The Final School Week Begins

So far my Youth Project Initiative has garnished $2,200.  I have $6,800 to go.  We’ll see.  I am not worried about that specific endeavor.

Penny and I had a great day at Camelback Church this past Sabbath.  I truly enjoyed preaching.  Penny enjoyed the sermon—at least that is what she told me.  I even sang at the close of my sermon, something I had not done since I arrived in Arizona.  I began singing at the end of my sermons during my ministry at the Visalia SDA Church in Central California back in the 80’s.  Music has always been a part of my life.  During my time at the Visalia I felt limiting my preaching to oratory was narrowing the scope of the experience.  I concluded that people who might not “get it” through the spoken word might be able to connect through music—and so it began.  I always found a song that related to the message and concluded my message with a song and a prayer.  It was never an addition, but an integral part of the sermon.

For some reason I lost sight of that part of my preaching when I came to Arizona, perhaps because I did not want my singing to be perceived as a performance.  It was never about that, rather an extension of the message to open the door for a response.  A couple weeks ago I was speaking for the La Sierra Academy Alumni weekend (I am not an alumni of LSA…go figure) and decided to sing at the close of my brief message.  I sang a song entitled “Your Grace Still Amazes Me.”  The response was positive, especially from those who remember my ministry at the Visalia and La Sierra University churches.  It was, however, one of my son’s comments after the service that left the deepest impression on me.  He simply said, “Dad, you should sing at the end of every sermon like you used to do.”  Then he chuckled and added, “You’ll become known as the singing superintendent….” 

It is such a massive responsibility to stand before a congregation and share a thought from God.  I don’t know how God is determined to work through feeble and fickle humans to convey His Word, but he does.  By the same token I don’t know how anyone could ever approach this responsibility with anything less than total awe and humility.  I still get antsy and jittery after over 50 years of preaching.  Every sermon is a miracle!

But alas, the new week begins!  Personnel teleconferences and school board meetings await me this week.  An accreditation visit in Tucson, leading to graduation weekend at TAA are all on the immediate horizon.  Final and summative evaluations are due this week for all teachers not on regular status.  By the end of this week I hope and pray we will have filled all the opening in the elementary system.  There are still some personnel role adjustments needed in the high schools, but that item is still in the serious prayer stage.  All in all it will not be a heavy travel week, and for that I am very thankful.

There will always be threatening clouds on the horizon, but I cannot worry about such things.  I only ask for enough grace for today.  (230.1)