Tonight was the last night of the basic United Methodist lay speaking class I have been teaching since October, and I could not be more thrilled with my three students — Sandra Akins, Wallace Frederick and Caty Robinson. They preached their short sermons this evening, and all three did a fine job. Ann Benson, director of lay speaking for the Murfreesboro District, and Tom Wright, director of lay speaker training, were both on hand and I think they were pleased as well.

Actually, the curriculum we use for this class spends far less time than you’d think on the actual practice and technique of preaching, and far more on spiritual development and the ways that all of us as Christians lead and serve within our churches and communities. So there were some mechanical things I didn’t get the chance to talk about but which my students picked up on anyway.

A satisfying conclusion. It will good to have a few Wednesdays to myself, and then to rejoin our Wednesday night dinner and Bible study at First UMC when it resumes after the holiday break.