not have been in the best condition to handle that topic with the tact necessary. Another time will present itself, I'm sure.
So yeah, ten consecutive sermons to the same congergation, without repeating myself, as far as I can tell. That's kind of cool.
posted by david at 3:19 PM
4 Comments:
Whoo hoo! Cool! WTG. :)
I'm pleased to find that I'm not having trouble wrangling sermons here, so far. You definitely outdo me on the tough stuff, though. I've just talked about sex and drugs and death, I think....
Mary Ann
Yeah, I haven't necessarily talked about all of those things in any sort of depth. Most of them I've only mentioned in passing. But it feels kind of good just to say taboo words from the pulpit.
Yes, I think you're right. At any rate, I follow that practice intentionally (though less thoroughly than you!) to remind people that God's there for Anything At All That's Troubling One. And that their church are their pastor are also up for the rough stuff.
Mary Ann
Fabulous! I love to see those taboo words said from the pulpit and in Coos Bay no less! My friend Blake used to pick a word of the day and see how many times he could work it into a conversation. I wondered why he kept saying decapitated during our last conversation. But I totally digress--completely different sentiment. Yeah for courage and passion and creativity
Sarah H. in Salem
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