Thursday, May 24, 2023
“If you cannot preach like Peter, If you cannot pray like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus, And say He died for all.”
(Hymn: There Is A Balm in Gilead)
This past week I was blessed to attend a professional development conference called the Festival of Homiletics held in Minneapolis this year. Another attendee described it as “preachers on vacation,” which certainly has some truth to it. For four days, we listen to great preachers and hear about the art of their craft (https://festivalofhomiletics.com/meet-our-speakers/). While there were many notable preachers, including a great workshop and sermon by Ottis Moss III and a sermon by Yvette Flunder, we also heard from our very own Presiding Bishop Michael Curry; it was one of his best, I thought. In his sermon that day, he reminded us attending that day of the words to one of his favorite hymns: “If you cannot preach like Peter, If you cannot pray like Paul, You can tell the love of Jesus, And say He died for all.”
At the end of the day, that is what a sermon is supposed to do: tell the love of Jesus. Tell it over and over again, never letting it slip out of our conscience mind. Tell it over and over again, adapting to modern circumstances and difficult situations. Tell it over and over again, because we so easily forget and slip back into judgment and self-centeredness. Tell it over and over again so we can help each other do it better week after week. While all preachers are hoping to improve in our craft, what matters most is to simply tell the love of Jesus.
I do not know what type of sermon I will be writing and preaching this week… but after a week like last week with all of these amazing preachers, it is anyone’s guess! Heck, I may end up walking around, waiving my hands, and singing like Bp. Curry! (don’t get your hopes up LOL) But whatever comes from this preacher’s time of prayer, preparation, and writing, I hope that the love of Jesus gets preached loudly and clearly through my words this week and every week. And you, my dear reader, may not stand in a pulpit and try to be engaging and informative while delivering a proper sermon on a Sunday morning, however, your life and your words and your actions (even online) also have the power to preach. Are we all preaching love?
“If you cannot preach like Peter, If you cannot pray like Paul, You can tell the love of Jesus, And say He died for all.”
This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday- wear red, and see you there!
Jesse+
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