Making the Sermon: An Introduction

Welcome to the newest feature on my blog! I thought if John Landis could be known for "The Making of Thriller" and Puff Daddy (I refuse to call him Diddy) can flood MTV airwaves with "Making the Band" then surely the blogosphere would be ready for "Making the Sermon."

Some of my favorite homiletic texts are those that speak to the creative process of preachers. My all time favorites are Dr. Cleophas LaRue's Power in the Pulpit: How America's Most Effective Black Preachers Prepare Their Sermons and Jana Childers' Birthing the Sermon: Woman Preachers on the Creative Process.

Currently, my creative process is being developed. This I do know: my best sermons are birthed when I am resting, exercising, and taking good care of myself. A few months ago a sermon preached itself to me as I was running the loop at Giralda Farms. I couldn't get home fast enough to write it down! Now, in my new role as Assistant to the Pastor at the Bethesda Baptist Church, with regular preaching responsibilities, I am getting into the habit and rhythm of sermon preparation. Today was spent looking for and waiting to be found by next week's text.

This new feature will give you a glimpse into the joys and challenges of sermon preparation of a young preacher trying to find her way. Enjoy!

Just What the Doctor Ordered...

Ok, so not really. But it makes for an interesting title. Read on...

In an effort to take better care of myself and in response to the state of clergy health, I scheduled visits with my (new) primary care physician and ob/gyn. The visit with my PCP, a wonderful Nigerian woman, went very well. She took her time, asked great questions, and really listened to me. At the end of my visit, she gave me a clean bill of health, save my blood tests. She promised to give me a call when the results were in from the lab.

That was last week Thursday.

Fast forward to today.

I got up early, watched my hubby get ready for work (tee hee), and then made my way out the door for a walk. This morning I wanted to walk with ease, so I left my fanny pack (don't laugh, at least it is Armani) and my phone at home. Some forty-five minutes later I returned to the house and saw the red light blinking on my Blackberry. Scroll. Scroll. Scroll. There were a few text messages and a missed call from a number I did not recognize. Thankfully this person left a voicemail.

You have one new message.

Hi Donna. This is Dr. Nelson. Your blood work came back and I wanted to discuss the results with you.

Gasp. Discuss the results. For what? What could she possibly have to say? I am healthy, right?

See when hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol run in your family, well, you get a little nervous about discussing results of blood work. Add to that the high fat/high carbohydrate foods I've been eating since graduation coupled with the minimal body movement and you get full fledged anxiety.

Well, this sure put a damper on my morning.

See, upon returning from my walk, I was going to have a light breakfast and then spend some time in prayer. I was all set to bathe in God's presence when I became flooded with fear.

Ok, Donna. You're a big girl. Just take it to the Lord in prayer. What was that song you prayed yesterday, "What a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry. Everything to God in prayer." Well, blood work counts as everything, so lay it at God's feet and then call Dr. Nelson.

But, but, what if I am overreacting? Worse yet, what if it is really bad. Maybe you should call her and find out the results so you know exactly how to pray.

------

Good morning, this is Donna. I am returning a call from Dr. Nelson.

Blah, blah, blah. Can you hold?

Sure, I'll hold.

The line wasn't the only thing being held. What I didn't say to the receptionist is that I was holding my breath, too.

Hi Donna. Blah, blah, blah, blah. Your blood work results came in.

Still holding breath.

Everything looks good.

Praise God!

Your sugar is good! No issues with diabetes. Your cholesterol is great. Your liver and kidney functions are good. Thyroid is good.

Notice a pattern here.

I am concerned...

Hold on. Pattern shift. Concerned? About what? You said everything was good!

...about your levels of Vitamin D. Normal is 30. Your levels are at 27.

I did tell her about my seasonal depression. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is closely linked with a Vitamin D deficiency. Among other things, light therapy is one of the treatments for SAD.

Dr. Nelson, can I get Vitamin D supplements?

Sure, but the best way to increase your Vitamin D level is to spend thirty minutes in the sun, daily.

Excellent! I planned to go to lay out by the pool later.

We both chuckled.

That's great! Just make sure you get out in the sun. You probably won't need a supplement, but if you do, they sell them over the counter in liquid form.

Thank you. blah. blah, blah...

After I hung up the phone, I prayed. I was thankful for God's mercies which are new every morning!I was thankful that the results were positive. I was thankful that where I did have an issue that it could be easily remedied. I was thankful for last winter, one where I walked outside, at least four days each week, for an hour or so, soaking in the sun. I was thankful that I didn't have any crying bouts or major issues with my depression last year. But I was also thankful for God's reminder that if I am to have a good winter this year, one free from the blues, that I would need to begin preparing now.

So, in preparation for the coming winter, as I store up my Vitamin D, I spent three and a half hours at the pool! I lounged. I read. I prepared for next Sunday's sermon. I swam laps. But through it all, I soaked in the rays of the sun as I bathed in the grace of God.

And just in case you are worried, I slathered on my sunscreen. We all know that black don't crack, but that doesn't stop it from burning.

(check out this recent article in the NY Times about the current state of clergy health http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/nyregion/02burnout.html)

It's Just Like the Water...

So, I have been thinking about this whole notion of rest, self-care, and balance since I last blogged. Truth is, I am way off balance. So much so that I get overwhelmed thinking about it. How do I get myself back to a place where I establish a routine that sustains me?

A week or so ago I spoke with a good girlfriend of mine—one who extends way more grace to me than I do to myself—who suggested I stop trying to do it all and start with baby steps. She asked, "What about the pool?" She knew I had purchased an aquajogger so that I could get my run on without hurting my joints. The pool was a great idea! It is a site of rest and renewal, where I can post up with a good book and some good tunes. However, it is also a place where I can work out. The pool it is.

But last night, after my massage, I couldn't help but think there had to be more. Perhaps my unrest was stirred up when Aiken—massage therapist extraordinaire—handed me a bottle of water when we were done. "Drink plenty of water," he said.

Drink plenty of water. He wasn't telling me anything I didn't already know, but his words struck me. Drink plenty of water. The water, after a massage, flushes toxins away. Drink plenty of water. In general, when I drink water consistently I feel and look better, inside and out: my skin glows, my organs are happy and my energy levels increase.

And so, as I make my way to the pool with my Intak thermos bottle filled with water in tow, I am reminded of the words of Ms. Lauryn Hill when she sang, "It's just like the water, I ain't felt this way in years..."

August Rest...

The English word august comes from the Latin word augustus which means consecrated and venerable. How fitting. This particular month, in this particular year, proves to be quite sacred for me. On Sunday, August 1, 2010, I was consecrated—set apart by the laying on of hands—for the Gospel ministry. It was a beautiful worship celebration, the final kick off what is indeed a new season in my life. I am now a wife and ordained minister, entrusted by God with a new set of responsibilities.

You can imagine that this has been a beautiful, blessed, and crazy time. With so much going on, I have had little time to rest and care for myself (which I believe is part and parcel for being a good steward in the kingdom of God). With that in mind, this month is also consecrated in that it is the time set apart to relax in the arms of God, be renewed in His strength, and to establish new routines of self-care. In a way, this is my sabbatical month. While I will be working, I will be intentional about the way in which the remainder of my time is spent.

I need rest. Duh, you might say....you just graduated from school, got married, moved, started your work as Assistant to the Pastor at Bethesda, and went before the ordination council. Admittedly, I am a woman who thrives on doing stuff. Needless to say, it difficult for me to relax. In fact, I spent Tuesday afternoon trying to figure out and list reason why I was so exhausted until I finally realized that I am simply tired and that I should honor my exhaustion by submitting my mind, body, and soul to rest. So I rested. And I plan to rest for the remainder of this month. This is a holy endeavor so that I may be a renewed vessel for the work of ministry.

Let's be clear. Many of us believe that when we rest that we are being lazy or doing nothing. Not so. When we rest, we are indeed doing something. When we rest, we are acknowledging that we are human beings who cannot do it all. When we rest, we demonstrate our faith in God who is Sovereign and Able. When we rest, we are asking God to revive us afresh. When we rest, we are being still and knowing that He is God. When we rest, we are pausing to hear a fresh word from God.

And so, I will end this post rather abruptly. I must close my computer and make my way to Aiken, massage therapist extraordinaire, who will work out the kinks and knots that have been building up in my neck and shoulders.

Today, on his table, I will find rest...

Think on These Things...

Jeremiah 1:1-10

The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;

Before you were born I sanctified you;

I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

Then said I:

“Ah, Lord GOD!

Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”

But the LORD said to me:

“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’

For you shall go to all to whom I send you,

And whatever I command you, you shall speak.

Do not be afraid of their faces,

For I am with you to deliver you,” says the LORD.

Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me:

“Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.

See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms,

To root out and to pull down,

To destroy and to throw down,

To build and to plant.”

Psalm 119:129-136

Your testimonies are wonderful;

Therefore my soul keeps them.

The entrance of Your words gives light;

It gives understanding to the simple.

I opened my mouth and panted,

For I longed for Your commandments.

Look upon me and be merciful to me,

As Your custom is toward those who love Your name.

Direct my steps by Your word,

And let no iniquity have dominion over me.

Redeem me from the oppression of man,

That I may keep Your precepts.

Make Your face shine upon Your servant,

And teach me Your statutes.

Rivers of water run down from my eyes,

Because men do not keep Your law.

1 Timothy 4:4-16

For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

John 14:23-31

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.

Word: Scriptures read during the "Convocation of Ordination to the Christian Ministry and A Special Service of Investiture as Assistant to the Pastor" on Sunday August 1, 2010

Image: "The Laying on of Hands" shot by Nikki G.

I am here...

I am here, I am alive, I am recuperating from the whirlwind of the last few months, and the words are lingering somewhere between my heart and my fingertips. I will write again, when the words begin to flow...In fact, I already know the title of my next blog: "My Journey From Ms. to Mrs. to Reverend in Two Months."

Until then, it's all love...

Untitled (inspired by the Mister Softee Truck)

So, today I feel incredibly blessed to be who I am, where I am, when I am...

I spent the morning preparing study materials for my ordination exam. I recorded myself reading the materials I need to memorize, put it on my iPod, and now have study aids for my on and a half hour commute through Dirty (really, Stinky) Jersey. Bless God for technology...

I spent the afternoon taking care of business with the hubby—name changes and such. It is official...I am a Mrs.! (I think it is fun when random people at the DMV congratulate you and give words of blessing and encouragement!)

I spent the early part of the evening at the pool—we have a pool in our complex! I took in some necessary sun, and when the heat was too much, I splashed around (and swam a few laps) in the pool. I felt like I was somewhere else (as in not New Jersey). I was so relaxed that the ideas for my next sermon were speaking to me; I honored them by writing them down.

Around 6:15, when the Marco Polo game was overbearing, I packed up my things and headed home. As I walked through our complex, I heard a familiar song. My heart began to dance in my chest. There is something about the Mister Softee song that gets me every time. I must have been smiling—the biggest, widest smile ever—because the driver of the truck waved at me when he drove past me.

In a moment, I was whisked back to my days as a child at the Lincoln Elementary School in Mount Vernon, New York. I could feel the anticipation that rushed over me at 3:05 as we—my classmates and I—waited to be dismissed from school. I could feel my legs ready to take off towards the door, through the playground, straight to the truck. I could see Tahiyah and Neville and David and Ingrid standing at the truck waving dollars, clamoring to be next in line. I could taste the vanilla cone with rainbow sprinkles and I could see a pinkish bluish liquid dripping down my arm when I couldn't eat the ice-cream as fast as it was melting. And I didn't have to imagine it, I heard the sound...

In a moment, I was also reminded of our last Spencer Family Reunion in 2007. It was the day when the Mister Softee Truck stopped by our family reunion and we feasted on ice-cream. It was the day when my Uncle Freddie—the other Mister Softee—had a moment of nostalgia and joy that resulted in the "ugly cry" that my mother's side of the family is known for. It was also our last family gathering where everyone was together—including Aunt Joan.

Tomorrow we will celebrate Aunt Joan's Homegoing. She has been the matriarch of our family since my grandmother passed in 1987. She was also a fighter. Whereas pancreatic cancer takes many people down in a matter of months, she survived for years without ever taking radiation or chemo. While I wouldn't advise that route for others, she certainly did it her way. Truth be told, she did it her way until the end. In mid-June she checked herself into hospice care. She had made peace with her Savior, peace with her life, and peace with her death.

So, here is to beautiful endings and new beginnings...