40 Years

One of the first sermon I preached was back in my college days at Young Harris.  I went to Young Harris knowing I had been called to preach, but not really very excited about it.  It took me nearly six months to come around to saying "Yes"  after an ongoing argument with God.  The pastor who doubled as a religion professor at the College and the pastor of the campus church, Sharp Memorial UMC, gave those of us who were inclined toward the ministry an opportunity to preach at Sharp. It was one of my first sermons.  I remember it was entitled "A Double Minded Faith" and the text was James 1:6-8.  It was by no one's standards a great sermon, but I wore it out preaching it over the next few years.  I preached it everywhere I went in youth ministry, in every church that dared give me an invitation to preach, and numerous times in the church's I served in those early years.  

I have no idea how many sermons I preached in the forty plus years I preached.  I started trying to figure it up on one occasion, but got worn out with it.  A handful were really good, a few were better than average, and the most of them probably should not have been preached.  My first sermons seemed like forever long when I was preaching them.  I was always surprised that I often had put all the water in the trough I could in less than ten minutes; however, no one ever complained.  The serious complaining started when I got to the point I could preach a ten minute sermon in thirty minutes.  

I came to love preaching and the getting ready to preach even though I wrestled with God about getting started.  I always believed and still do that preaching is one of the most important things those of us who are ordained can do.  On Sunday morning the preacher is given what my children used to call a "captive audience," but it was always more.  It was an opportunity to proclaim the Word of God for the people of God.  I am humbled that God gave me forty years to preach and still amazed that He did.