Sunday, July 15, is a major life-marker for me. I will celebrate 35 years at Memorial Drive!!!!!!
Thank you. Be seated.
This continues to be an outrageously wonderful journey.
I have been forced to learn a few things along the way. No, I didn't arrive the complete package. I failed at more turns than I succeeded. I drove more away from Memorial than I attracted. I regret this.
When I got here Jesus was basically a name-dropping closing endorsement for prayer's end. I didn't know him, realize I needed to know him, or look for him. I was steeped in brotherhood opinion of what was to be and not to be in the church. My goal was to please the opinionated brotherhood....which can't possibly happen.
Oddly, of all the troubles I encountered within my work here, none was as significant as when I began to preach Jesus rather than brotherhood issues. That is still strange to me; no surprise to God.
My first 18 years here were unbearably painful. How many times I gathered Mary and the kids into the living room on Saturday night to apologize for potentially separating them from their friends for I thought I would be fired immediately after the next morning's sermon.
The last 17 years have been the complete opposite. The congregation has been good to me to let me try to grow. I learned from Jesus to quit yelling at the congregation during my sermons; but rather to seek their assistance in my own needed growth. Jesus changes the rules and the playing field.
Thanks to those who never gave up on me. I needed you. And to those who couldn't take me anymore...well, my apology. I wouldn't have been able to take me anymore either.
Preaching in the Church of Christ is still fun. I'm just getting started! I'm not intimidated nor discouraged with the fact that I am still in kindergarten with no hopes of ever graduating to first grade in the kingdom.
This makes me privileged, happy, and even thrilled. I am the luckiest man I ever met.
No comments:
Post a Comment