Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Loathing completion

Life is much easier at church and at home if I manage to complete my sermon on Thursday. I get the sermonic machine rolling earlier in the week--a little Greek, some theological reading, some midrash with my colleagues, some prayer (help me, God. Please.). I begin on Sunday night (Friday is my sabbath day). Gaining closure on the questions, ideas remains elusive. Conditioning renders my adjusted homiletic calendar useless. I guess God cares not about completing the sermon at a time that it is convenient for me.

My parents used to give me the business as an adolescent because I waited until the last minute to get a project done. I think if I started the day the assignment was made it would not have made a difference. The closure of ideas and questions creates pain. I hate letting the ideas go. I suppose the work is not my own in the first place--the only way a sermon is ever completed is that Sunday comes. Every week.

Pastor Elihu

1 comment:

g. travis norvell said...

Rev. Smalls,

Amen. If not for Sunday nothing would ever get done in my pastoral life.

So how do you celebrate/observe the Sabbath on Friday?

I just try to stay around the house and play with the kids, I like to take a walk but not always possible. I struggle with the whole keeping sabbath deal. but i would like to.

why not post a sermon or two on the blog?


btw: pics off.

i want to see the simpsons episode with prarie home companion. it took me awhile to get the hang of the show