A Place to Preach

Like most United Methodist preachers who are appointed to serve in different places by their Bishop, there have been those moments when I questioned the wisdom and the spiritual discernment of the one doing the appointing.  In other words, there were times when I would have appointed myself to some place other than the one to which I was actually appointed by my Bishop!  Usually such thinking happened when I was enjoying a "pity party"  which gave me liberty to tell God that I deserved better.  And whenever such happened, God would inevitably rain on my party by telling me that any pulpit was more than I deserved.

 

Indeed, it is true that I have been blessed with a place to preach all these years.  Even now in this season of retirement, I still am blessed to have a pulpit from which to preach the gospel each Sunday.  The Rocky Ford United Methodist Church is not a large congregation by any definition, but it is a privilege to stand in that holy place each Sunday as the preacher of the Word.  Stapleton, Bethel and Zoar made up my first Bishop appointed preaching place.  From there I went on to Tennille, Talbotton, and St. John in Columbus.  From Columbus I went to Vidalia, Perry, and Richmond Hill and then here to Rocky Ford.  Each of those churches to which I was appointed by my Bishop gave me what every preacher wants--a place to preach.

 

When I heard that call to preach back in 1966 at the Alamo Methodist Church, I could not have conceived of the journey before me.   Looking back is to know I have been blessed far more than I deserved for each Sunday since the beginning days, I have had a place to stand and proclaim the Word of God to the people of God.  No preacher could ask for more.