First Sunday

Well, I got through my very first worship service (and the second) behind the pulpit rather than in front. From my part, I think it went well. And from what I heard from people after both services, they seemed to think it went well too. So far so good.

It helps that my sermons are checked over (along a few steps in the process) by Rev. Van Vliet, which means that I have more confidence in my sermons when I get up behind the pulpit. Hopefully, at the end of this internship, I will have more confidence in them on my own, or else I'll never be comfortable on the pulpit.

There was one hiccup in the morning service. The elders and I walked out of the consistory room, into the auditorium, my hand got shaken, and I walked up to the pulpit (which in Maranatha is quite high) and stood there staring at the people who were staring at me, and they did not stand up, and I did not know what to say to get them to stand up. So an elder had to stage-whisper to me "Please rise," which I said and then everyone stood up. After all my time getting the liturgy right and getting the announcements right in the consistory room, I forgot to ask the little question. Oh well. It went well after that.

In the afternoon, the liturgy went well, but when I started my sermon, I was speaking way too fast. Sherri gave me the 'slow down' signal, and after that it was much better, apparently. And it was nice to have Aunt Grace, Aunt Marg, and Aunt Fran and Uncle Piet there.

The sermon was on 2 Peter 1:5-9, which is the first text that I have ever chosen for myself. And the more I looked into it, the more things there were to find. With Rev. Van Vliet's guidance and help, I think it turned out to be a good sermon.

Anyways, I have to start working on my next sermon today on 1 John 4:1-3. Today is exegesis day, so I have to read the letter over 3 times or so to be familiar with it, do the canonical work (author, date, theme(s), etc), and then translate and to word studies so that tomorrow morning I can work out a theme and points and a rough outline, and talk to Rev. Van Vliet about it tomorrow afternoon. It's less time than it usually takes at the College (we get two weeks to write a sermon), but I actually have more sustained time to work on a sermon now, with no classes in the way.

So far, I am enjoying this whole process.