At a recent meeting, just after I returned from my two weeks away, someone remarked,
“ You’re preaching this weekend? ” I nodded my head replying, “ Yes, but I still haven’t been hit yet by any big revelational lightning bolt.” My friend looked at me quizzically and I even wondered now what did I really mean by that remark? Thinking about it some more I knew right away that I had meant to say that so far I had no clue at all about what or how I might preach. I was starting to get a little nervous. Every preacher, any speaker
all teachers, (of course Frs. Marsden, Robinson, Wallace and all of you here excepted) knows exactly of what I speak. Nevertheless, I was determined to keep searching.
The next day I found and reread a little from a classic homiletics/preaching book called The Witness of Preaching written by The Rev. Thomas G. Long. Some of the book’s words spoke powerfully to my predicament and I also believe that they do to all of us at many different times and moments in our lives.
“Imagine we see the preacher (teacher, student, or prayerful individual)) as one who searches for, sees and hears and then witnesses to the Word of God as he/she found in a Scripture text? They are listening for, looking for a presence, hope for an experience with God…… But, until that encounter happens, there is really nothing to say! In the same way, week after week, the congregation sends their preachers back to Scripture on their behalf. Each week, the preacher must preach and witness in such a way that we can all feel God’s presence, hear God speaking to and calling us again in our lives. Then, we may rediscover Him and our very selves. Again and again, the question becomes how can we live out our lives, in word and action, rooted in the love, spirit and witness of the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?
In today’s Gospel, Jesus prays to His Father, “ ….. that all believers may know Thee as the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” Only then will we experience and know eternal life! You and I, the disciples, all stand on the outside listening to this prayer. Jesus prays for those He knows and for those still yet to come. He then asks God to protect us all from “the evil one”. Jesus entrusts our future not to the church community, but only to God. He puts the church under God’s protective care. He hands all those whom he loves back to God and He holds God accountable to His promises. The future of the church depends not upon our works. It comes from and rests with God! God will speak best to us when we look for, hear, listen to and witness to what He says in the preaching, teaching, praying, studying and in our hearts! You I can find God in Eucharist, preaching, music, study groups, our prayers, Sunday school, VBS, more! Can you hear Him? Close your eyes! Is God calling you? Will you proclaim and witness His name?