A Time For Everything

Although Solomon didn't write about a time for rest in the third chapter of Ecclesiastes, I'm sure that he would agree that we all come to the point where the thing that we really need is a time for rest.

After a week of consoling a family in their loss and grieving over the loss of a friend, Pastor Terry asked if I might be able to help by filling in for him tomorrow. I'm sure that there have been other things on his plate as well; Associate Pastor Burris in the hospital, strategic planning report due, and all of the other pressing needs of a Senior Pastor. So I'll be preaching the morning and evening services at my home church this weekend. It is really an honor to be asked to preach at Hopedale. For one thing, I know that Pastor Terry jealously guards his pulpit. He'd never turn it over to somebody that he didn't trust and I've even known him to cancel a preacher's teaching series halfway through the week when the teaching started to stray from the bible and become offensive.

For another thing, that prophet without honor in his own home doesn't generally apply at Hopedale. I enjoy preaching there as much as anywhere.

The only problem is that it was pretty short notice. I know--itinerant evangelists are supposed to have files of sermons that they can dust off and preach at a moments notice--but that doesn't always work for me. Oh you can be sure that I've preached many of my sermons more than once--I even have my favorites that I bring out whenever I'm at a church for the first time. But the sermon file is relatively small and there are times when the things that God has laid on my heart aren't covered by what is already there.

It's Saturday evening and I have the morning message ready to go. I'm still wondering about the evening message and know that I'll be spending most of tonight and the early hours of the morning on the evening message. At the end of Sunday, it will be my turn for a needed rest. If you're so inclined, I'd appreciate your prayers as I finish preparations for the day. For now, it's off to the church for youth dinner. Sermon prep will have to wait.

John