I am taking another internet break, a little brainless helps get the sermon back on track. Believe it or not. I know some of you are amazed that I would be working on a Sunday sermon on a Wednesday. Some of you are about to call and find out if I have a fever. Stop. I am fine. Healthy.
I have to say, not having to preach every week, does seem to give me a little more get at 'em. I can spread my reading and my process out. I also now work part time, so when I am here, I have to make the most out of my time. I usually have a lot of time on Wednesday's, I don't have things Wed. afternoon until confirmation at 6:00, so I tend to get a first draft hammered out about now.
The only thing I haven't gotten use to...Having to have a title ready by Tuesday. Um, Title, really. This week, my title might actually relate to the sermon. I find that I get surprised lately with a sermon's direction. I think I know where it will go, so I hand in the title. The Holy Spirit has different ideas and then...boom, not related to the title. Now, I don't think the congregation is holding this against me. If they were in my head, then they would be concerned with my sermon process and choices of title. There is a real title and then there is the one that is not published.
This week. "The Gift and the Giver"
What ran through my head: "The Gift and the Giver and Why I dont' eat liver"
Now, the sermon has nothing to do with liver, I just liked the rhyme. Although, liver tends to be a cheap cut of meat, so maybe that would be what a widow would buy. I wouldn't if I were a widow, I'd buy oxtail, you can make a nice soup or something. It's cheap and I'd then avoid the liver thing.
The other title. "Widows! Poor! Hungry! Can we stop talking about churchwide now?" Can we tell that I'm a little tired of some things? If you are a member of the ELCA or understand the ELCA, the second title makes sense to you.
Three weeks ago, I preached my first sermon here. The text was "give everything you have away and come follow me." (Lucinda's annotated version)
I don't remember the title I used, I know it didn't relate to the sermon I preached.
I do remember the alternative title choices. There were two. The first was the sermon being announced by my colleague in the form of The Red Hot Chili Peppers. "Give it away, Give it away, Give it away, Now."
The other title. "Let's give everything away, start a commune and become vegans." I don't know why vegan entered my head. I'm not a vegan, not even a vegetarian and I'm not capable of being one. And when I mean capable, I mean, have no desire to give up meat and never will, I raise cows and I eat them.
So, you can see, people would be way more scared if they heard all the titles in my head. They should maybe be thankful that I sometime stray from a title.
I should get back to it. Have a great Wed. Night. I will.
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