SteveJamieson.com

I’ve completed three preaching classes. I’ve preached 4 different sermons before my classmates. I’ve taught Sunday school classes. I’ve led liturgy. On Sunday, February 16^th, I will take another step forward as I ascend into the pulpit at Memorial Pres. and preach to an actual congregation.

A week or so ago, my friend and ruling elder Willy approached me about preaching on the 16^th. That date is Mission Focus Sunday this year at Memorial, and it is apparently custom to have a guest preacher present a sermon about missions as part of the program for the day. Willy wanted to know if I was interested, and if I had a sermon already prepared that fit the theme, since it was rather short notice for a busy student like myself. I volunteered my Acts 6–7 sermon, and he and pastor George confirmed that it fit the theme.

Now that the 16^th is only a couple days away, and all my birthday shenanigans are well out of the way, it’s time to finish putting some extra polish on the sermon and really practice. It’s not that I didn’t put a good deal of effort into the sermon when I first wrote and presented it. It’s just that now I’m entering the big leagues, if you will. In the preaching class, sure, one ought to aim to edify one’s fellow students in the audience, but the class time is mostly a learning opportunity where there’s plenty of room for some trial and error. Now, however, practice time is over. Formerly, my role in preaching was primarily student being critiqued. On this coming occasion, my primary role will become teacher addressing God’s people. Once again, I am faced with a situation for which I feel rather inadequate. As I think about it more, though, I think such a feeling is actually a good thing. In fact, I hope that there never comes a day when I feel adequate to be a representative of the Most High God! That I, unfaithful miscreant that I am, should be given such a privileged task is one of the wonders of God’s grace, and it is this testimony of grace that I want to stay in touch with in my preaching.

In addition to this preaching opportunity, this weekend will also be notable because my Dad is flying out to visit me for the weekend. He had already scheduled a flight to Texas for a business trip on Monday, and when I told him that I was preaching on Sunday, he was able to change his travel plans to include a weekend stop in St. Louis so that he could be in the audience. Since the company was already paying for him to travel to Texas, he only had to pay the extra $50 to add St. Louis to his itinerary. Also, not only will my Dad get to hear me preach, but since this happens to be the weekend of one of the symphony concerts for which I have tickets, he will get to go with me to that too.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 13th, 2003 at 4:41 PM and is filed under Friends & Family, Preaching. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.