Pastor Jamie’s sabbatical has allowed the pastors more opportunities to preach more which is a privilege but an enormous challenge. Whatever so-called preaching skills we think we have from public speaking or even from seminary training matters not when it comes to truly speaking God’s word from the pulpit. I’m reminded one of our pastors once said the main priority of a pastor when preaching is to “get out of the way of the message.” Now I think I understand what he meant by that. There’s a balance between preaching according to what we think our training and life experiences guide us to but also to be discerning to what the Spirit is convicting us in our heart and mind to share with the congregation. Pastors each have their unique preaching style and personality but I constantly strive to remind myself that it’s not about me or my effort but about what God is doing.
A journal entry about Pastor Jamie’s 4/17/11 sermon also comes to mind. He preached then that sometimes we rely too much on the pastor to cater to our spiritual needs and wants without ever allowing ourselves to be confronted by God, who’s been present all along. It’s good and proper to have a level of respect and deference for the preacher. But sometimes we do have the tendency to expect an encounter with God through the pastor’s sermon when really He’s waiting to draw near to us all throughout the entire service. Our praise worship is not mere incidental background music to open the service but a time where God touches our hearts and minds through music in a way that goes beyond what the spoken word can describe.
Today we take Communion. This is another opportunity to come before God in confession and remembrance of how much God loves us and how desperately we need Him through his Son Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. No other person is necessary to draw closer to God. It’s because of this carpenter’s son that we are free to rejoice and celebrate together in fellowship. Amen to that.
From Pastor Mark’s Heart
March 3, 2013