July 21, 2015 (Tuesday)
I remember my high school baccalaureate service; it was held 66 years ago in a big beautiful church on South Main Street in Houston. I can’t recall the name of the church, or the preacher. I don’t remember what he preached about, but I remember very well the joke he told. I could tell it to you right now. It’s a good ‘un.
The question I have for myself is, “Why do I remember the joke but cannot remember the sermon?”
I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that perhaps the joke was “unique” but the sermon was “usual.” I say that because I have forgotten some “usual” jokes but remember some “unique” sermons
Millions of people hear sermons, but do they remember them? Some do and some don’t. Some sermons are memorable and some are not.
So, what should I look for in a sermon? When I am a worshiper in the pew, I think I should open my heart and listen for a word from God straight to me. Whether the preacher shares jokes or humorous experiences is of no lasting importance. Whether the preacher says old stuff in a new and interesting way has no bearing on the condition of my soul. I appreciate a preacher’s efforts to make his sermons interesting, but it is up to me, the hearer, to listen carefully for the voice of God, speaking to me. When that happens, I will remember. What’s more important, I will act upon what I hear.
(REPEAT OF BLOG MAY 20, 2007)