Personally speaking

Still, after all these years, I'm baffled by preaching. When I think I've planned and prepared something that will work, it doesn't. And when I think I've got it wrong, sometimes it comes out right. Yesterday was one of those days when I thought I'd got something right and it came out so flat I'm surprised I didn't fall asleep!

Why was that? Was it because I wasn't prepared, spiritually prepared? Was it because I was concerned about other things and therefore not focused on the right things? I don't know. The previous week was so very different and I'm not aware of having done anything particularly different.

Maybe I'm just being too hard, too critical, too selfish. I want us not only to experience God's presence when we meet together, but also to engage our brains. To be thinking as well as experiencing.

Yesterday, personally speaking, I think we missed that goal. Whatever "IT" is, I don't think we had it yesterday. This leaves me disappointed for sure, but I'm not about to throw in the towel and give up on the pursuit of more of God's presence and power in our church life and ministry. Hopefully I'm not the only one who wants that.