Many, many times I have gotten to Saturday without being prepared for Sunday, not because I waited until Saturday to think about it, but because the words just did not seem to come. I sometimes feel I have tried too hard to think of the best words for my sermon, when instead I should be allowing God to do the choosing of the words. Perhaps what I need most is less worrying about words, and more meditation and prayer.
Pray for me, Pilgrim
testing
Hey Pilgrim, My wife and I are preaching a five week series out of 1 Thess. Going back to the Oct 17th lection passage, which is the first chapter, we find Paul exhorting and praising the Thessalonians for being imitators of Christ (and Silas, Timothy and Paul). But just before this, Paul blesses the Thessalonians with the greeting, "Grace to you and peace." This greeting is meant, I think, to relate to the way God acts and reacts in our presence, with grace and peace. Grace "charis" is related to the word chayros (hand). God's grace is the lifting, caressing, calling, comforting hand. Use that same image when you approach "your" sermon; and you will discover that you are in God's grace. I once (cough, cough) preached the absolute worst sermon I had ever heard, disjointed, I was not "in" it and I assumed God wasn't either. At the door following the service, I could see the faces with their stitched on smiles and feel the limp handshakes. UNTIL the last person, a visitor, who had hung back from the receiving line finally came through. She grasped my outstretched hand with both of hers. "Oh, thank you," she said, "that sermon was just what I was meant to hear. Thank you again for sharing God's word for me!" Live in God's grace, feel God's hand of peace on you.
Doug in Bahamas
Date: 26 Oct 1999
Time: 17:48:22
Doug,
Thank you so much. That was just the encouragement I needed. As a student pastor, I feel like I'm getting behind in everything (make that I AM getting behind). I solicit your prayers and the prayers of others as I continue on this path.
Pilgrim
Date: 26 Oct 1999
Time: 18:00:33
Pilgrim- as a fellow student pastor I would be interested in starting an email support correspondonce with you and other student pastors. (How did it get to be the end of October with advent merely weeks away, and do are finals?) If interested email me at DebRevtobe@aol.com or here at DPS
On this reading Paul talks about leading a life worthy of God- but in what way? Paul continued to be a tent maker while preaching the gospel, while in the Gospel accounts there is no indication that Jesus continued to work as a carprenter but instead survived off the generousity of those surrounding him. So is there ONE way to live worthy of God, or is it deeper than that; more on how we live inside?
Peace and Grace Pastor Deb in Bangor
Date: 28 Oct 1999
Time: 13:49:01
I was challenged by Paul from this reading to walk as He walked. It's hard to be able to point to my own life as Paul did and challenge people, "follow me as I follow Christ." But that's why the Thessalonians accepting the word of God as from God, and not from human, since they see that Word lived out through Paul, and other believers. I pray that God would help me to live His word, so that my main illustrations for what I talk would be how I talk. That I would experience His power personally, encounter His signs and wonders in my own life.
I WISH I can talk to my group this way:
A) You can see how I live my life, that I work or study not to advance my carreer (I am a full time programmer), but for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. B) You can see that I walk what I talk about Christ, I experience not only the grace of God who forgave me, but also experience the power to live a vitorious life through Him. C) You can see the love and care I have for each one of you, that I am not just "doing my job", but I was "moved by compassion" and pour out my heart to you. D) You can see that I do all I can to equip you so your full potential according to God's plan will be materialized, that you yourself will come to full maturitity, walking as Jesus walk and making other disciples, who in turn was sucessfully making disciples. E) You can see all of this with Thanksgiving and Joy, since this is the best evidence that God is currently working among our group, changing my life, changing your life and the lives of others.
As I said above, that was what I WISH I could talk to the group. I don't have that much confident that I was setting a *solid* example.
Oh God, please help me to live my life worthy for You, a life that point people to you, bring encouragement to them and glory to You. A life that helping others to live their lives to influence others for You.
CoHo, SantaAna
Date: 28 Oct 1999
Time: 19:19:00
I used to think I knew what it meant to set a solid Christian example before my congregation. But, I'm not so sure any more. It's tough to have the mind of Christ. To walk in Paul's foot-steps and not forget you are a real, living and breathing person too. I think I do harm to my congregation when I set myself too far apart from them and the way they live their lives. To the person in the pew (and behind the pulpit too), living as Paul lived, or having the mind of Christ seems over-whelmingly impossible. I think the issue behind this text boils down to the issue of integrity - as it does in the Gospel reading. Integrity doesn't call me to lead a perfect life. It calls me to know my values and priorities, and to order my life by them. Having integrity means I am striving to do this, and I am constantly monitoring myself. I haven't attained the goal, I am working to reach it. The difference may appear to be subtle to you, but it is helpful to me.
The Iowa Starr