First Sunday in Lent

I preached at St. Andrew's this morning. Carol had asked me to share some of my faith journey with the congregation: what had brought me to the point where I am, looking to begin a new stage of ministry in my own life. The Gospel being what it was-- Matthew's tale of Jesus' going into the wilderness after his baptism, in preparation for his ministry on earth-- I did that today, as it seemed to fit. And with it being the first Sunday in Lent, it was also an opportunity to encourage the congregation to do some self-examination about their own calls to ministry and discipleship while we are in this period of preparation, this "wilderness time."

However, contrary to my usual practice, I won't be posting the sermon. First of all, I don't have any record from which to work-- no manuscript, no outline, no written notes of any sort. This one was entirely in my head and heart, until it came out of my mouth. Secondly, while I am certainly willing to share the story of my call to ordained ministry, it somehow does not seem appropriate, or comfortable, to baldly post the tale without the ability to interact with you in person.

So, I will encourage you to consider the scriptures for the day, and to pray about your own call to God's service. As to the rest. . . maybe we can talk about that over pizza and beer, sometime.