My Exegetical Weekend...

I spent most of the weekend making the final preparations for my latest sermonizing experiment.

In between trying to memorize my sermon manuscript and making up some prayers out of whole cloth, I managed to get dragged into some furniture shopping.

Oooh.

We didn’t buy anything but it was worth the time because, afterwards, we picked up some groceries and on the way back home, Stacie got behind a rather slow-moving vehicle. (He was only going 10-20 over the speed limit.)

She punched the uber-vehicle’s accelerator to floor and all 285 horses roared to life as we passed slowpoke on a double yellow line like he was standing still...

Just in time to see the FC Sheriff’s Deputy heading our way.

Of course he pulled over, turned around and followed us. He never turned on the blue lights, so I told Stacie to just keep driving. We went all the way back to our little road, down the drive and into the carport with Barney in tow.

I was hoping he’d help unload the car.

No, he just wanted to remind Stacie to ‘watch her driving’.

Hey, that’s my job!

And I forgot to tell Lt. Dan!

Anyway, my preaching duties for the week have now come and gone (with barely a hitch). I preached at both services, delivered the children’s messages, made the announcements and generally led the services (with the help of two great liturgists –thanks, Stacie. Thanks Mark).

My exegesis was neither scholarly nor extensive but it was, I hope, cohesive. Chapter Six of John’s Gospel is not exactly something I would recommend for the novice preacher. I settled upon one simple point and tried my best to stick to it. That point, “What does it mean to ‘eat’ Jesus’ flesh”, became a version of Jack’s ‘Discipleship is not an option’ theme.

I got through it without passing out or saying any bad words but I did sweat up my new suit real good.

Afterwards, most folks said, “Great job” or something to that effect but I think they mostly felt like they had to say that. Either that or their expectations were so low that, so long I didn’t completely mess up, it looked like a “great job”.

Next week we’re off to St. Paul UMC where I will preach as well and the audience might be just a bit more critical. We’ll see.

We beat it back home after the late service, had lunch and sat down in front of the TV just in time to see Stacie’s step-brother-in-law, Larry, sing the National Anthem in front of thousands of cheering people at the Cubs-Cardinals game on WGN.

Wow!

Tell, me Lar’ how do you get these kinds of gigs when I’m preaching the Gospel of St. John to 49 sleepy Methodists?