The Pulpiteer

It just occurred to me, if you’ve picked up this series somewhere in the middle you may wonder why I’m in the 43rd day of Lent when Lent is supposed to be 40 days. It’s because Sundays aren’t counted among the 40. Just a few days left.

Today’s prayers from the Divine Hours have had some readings with them that focused me on this part of Holy Week. The first reading was of the anointing at Bethany as recorded in Mark 14.  At the end of that scene, Judas goes to the chief priests and agrees to turn over Jesus. That kind of hit me today as I prayed and read. Good Friday isn’t here yet, but the seeds of that tragedy are already sown. Many times the fruits of our sin, in all their spectacular grotesqueness, are just that: fruits. Where is the root? Where are the seeds planted. One part of the journey to the cross started a few days before the crucifixion when Judas decided to hand Jesus over. What sorts of things are taking root in your heart? Continue Reading »

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Wow, I can’t believe I’ve made it this far eating only once a week.  More importantly, I’ve really prayed a lot during Lent.  This is the last Tuesday of the fast, and I’m really grateful.  My biggest concerns now are physically.  I don’t want to be out of energy by the end of the week because it’s a busy week.  Spiritually I feel pretty good.  I missed vespers today (dinner time) due to my schedule, and it bugged me.  I’ll do the compline tonight shortly before I go to bed.  As I enter this last week of the fasting I realize I haven’t found any huge, miraculous theophanies.  Rather, I feel my faith simply deepening.  It’s not that I am completely holy and always have my mind where it needs to be, uttering prayers all the time.  I’m more centered (maybe) – that could be a way to describe it.

I’m excited for Easter, but I’m also excited for worship on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  I love Holy Week.  I love telling and reliving the story.  I love the heartrending story of the crucifixion and the amazing turn of events on Easter morning.  I’m thankful we are in the midst of these celebrations.  The stories we tell and live into shape us.  These stories are central to the Christian people, my people.

I have a couple of links for you.  First is the Palm Sunday sermon I gave last year.  It’s a meditation on the passion that considers Mary, the mother of Jesus.  It’s one of my favorites, and a good thing to think about this week.  The second is by a friend named Joel Watson and it’s on his facebook account.  I’m not sure if everyone can get it, if not let me know and I’ll find another way to get it to you.  You can find the link here.  It’s on the atonement and it raises some good questions about what the atoning work of Christ was, as well as what exactly it means for us to be sinners.

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This Sunday’s sermon was more of a meditation on the Palm Sunday story as found in Luke 19:28-40.  Palm Sunday leads us into Holy Week and therefore the worship time should begin with Hosannas and then turn a  corner and lead us into a time of contemplating the events of Holy Week.  The Old Testament reading for this Sunday, by the way, was from Zechariah 9.  Read verses 9-10 for the prophecy I refer to in the message.

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I pray for the sermons before and during writing them as well as prior to preaching.  I have an issue with trust though.  I believe.  I have faith.  But my faith seems to work better when I’m in control of everything.  There are Sundays that I feel pretty good about the message I am about to give.  I absolutely love preaching, and some Sundays are better than others as far as feeling like I did it the way I wanted to.  However, there are some Sundays that I am really not so sure about how the message will go.  Sometimes they feel dry.  Sometimes I’m just not confident in them.  Last Sunday was one of those Sundays when I just wasn’t sure how it would go.  Continue Reading »

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The physical effects of the fast are starting to get to me now.  I felt pretty good physically for a long time, but now I’m getting pretty tired and my hunger is more serious.  However, I keep thinking, maybe this is an important time to get through.  My metabolism is kind of crazy right now.  I’ll lose only a few pounds all week and then gain 4-5 pounds on the day I eat.  I’ve been crashing on the day after I eat at some point in the afternoon.  I’m not sure why, but I just get really tired and can’t stay awake.  The physical part has been an interesting experience, but it’s been different than I expected going into the fast.  Although I’m hungry, it’s different than if you are eating regularly and don’t eat all day.  As I’ve written before, not eating is normal right now, so it’s just different.  I’ve been praying for strength.  I’m ready for Easter. Continue Reading »

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