Disoriented

As most of my readers know, I preach extemporaneously; this isn't ad-libbing and it isn't memorization.  Extemporaneous preaching involves so much more -- I know my text, I know what I want to say, and I do multiple run throughs, honing what I want to preach, adjusting my message, and stumbling across new insights before I stand up in the puplit on Sunday morning.  This preparation involves a lot of time and preparation, but I believe I'm able to make a better connection with the congregation.  One upshot of all this is that late Saturday afternoons and evenings are work time.  Sometimes, early Sunday morning, too, as I want to get things right.

Now all of that is on hiatus.  Due to doing ministry in these strange times, I need to write my sermon out, edit and re-edit, before it's done.  At first, I needed to do this so I would have something to email the congregation.  Now we're supplementing what we email with internet services.  And that creates its own challenges because I have to do this by Thursday night if we're going to drop it into the mail for parishioners who don't have or like to use email or the interent.  Since I'd already written my sermon, I preached from it when we recorded the March 29 Sunday service on Friday afternoon.

Now, I'm NOT complaining.  I've been at this for more than ten years and learning something new is good.  For example, I finally figured out how to post a video to YouTube.  Maybe I'll try Twitter.  Scratch that.  Nothing good happens on Twitter.  But all of this represents change.  And while change is inevitable, and is often good, and yes, sometimes bad, it is often disorienting. Normal patterns of life have gone by the wayside.  For the first time outside of vacation or Sabbatical I will have a free Saturday night since tomorrow's service is already done.  Weird.  But in a way good.

Still, I look forward to a return to our sanctuary with all of you there.  I prefer preaching to people rather than an iPhone camera.  Someday, we'll see each other again in person.  Till then, try to stay grounded in God's strength, Jesus' love, and the Spirit's comfort.

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