I almost always love Sundays. I love to go to church and see people I know and care about. Many at the church where we are now are becoming familiar faces. I am learning a lot of names, and even noticing who is not there. I always enjoy whatever the musical offering is. Today the young children played the bells and the children's choir sang a song. The adult choir is always exceptional.
It is the season of Lent, the second Sunday. Much of my adult life has been lived as much by the seasons of the church year as the seasons of the calendar year. It is a familiar rhythm based on the life of Jesus, beginning in preparation of his birth, or Advent. Lent is the time of preparation for Easter. Others in my family have typically "given something up" for Lent. I've taken on something extra. In worship planning, I've always tried to make Lent a special time by using a theme or series for the season, or images, or dramatic monologues.
Today was my Sunday to preach, which I do once a month. My guess would be that people experience my preaching as passionate and intense. That's what I feel inside and that's what I feel like when I am preaching. And I'm totally spent afterwards!
My favorite preaching Sunday is Easter. Last year, 2009, even after I had retired, I still had an opportunity to preach on Easter Sunday, during an Interim assignment. This year, I will be leading worship and preaching on Palm Sunday.
I'll admit that I did hope that retiring would not mean never preaching again. But I didn't necessarily expect that I would be as fortunate as I have been. Honestly, I'm glad that God is not finished with me yet!
Nor preferably, ever!
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