Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Yikes!

Today it occurred to me, "Holy Mary Mother of God, I start preaching this Sunday and from now until eternity (or until the church finds a permanent pastor...which seems like a LOOONNNGGGG way off when you're planning sermons) I have to be wise and thought-provoking and erudite on a regular basis. And, friends, I am so not these things.

Examples of aforementioned thoughts...I look forward to the Saturday when I get my hair highlighted, because I get to read trashy magazines with headlines with exclamation points!!! (i.e. Brad and Angelina pluck each other's eyebrows for fun! Britany is adding an extra "t" to her name!!! Paris Hilton caught taking a Beano before celebrity chili supper!!). Another example of my gauche ways...I can't stop giggling inwardly when people mispronounce words (a client told me the other day that her mother felt much better after having a "vowel movement." I wanted to say, "Yeah, whenever I move that 'I before E' I feel better too...). How, oh how, can I be given the responsibility of interpreting scripture?!?

Shit. (See, another example of my unworthiness!) Just shit. Anyone have any brilliant ideas about Psalm 130? 'Cause I'm a little dry here...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

RE: Vowel Movement
Sooo Funny!

RE: PS 130
Hmm... I'll have to think about that one for a while... here let me Google. ;)

Psalm 130 Sermon

Anonymous said...

P.S.

I might focus on verse 6.

"My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,"

I worked as a midnight to eight security dispatcher for a university... Oh how we waited for the morning! We counted down every moment. Waiting, longing for daylight. For relief, for rest... for forgiveness perhaps?

ReverendKathryn said...

I agree with Amy. Verse 6 seems to be the way to go with this one. I am reminded of when I did sermons in my ministry and the theme of waiting ties into Isaiah 40:31. Some translations say "they that hope in the LORD" but the common translation is "They that wait on the LORD". My sermon was about the difference between waiting for something specific.. and waiting ON the LORD. His time, His peace.
But Psalm 130 is talking about a longing exceeds all over longings.. in the context, it is the waiting for the renewal and cleansing of sin. In my work as chaplain, I have met many patients who long to change their lives but don't know where to start. They long to be free of the sinful, crimefilled life they once led but don't feel worthy of God's grace. This is what this verse seems to talk about... that longing, yearning for the Lord to act in their favor. Waiting is hard. Patients in hospitals know that. Waiting for whatever.. the unknown, is harder sometimes than waiting for some specific time, because then it is done.
Hope this sparks some ideas...