PASTOR’S WEEKLY EMAIL

October 31, 2008

THE THURSDAY RITUAL

Last night Peggy and I went through a ritual that has become a regular weekly experience. A ritual that also proves to be very helpful to me, and inevitably very beneficial to all those who will gather for the worship experience at church on the upcoming weekend.  As a rule when Thursday evening rolls around I have put the final touches on the sermon that will be preached at the worship services that we hold during each weekend.  Over the years Peggy and I have been married I have discovered what a gifted listener and confidante she is, one who is not afraid to tell me what I really need to hear. Each week before I preach Peggy and I will sit down and I will read the sermon to her from beginning to end.  Once I have finished reading she never fails to give me an honest appraisal of the impact of the message on her, and how she thinks the congregation will be impacted by it as well.  If for some reason she feels that a message is lacking in any way, she will make helpful suggestions on how to strengthen certain points or where to add another illustration to strengthen the clarity of the point being made. She listens with the loving heart of a caring wife, but she also listens with the insightful, discerning spirit of a deeply devoted disciple of the faith.  There have been occasions when I have completely reversed the direction of a message simply because Peggy pointed out the need for further development of the theme.  There have also been times when she felt redactions should be made to a point in the sermon, and I would disagree and go with what had already been put on paper and on my heart. It is a very open and honest dialogue between the two of us as we seek the means to powerfully proclaim the truth of Christ and the joy of amazing grace. The point of all this is that the “Thursday” ritual has become an important moment for both of us to be open to God’s leading and direction as we consider the gravity of the preaching event for the weekend.

Have you ever thought about the gravity of the preaching event for your pastor?  Have you ever thought about the weight that the pastor bears whenever he or she gets up before the congregation to share the Word of Life with the hungering souls that have gathered during a time of worship?  I know that in my own experience, the preaching event is the most important aspect of my ministry.  It is the time when, as a pastor, I have the biggest opportunity to bring hope and inspiration and joy into the lives of the greatest number of people.   The burden of preaching is awesome in scope. Most of the good people who make their way to a weekend worship service are looking for something.  They are looking for spiritual nurture; they are looking for God’s direction for their troubled lives; they are looking to be inspired to live up to the teachings of Jesus Christ; they are looking to learn and grow in their commitment and their faith.  They are coming to the worship moment with the expectation of having a hungry soul fed.  They are giving an hour out of their busy schedules to worship and to hear the Good News proclaimed.  When the preacher has a “bad” day on a Sunday, it can “affect” many, and an opportunity to make a life-changing impact on a searching soul can be lost.  Have you ever thought about the gravity of the preaching event for your pastor?

I take the preaching event very seriously. It is a humbling experience.  During the preparation of the message I always pray that the Holy Spirit will direct my meager abilities so that a great good might spring forth.  I offer to God the little that I have knowing that in God’s hand a little can become a rich bounty.  I prepare diligently for the moment when I will stand before the congregation and open my heart on the insights that God has laid there to be shared with God’s people.  The Thursday ritual is an important part of this whole burden of preaching because it allows God to speak through another so that more clarity of the message can be shared with the hungering souls that I am entrusted to feed. 

When you see me stand before you this weekend, pray for me, and seek to understand the gravity of responsibility that I feel in sharing the Gospel with you.   I come before you in all humility as I seek to be God’s instrument to the wonderful people of Asbury UMC.

See you in church.

ANY COMMENTS?

Please send any comments on this edition of the Pastor’s Weekly Email to: scotpeg1@earthlink.net

SERMON FOR SUNDAY

Escaping From Economic Hell

Let God Fill the Hole in Your Soul

Luke 12:13-21

VIDEO BLOG

A new video blog will be posted today to share a little background on the sermon for Sunday.  You will find the blog posted at www.vscottharris.com. 

IRELAND 2009 -- INFORMATION MEETING -- Nov. 9^th at 2:30pm

Peggy and I will be leading another educational travel opportunity next year as we take a group to Ireland from November 2-12.  A wonderful way to learn of Ireland’s importance to faith and civilization is to read the book, “How the Irish Saved Civilization” by Patrick Cahill. We will have an informational meeting about the trip on Sunday, November 9^th at 2:30pm in the Sanctuary.