A New Angle for My Sermon

I was stuck, Ms J. I've sat here half a dozen times over the past two days and tried to write a sermon. I had less than a page of text, and it was drivel. The sermon is to be based on Psalm 130. So says Rev. Linda. It's a cry for help. "Out of the depths, I cry to you, O Lord." Actually, there are a couple of important points in the psalm. But despite repeated attempts, I kept coming up with nothing. Or almost nothing. I was stalled. I needed help to get started. I called the church this morning.

"Hi Susan. Is Linda there?"

Susan told me the preacher had gone away this week and wouldn't be back til Saturday.

"Oh poo!" I said. "I really need some help with this sermon. I have to present it on Sunday and I'm going crazy here trying to write something good. Or anything at all, really. What should I do?"

"Call Charlotte," she advised. "She'll help."

So I did. I'm just home from Charlotte's house. We had a cup of tea together and she suggested that I might try a different tack.

"You've been in the depths, Dale. You've suffered there with worries for your kids, especially Daniel. What did you do? How did it feel? And how have things turned out? What happened to turn you around? Why not speak from your heart instead of trying to preach directly on the Bible passage?"

"But it's too personal, Sweet Charlotte," I said. (I call her Sweet Charlotte, Ms J, because she's ... well, sweet.)

"You don't have to go into great detail," she said. "Just enough to get your point across."

I've just deleted my old sermon and written a few notes based on my conversation with Charlotte. I'll sleep on it and start fresh in the morning. I feel more positive, Ms Journal, but in Truth, I'll be happy when Sunday is finally behind me.

God Night.

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