In the spirit of “no good deed ever goes unpunished,” I was invited yesterday to preach again during the summer at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Amherstburg. Only, unlike last year, I won’t be in the pulpit for a couple of Sundays, but rather the entire month of July and possibly a week in June. Well. All right then.
My first reaction was, what can I say to the congregation that they haven’t already heard? It has to be something new each time you see, because one of our members, with a self-proclaimed photographic memory, says she’ll know instantly if I try to give a sermon I’ve already done, and that trying to do so would result in “consequences.” What that might mean, I’m not altogether sure, unless she’d stand up in the middle of the sermon and yell “Booooooooring!” But I’d rather not find out. July is the fruit harvest down here and the pulpit doesn’t offer all that much cover.
Besides, you’d think with all the courses I’ve taken, books I’ve read, and sermons I’ve listened to it wouldn’t be hard to come up with five or six fresh topics. Well, if God want’s me to preach, God will supply the inspiration. Right, God? Um, Lord? Are you listening? Oh, I forgot. Someone told me this morning that Christmas is God’s busy season and it’s best not to bother him until the New Year. Uh-HUH. Kay.
But January 2nd, I start storming heaven!
