Sermon from the Mound
A friend of mine sent me a message today asking how my sermon went yesterday. Actually, his precise words were, "How did the sermon on the mound go yesterday?". I wasn't sure if he was trying to make a joke, be clever or had just committed a malapropism. I wondered to myself if he envisioned me in a baseball uniform preaching the Beatitudes from the pitcher's mound @ Ameriquest Field. Regardless, it made me laugh and I needed that.
I enjoyed studying the scripture text and writing up a speech with a spiritual message. Somehow, using the word "sermon" sounds so stuffy and official. I don't really feel qualified to preach, per se....but deliver a 10 minute speech? No problem.
As I may have mentioned, I chose to use Psalm 91 as the basis for our service. Basically, I read the verses and talked a bit about how there has always been danger throughout the ages-wars, diseases, plagues, violence, etc. That the worry and anxiety today is no worse than what the ancients and our ancestors experienced. We all long to return to that feeling of security and safety that(if we were lucky) we had as children.
The primary visual image the writer of Psalm 91 uses is that of a mother bird covering her young with wings of protection. I went on to use some common birding idioms and then told a couple of short stories about fearing thunderstorms hopping in bed with mom and dad, then about an urban legend about a mother bird that sacrificed herself for her chicks. I drew those together to get the feeling of safety and security and that God invites us into that kind of relationship with Him--one of protection and rest. In addition, the invitation isn't just for a visit, but for a dwelling, a residence. He wants us to stick around and change our address.
We sang a couple of hymns and then served communion. There were about 30 residents attending the worship service. Half of them were in wheelchairs and many more with walkers. It was sobering to be near the congregation--Trying to convey a message of hope, safety and security to folks who have lived thru more than I can imagine at this point in my life. I felt very welcomed, but certainly under qualified. They were all very gracious and kind and carried themselves with a certain dignity despite living every day away from their families, potentially enduring a slowing of the mind and a failing of the body.
Humbling indeed.
I enjoyed studying the scripture text and writing up a speech with a spiritual message. Somehow, using the word "sermon" sounds so stuffy and official. I don't really feel qualified to preach, per se....but deliver a 10 minute speech? No problem.
As I may have mentioned, I chose to use Psalm 91 as the basis for our service. Basically, I read the verses and talked a bit about how there has always been danger throughout the ages-wars, diseases, plagues, violence, etc. That the worry and anxiety today is no worse than what the ancients and our ancestors experienced. We all long to return to that feeling of security and safety that(if we were lucky) we had as children.
The primary visual image the writer of Psalm 91 uses is that of a mother bird covering her young with wings of protection. I went on to use some common birding idioms and then told a couple of short stories about fearing thunderstorms hopping in bed with mom and dad, then about an urban legend about a mother bird that sacrificed herself for her chicks. I drew those together to get the feeling of safety and security and that God invites us into that kind of relationship with Him--one of protection and rest. In addition, the invitation isn't just for a visit, but for a dwelling, a residence. He wants us to stick around and change our address.
We sang a couple of hymns and then served communion. There were about 30 residents attending the worship service. Half of them were in wheelchairs and many more with walkers. It was sobering to be near the congregation--Trying to convey a message of hope, safety and security to folks who have lived thru more than I can imagine at this point in my life. I felt very welcomed, but certainly under qualified. They were all very gracious and kind and carried themselves with a certain dignity despite living every day away from their families, potentially enduring a slowing of the mind and a failing of the body.
Humbling indeed.
posted by Jennifer @ 9:39 PM
1 Comments:
At 1:36 PM,
Rann said…
Sounds like it was a lovely speech, er, sermon, uhh, toast???? LOL. No matter how you classify it, the thoughts were good and they came together inspirationally.
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