New Life for My Sermon

Today was our first day back at church, Ms J. Our church was closed for July, remember? It felt good to be back, really it did. Reverend Linda was first to greet me as I strode past the heavy wooden doors and up the carpeted stairs.

"Hi Dale," she said. "How's the sermon coming along?"

"Not very well," I told her. "I haven't even started it yet. It's been a busy July."

She was sympathetic.

"Boy, it sure has been," she said. "Have you had a chance to look at the reference material I gave you? Was there anything there that seemed to resonate for you?"

She had offered me a choice of four different Bible passages, Ms Journal. None of them interested me in the least. I honestly had no idea where to begin a sermon.

I wrinkled my nose and shrugged my shoulders. I had promised I'd write a sermon and I'd reneged. I'd let her down.

"Nothing grabbed you, eh?"

"No," I said. "Not really."

Linda smiled that reassuring smile of hers and I felt better.

"That's OK, Dale. Do you still want to write one, or have you given up?"

"No, I'd still like to write a sermon, Linda. It's just that I didn't like any of those passages you gave me. The sermon I did last summer was so easy. It took me about an hour to write it. It seemed to speak to my heart. Remember I talked about getting out of the boat like Peter did and asking for help when my leg was broken? That experience was still fresh in my mind."

She nodded her head a moment before she spoke.

"What's been on your mind this summer? What's fresh in your mind right now?"

"Well, to be honest with you, I've been really busy building a deck in my back yard and getting things organized for that. I've been socialising with friends and dealing with challenges at work. I really haven't bothered taking time for God much this summer."

She smiled then, one of those big ah-ha kind of smiles and said, "If I find you a Bible passage that talks about taking time for God, could you write a sermon on that?"

"I sure could!" I said. "That'd be great, Linda!"

"Good then. Throw all that material I gave you in the garbage. I'll get you something better."

I'm going to the church on Tuesday morning to meet with her. She's promised to have something just right for me, something that will speak to my heart.

God is good, Ms J. All the time.

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