The Story of how I Received my First Preaching Gig

Today I preached for the first time.

It still is hard to comprehend, but I knew it was going to happen eventually. The whole thing took me by surprise.

Last month Melissa asked me if I would give an approximately 2 minute talk about ALT at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. This is the congregation of family friend Jim Wicker. I said of course! Jim is great and it has been a while since I have heard him preach/lead worship.

Weeks passed since my conversation with Melissa, when I receive a Facebook message from Jim:

"Hi Elizabeth. Are you the one for sure coming to HT on the 29th? If so, I have a proposition. Would you like to bring the message and incorporate ALT into that? You could choose your own scripture. It is the 1st Sunday in Advent. I would just need to get a peek at the message a few days before ;)"

I was so surprised that I waited till the next day to respond (it felt more like a week).

Now that I had excepted the offer I needed to choose the scripture and then write the message. Many of the Lutheran churches in the Toledo area use the Narrative Lectionary. This particular lectionary takes a congregation from Creation through the early Christian church. The text appointed for today, November 29, was 2 Kings 22:1-10 (14-20); 23:1-3, which is about King Josiah and the finding of the book of the law.

To be honest, the first time I read this text I had no clue what was going on. I was going to use this text over the summer when I was leading bible study for a summer program, however I did not know how to translate it for 4 -15 year olds. Reading it again though, I had a better grasp of the message Josiah's story is giving. Mind you it helps that I have a study bible and thanks to the internet we have great resources like Working Preacher which helped me with settling on the theme of discovery.

For about a week and a half I listened to the podcast on Working Preacher like a crazy person. I wanted to soak up everything they had to say; every once in a while pausing and rewinding so I wouldn't miss a thing. I wanted my first sermon to be perfect so I needed to listen to podcast at least 2 to 3 times a day. This helped me to actually begin writing the words I wanted to say.

I am person who takes pride in everything that I do and because of that I am my worst critic. Throughout the process of writing my sermon, I kept thinking, "Does this even sound good? Is it flowing well? Well that transition is horrible." It felt like being back in college writing a paper for one of my classes. The difference being I had easy access to my Dad who read my sermon throughout the process and kept on encouraging me. I honestly don't know what I would do without him.

So this morning, as I walked up to the pulpit, I kept in my mind that everything was going to be okay. Before I began I took a deep breath and thought of all the people who were praying for me. Yes, for a good chunk of the message my hands were shaking, but that happens. Why do you think pulpits were made?!?!?! So that you could deliver a message to the congregation clearly while expressing your nerves through hand shaking or wobbly legs with nobody else knowing!

Once I finished and walked back to my seat, I felt like I was transported through time to when I was 9 years old; the first time I had read the lessons at church. When I was going back to my seat, I couldn't help but smile and there was no way to hide it. The same thing happened this morning. I hope that feeling never goes away.

wink emotico

Discovery: King Josiah and the 1st Sunday of Advent

Lesson: 2 Kings 22:1-20; 23:1-3

1st Sunday of Advent

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

Discovery.

The dictionary defines the word as the act of finding or learning something for the first time.

Last March I discovered that I wanted to participate in a gap-year program.

I was attending a discernment retreat for those going into ministry. One of the people in attendance happened to be Pastor Josh Graber. Josh is the national director of Abundant Life Together (ALT for short) which is an intentional living-learning community for young adults between the ages of 18 and 25. After much discussion, at the end of the retreat, I decided to apply for ALT as preparation for Seminary. 

When Hilkiah is going around the temple, possibly observing the renovations, he discovers something. He finds the book of the law. This is the law that God gave to Moses for the people to follow once they reached the Promised Land. The news reaches King Josiah and through his hearing of scripture, he ushers in an age of renewal to the southern kingdom of Judah.

He does this by bringing Gods word back to the center of their life together as a community.

In this story, scripture, Gods word, is the greatest gift given.

Josiah is the most powerful person in the kingdom and he is standing under the authority of the word. He leads the people into a time of repentance and a time of renewing the covenant.

It had been 57 years since the people had heard of Gods promises. Josiah’s grandfather and father abandoned the Lord by erecting alters to false gods, practicing child sacrifice and defacing the Lords Temple in Jerusalem. They forgot the words spoken in Deuteronomy 6:

 “…take care that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of  the house of slavery. The Lord your God you shall fear; him you shall serve, and by his name alone you shall swear. Do not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who are all around you, because the Lord your God, who is present with you, is a jealous God. The anger of the Lord your God would be kindled against you and he would destroy you from the face of the earth.”

Even though Gods people had forgotten Gods promise given in scripture; God preserved the scriptures allowing them to be found in Gods perfect time.

While I was in college, I was not really involved in a faith community. None of the college ministries on campus felt right. I would go to church with my family when I was home on a Sunday, but Sunday mornings looked different in my dorm room. I created my own practice of singing hymns, reading scripture and then reading my pastors sermon. This is how I nurtured my faith during college. However, I discovered that I missed being supported by a faith community. I have found this support in ALT.

Every week, as a cohort, we study scripture together. I look forward to bible study because 1. I don’t know what text will be our focus, 2. I enjoy finding out who will be leading the study and 3. I love that everyone interprets scripture differently. Earlier this month Pastor Julie Parsell led a study using 1 Samuel 16 when David is anointed king and Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Through these texts we learned that the creator is still creating. He is working through us and in us. His work is never done.

Another way I have found support is through worship both in the downtown Toledo community and as an ALT community.

When we are Toledo I attend Threshold. From my first Sunday I felt welcomed and that my gifts were valued. I had sung harmonies for the songs that morning. During the sharing of the peace a member came over to say thank you. This feeling of welcome in the congregations we attend is something as an ALT community that we appreciate.

When worshiping together as ALT, our time together is often intimate. Most times it is my 5 compatriots, myself and Pastor Melissa. We gather around the word and the table. During that time you can feel the Holy Spirit moving in us and through us. It is a time in which many of us share our innermost thoughts and fears. I personally have not felt closer to a group of people than I do with the other ALT participants.

One way as a cohort we are discovering Toledo is through food and art.

There are many great local restaurants walking distance from our apartment. A place that we really enjoy is Home Slice Pizza on South Saint Clair Street. The crust is thin and they have something for everyone. I personally enjoy the potato pizza. The next time you are in downtown Toledo, check it out!

We have been enjoying the Toledo art scene. Every day we are immersed in art through the murals on the buildings and the architecture itself. A hidden gem of Toledo is the Toledo Museum of Art which all of us love to explore. The first time we went there as a group, we went to a glass blowing demonstration. Our instructor was very knowledgeable about glass and the studio glass movement. I enjoyed listening to him teach all while making a beautiful piece of art.

Discovery.

That is what the season of Advent is about. The season of preparation for Christ’s birth.

This Sunday marks the first Sunday of Advent.

What will you discover this Advent season?

Let us pray:

Spirit of love, who moves with creation, drawing the threads to color and design, life into life, you knit our true salvation: Come, work with us, and weave us into one.

Though we have frayed the fabric of your making, tearing away from all that you intend, yet to be whole, humanity is aching: Come, work with us, and weave us into one.

Great loom of God, where history is woven, you are the frame that holds us to the truth, Christ is the theme, the pattern you have given: Come, work with us, and weave us into one. Amen.