Sunday, October 21, 2007

Preaching with Fire

A good day at church. I'm increasingly finding my stride as a preacher at COTM, and as a result I did much better this morning than the previous few times. I found a nice Holy Spirit groove and just worked that solidly. At peak intensity I was running about an 8 on the TMPIS (Tay Moss Preaching Intensity Scale). I connected the ideas around fire and being on fire with divine love with the history of the congregation (quite appropriate given this congregation's interest in the fire of June, 1976). One sweet lady told me that it was the best Dedication-day sermon she's heard in some thirty years of coming to Messiah. And she wasn't just saying that to flatter me. It's important as a preacher to let real compliments like that settle in to a mental file of such encouraging words--God knows most sermons go by without much meaningful feedback.


I'm also finding more confidence with the shape of the liturgy and changes I want to make. Advent seems like a great time to introduce some of those.

I have a wedding rehearsal this afternoon. Then I can go home and watch some football, I hope. But Betsy and some friends are going to the Pax Christi Concert this afternoon. I would go, of course, but can't because of this rehearsal.

-t

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