Sorry guys.
I'm never really sure how much my sermons are read. They seem to be the least commented on, which is a hard fact for me to read anything into. Most of what I right here does not get much comment.
In any case, last week was a hard one for me. Severe attack of Bronchitus. I came in Monday and Tuesday, put up the blog posts for the week, and was unable to do anything else. Tuesday I had gone to the Dr. in the afternoon. Wednesday morning I was unable to leave the house, Thursday the same. Friday I managed to get back to the doctor's office, they put me on steroids which are doing wonders.
However I called in sick on Friday. Having not been able to prepare a sermon, and not knowing if I would be well on Sunday or not. I wasn't really. I had a friend come in and preach for me.
And then Saturday came, the steroids kicked in and I felt like a brand new man. I'm still given to coughing bouts, but at least they don't have me worshiping the porcelain god in the water closet. Laura decided we should go into Salt Lake to hear Pastor Fischer. Which was alright with me. I couldn't bring myself to sit in the pew of my church and listen to someone else preach from my pulpit, even if I do like the guy. Just weird that.
Laura and I had a Sunday morning date. We got up, drove into town. We listened to Pastor Fischer preach a grace filled sermon. Laura teared up. She doesn't do that for my sermons... Then I harassed the guy a little bit, because that is what I do with my father confessor, and mentor. Afterward we went to the Market Street Grill for brunch. I had steel head and clam chowder, Laura had crab cakes. It was despite my Bronchitus a wonderful Sunday morning spent with a wonderful woman.
I think though, the best thing, is that for the first time in our marriage, we were able to sit in the pew together and have communion together. That has not happened once in our marriage. It seems whenever we go on vacation and we go to church, we end up at one of those congregations that doesn't celebrate communion every Sunday, and never the Sunday we come. Can I give you a better reason for every Sunday Communion?
Well in any case I didn't have a sermon prepared and there isn't one today. I hope to get the rest of the blogposts in today, and a book review of Gerhard Forde's "Theology is for Proclamation."
7 comments:
Pastor,
First I wanted to say WE MISSED YOU ON SUNDAY!! Deven was scared of Pastor Kraft and didn't want anything to do with him at first but by the time children's sermon came around and saw that he had your candy he was fine :-) I am glad you and Laura had such a beautiful day together! It is truly so important to share communion and I am glad for once you were able to. I always read your blog but never comment sorry, I love having your blog during the week if I am struggling so Thank You for posting each and every morning :-) Glad to have you back and feeling better!!!
Thanks Nicci,
yeah, the candy always brings them around...
Sometimes I wonder if the kids know their pastor as anyone but the guy who gives them candy in church.
Get well soon!
I hate to break the news to any Lutheran pastor, but I've noticed over the years that they seem to put too much stock in their sermons (not that it isn't important - it is!)
I just happen to have a difference of opinion with my pastor. He said that the most important part of the Service of the Word is the sermon. I still think it's the reading of Scripture. The reason is that I would be hard pressed to remember the words of any sermon -even one I really liked. But the word of God has a way of getting in and sticking in my memory in a way that the sermon doesn't.
I hope this doesn't hurt your feelings. Sermons are still VERY important - and yours tend to be very good. But I would never share this opinion to a pastor face to face because it's different. If I get you insulted or mad at me from 1500 miles away it really doesn't matter, so I can risk being honest. Sorry.
Scotty Dog,
I don't know that it is the most important part of the service. I like you remember almost no sermons. I remember tidbits from sermons, sometimes.
I at times am even leery of being complimented on a sermon, because my ego is already big enough. But then I have to admit I do like a good compliment, one that critiques and tells me what was good about it. What stuck and so forth.
It's just something I have kind of noticed since doing this blog. No one challenges the sermon. No one says much either way about them. my little devotional rants garner some comment. My random rants garner a laugh. my theological musings will get someone's hackles up, but the sermons almost go unnoticed. So it is peculiar, to me. That is all. perhaps it is that I post them on Monday and every one is dealing with that.
I have over the years put more stock in my sermon preparation. I'm finding them to be more important than I once did. One shock I have had as a pastor is that people are actually listening to them, and nuance is often lost. So I am taking time right now to really consider how I do sermons, and to what end. People are attracted to good preaching. and a pastor always wants more people. Good preaching though has to be Biblically sound also. Can't just be a stand up routine, that gets them in too...
I'm not quite sure why you don't have communion with your wife. Just wait until the end of communion and then join her at the rail. Our pastor always has communion with his family. You should definitely be able to enjoy it too.
Mollo,
I do commune with my wife here in my congregation. The issue is that whenever we go on vacation, and have the chance to sit with each other in church, we never get to commune together also.
Mollo,
I do commune with my wife here in my congregation. The issue is that whenever we go on vacation, and have the chance to sit with each other in church, we never get to commune together also.
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