Jun 22

Reprising my conference sermon

My pastor, who will be on vacation the next two Sundays, asked me to give my sermon from Annual Conference next week.

This means that I and my father will be preaching at First UMC on consecutive Sundays — but he will be in Louisville, Ky., next week while I’m preaching, and I will be in Costa Rica when he’s preaching.

My parents are traveling to Louisville next weekend for my mother’s 50-year high school reunion, and they’re really looking forward to it. As one of the activities, class members will watch the racing at Churchill Downs from “millionaire’s row,” which should be fun.

Jun 10

Recovery

It has been, for reasons I obviously can’t go into, an extremely stressful and unpleasant week at work. So it was a strange time for me to have such a remarkable high point in the middle of it.

As you may recall, I am a United Methodist layspeaker, a non-ordained church member who is available to preach, for example when a church pastor is on vacation or when there are not enough ordained pastors to fill the available pulpits. The Tennessee Annual Conference, the business meeting and worship gathering for Methodists from throughout Middle Tennessee, traditionally recognizes layspeakers and layleaders during one of its evening worship services. But this year, for the first time ever, it was decided to have a layspeaker preach that night.

Earlier this year, 23 different layspeakers submitted sermons, which had to tie in with the conference theme, “Beyond The Walls: Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World.” A short list of four was chosen to deliver their sermons to the selection committee, and I was given the great honor of being the first layspeaker, as far as anyone can recall, ever to preach during an evening worship service at the Tennessee Conference.
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Jun 05

Looking forward

Today is one month from my Costa Rica trip.

It is also five days away from my sermon at Annual Conference. I am humbled, and a little surprised, by how many of my friends, family and fellow church members are making the effort to come and hear me that night. The church is planning a carpool. They announced it a week ago and then moved up the time this week after deciding that seating would be at a premium.

I bought a new shirt and tie today to wear that night.

May 08

Got the call

I got home from the symphony concert and I had three messages on my answering machine. Two of them were much-appreciated birthday greetings from family members, featuring nieces and nephews who always bring a smile to my face.

The third message was from a representative of the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church.

A good while back, I submitted a sermon for consideration in the selection process for the first-ever layspeaker to preach during Annual Conference.

I’ve made the short list, apparently, and they want me to come to Franklin this Saturday and give my sermon for the selection committee.