113345115064144871
Old habits are hard to break, good or bad. I’ve never been much of a morning person. I’ve confessed this to you before in an earlier post. I’m not against the morning or morning people. Though some morning people can be somewhat annoying. When the house is quiet, when the only sound is the hum of my CPU, that‚Äôs when the ideas and concepts begin to surface.
I’ve been writing like crazy the last few nights. I think I’ve found some inspiration in the work ethic of Dr. Begin and his most recent accomplishment. I’ve been inspired as of late and find myself doing quite a bit of late night writing. I wrote the bulk of my doctoral dissertation during months of these late night writing sessions. That might explain why it always made sense at the time but doesn’t make sense when I read back through it now!
The good thing is the inspiration. Another good thing about inspiration is you actually have an idea with which to work. One of the hardest things about preaching is coming up with something to preach. Not knowing what you are going to talk about carries with it a large amount of weight. Just coming up with a topic or a sermon idea is half the battle. So I look forward to these periods of inspiration and write as much as I can. There are times when I’m so out of ideas, so void of inspiration that when that muse graces me with an idea it is like turning on a sprinkler to soak a dead lawn.
So, I’ve sketched out a series of lessons for the month of December that I will start this week. I’ve been writing all week preparing for lesson one which at this point is about 20 pages in length. One of my favorite teachers used to tell us “boys, for a sermon to be immortal it does not have to be eternal.” That and, “no soul saved after 20 minutes.” So I will spend the rest of the week editing and condensing.
I’d better get to it quickly or Greg will have nothing to preach this week.
I was already forming your last sentence in my mind before I even read it!
Actually, I told Janice yesterday at lunch that I had the rest of December thought out and have been doing a lot of planning for all of next year.
As for morning people, recently I read there are basically two kinds of people in the world: Those who love mornings and those of us who hate those who love mornings! I am of the second ilk.
When I get up too early, I feel like lurxhh the rest of the day. But if I stay in bed too long, I feel even worse!
One more comment…I look forward to reading your thoughts. I can always preach what I have on another Sunday!
qihbkd (baked qih as opposed to the broiled or steamed version)
Bro –
I take my hat off to you, the “Pastor of Disaster, Steve, Keith, and Brady. To come up with sermons each week to give folks a vision of the Kingdom is a daunting task. The few times that I’ve preached has left me a basket case during those weeks.
I’m glad the Lord has led you into the wet ground of inspiration this week.
By the way, isn’t it technically “morning” until 12 noon? If that is the case then I can use the Zoe Conference and Pepperdine to vouch for the fact that you are a morning person!
Besides, they stop serving wmbrsp by 8am at Pepperdine.
Glad you’ve got the ideas flowing. We are working through several weeks on the poor in the Gospel of Luke. After that I will spend time on Resurrection and Baptism, since we have many newcomers. Then I plan on two or three sermons on the reign and the ascension of Christ, since I’ve just finished two good books on the ascension, and one not too good one.
We might want to start a “Seed thought” blog where preachers can share the beginning of thoughts, sermon plans.
For the rest, I’ll just wait for the good ole dupamzap, the best way to get inspired (no lie).
Glad your creative and inspirational juices are flowing! In June of next year, I am going to be in D.C. for a retirement seminar, and if all goes well, will visit you at Arlington on Wednesday night. Don’t know what you typically do on Wednesday nights, but I’m hoping you’ll have something profound to say! I’m looking forward to introducing myself as “meowmix!”
Regarding the “seed blog,” as one who sits in the pews and listens to you guys, I can tell you that the most meaningful things in recent years have been those sermons that direct me in how to live a more spiritual life. The doctrinal issues are important for our newcomers and young people, though. On the marquee of a church in my neighborhood, they’ve been posting some interesting subjects lately, i.e., God’s Answer to Depression, and God’s Answer for Loneliness.
Morning people? I’m not really, but in recent years, I have come to really appreciate sunrises as well as sunsets!
wkgtic: a weak vermin
My hat is off to you (but not my sunscreen) for braving the dual peril of public speaking (more feared than death) and Biblical exposition (harder than cjdbi).
At present, I’m going through a phase of seeing both sides of every issue (e.g., Calvinism vs. Arminianism) to the point that I’m in a “faith quagmire.” So, long story longer, I have an added measure of appreciation for the preachers and teachers among us, as well as the inspriation God gives them/you. Keep it up!
As the late, great Jerry Stalkup used to say, “There are two kinds of people. There’s the kind that wakes up and says, ‘Good Lord, it’s morning!’ And there’s the kind that wakes up and says, ‘Good morning, Lord!’”
I’m glad you’ve been smacked with inspiration. One of the (few) advantages of being a “lay preacher” is that I have a file full of sermon ideas on my computer. I am rarely able to preach on what I want to, so they just sit there, waiting for me to change careers.
I am ashiver with the idea of a seed thought blog. What an awesome resource that could be. The main reason we all share an office here at school (all 22 of us…it’s a big office) is that when we are in there, the discussion inevitably turns to teaching. It’s vital to bounce ideas off each other, learn new techniques, and get some perspective. I value all of your thoughts so much and would love to know what books you are reading (ascension? do tell) and where the Spirit is leading your sermons.
I’ll show you mine if you show me yours. Wait…maybe I shouldn’t end this comment on such a kchly note.