HE'S LOSING IT !

Psalm 78

Last Sunday I preached a sermon called "Working Smarter." It's core illustration was the story from last week's devotional about my adventure in plumbing. I spoke in detail about the scriptural understanding of working smarter found in Colossians.

The sermon was well-received by some but sparked a little controversy or concern in others. "Didn't he just use that story in another sermon recently?" was the comment my associate, Pastor Barry heard in his Sunday School Class. Similar comments were expressed in other quarters. But the gist of it was "is he losing it?" Losing it professionally, as in getting a little careless in sermon prep or losing it mentally, as in the early onset of senility.

The humor in all of this was that I had not previously it used in a sermon. (Pastors do repeat illustrations when they preach in one congregation over a long period of time. That is generally intentional, because some illustrations should be repeated for effect--or because there is a new generation who has not heard that story that is now in the audience. I have three, a moose story and a flower bed story and one about a lady named Emma that even get requested.) No, in this case, I had simply used it with a smaller audience -- my devotional subscription list -- as I was preparing to preach to the much larger audience which would be my Sunday morning congregation.

It is nice to know my stories are remembered.

Stories, we know, are part of the way God reveals Himself ... stories intended to be repeated over and over from audience to audience and generation to generation.

"O my people, hear my teachings; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old ... We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord ..."

This devotional is published on behalf of the Church of God of Landisville and its friends (C) 2009 by Stephen Dunn.All rights reserved.