Memorial Day
May 29, 2007I am not entirely certain what happened on Sunday! I had prepared a sermon on Gideon and his battle with the Midianite army. I thought this was going to be the perfect Memorial Day sermon. Before I preached, there was a video shown with all of the people associated with our church who have served in the armed forces. Somewhere in the middle was a picture of an elderly lady in our church named Mary. Mary is just a tiny little thing, and is getting up there in years. On the screen was this beautiful young woman, and it said she was a nurse during WWII. Immediately my mind began racing about the stories she must have, and I wondered how many people listened!
The way my mind works, that got me thinking about our own stories…the stories that we have about our redemption…the stories about what God has done in our life, and God kept taking me to Deuteronomy 6.
“Deuteronomy 6:4-9
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. “
We have a responsiblity to tell our children…to tell them every opportunity we get about the One God whom we serve!
Tell your story!
It was painful, but I scrapped my sermon on Sunday, and spoke briefly about this passage…I have never abandoned a sermon completely 2 minutes before I was supposed to preach it, but I couldn’t do anything else!
Impress your story on the people around you!
Great story. Gotta love when the Spirit moves you to do something like that. These are the words that people will remember.
That’s awesome that you care more about what the Holy Spirit would have you say than about what YOU would have you say. Not a lot of pastors will do that. I applaud you for that!!
I have never done that. I actually would pass out if someone came and asked that I do so. Of course I have had those times when I flew off nothing and God pulled it together. But that is not my style. Yeah I know your thinking, “What? Not your style to let God lead?” No not my style to let God lead me five seconds before. I like plenty of prep time.
Certainly not how I would like to do things either! It was the hardest time I have ever had, but I really didn’t have a choice! It is hard to explain!
I know what you mean. I have had times when(not in a sermon situation) that I flew off the cuff.
Ex: When we as a board of leaders met with the older ladies about the screen. There were several ladies against it b/c it would cover the crosses. I got up took control and gave a speech in which I carefully explained the situation and the future of the church.
One of the elder’s told me later her was thinking, “That guy has practiced this.” But I hadn’t. So there are times when I do fly off nothing. Somtimes it works sometimes I bomb.