My shortest sermon ever

I had billed yesterday's sermon as my shortest one ever.  And it almost was.  Think about that: Many pastors pride themselves on being able to preach more minutes.  I am sure there is a preacher merit badge for that.  Here I am, though, shooting for less.  What has become of me?  Something about quality vs. quantity?

The plan this Sunday was to preach for five minutes, and still know I can do it!  I got carried away with the last part and went on for three extra minutes.  A five-minute sermon may sound to you  like an easy day at the office, but it is not, at least if you want to do it right.  So, when you push play below, you'll listen for 9 minutes and 14 seconds--yes, you will, you will... That time does include our reading of the prayer of confession, which began at about the eight minute mark. 

Why does any of this matter? Well, maybe it doesn't--kind of like the halftime show last night. It did for me, however.

This was the second sermon that we focused on healing.  Several people have told me this was a topic they appreciated hearing about.  What I wanted to do in these sermons is make sure to clear the air and address some of the more unhelpful, and possibly unfaithful, ideas about healing and replace them with more healing truths about our life with God.  Also, I don't think most of us realize how much healing there needs to be in the church.  Of course, I'm not just talking about physical or medical condition that need to be healed.  People in our pews are hurt, broken down, depressed, angry, addicted, oblivious, distracted, consumed...........

We need God to heal us in many ways.

What I wanted to communicate in yesterday's sermon is that God wants to heal, and offers healing to us in many ways.  That offer was found for us yesterday in our communion celebration.  Communion is not just something we do to remember a night in Jesus' life.  In our Communion moments God is at work in us.  So, the point of the short sermon was to get people to focus on the power of God in Communion.  We should not think of Communion as an after thought.  What I want to say is not as important as what God wants to do on a Sunday morning.

So, I think God's healing was felt by many of us there.  Although you and I cannot share Communion now, think about the 2 things in this sermon the next time you are able to.  And may God's healing be with you now.

++If you are reading by email or news reader, click here to listen to the sermon entitled Two Things.++