This has been a light blogging week. In part it is due to holiday travel; in part it is because I am preaching on New Year’s Eve. On months when there is a fifth Sunday one of our church’s ruling elders takes to the pulpit. The text I am focusing on is 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. I feel completely inadequate and ill prepared, so this week’s Friday Vespers is a prayer for illumination.
I
LLUMINE our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind, with the pure light of thy divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of thy Gospel teachings; implant in us also the fear of thy blessed commandments, that trampling down all carnal desires, we may enter upon a spiritual manner of living both thinking and doing such things as are well pleasing unto thee: for thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God, and unto thee we ascribe glory, together with thy Father who is from everlasting, and thine all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages — Amen.
— John Chrysostom (349-407), Divine Liturgy of John Chrysostom (#)
2 Comments
That is a phenomendal quote.
[quote post="846"]I feel completely inadequate[/quote]
That is probably exactly how we should all feel when preaching the gospel. God bless you this weekend.
Thanks Shawn! I need lots of blessings! This is only my second sermon, but I tend to write them like I wrote my papers in college — at the last minute! I seem to be “picking up momentum,” that is, I can feel the truth of the gospel enlivening me. The intro, context, and principles are all laid out, but I still have the application to finish and then sum it up in a conclusion. It’s an exhilerating mix of frustration, panic, and . . . well . . . revelry. The scary part is that your preaching itself becomes a demonstration of the message you proclaim.
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