Forgive the poor focus of the video. Something about the sun made the camera hard to really get in there.
But this is a fun message. I went off script more than I feel I ever have before, And it felt pretty good. I think that comes with more comfort with the congregation. Preached at First Presbyterian church in New Westminster.
In my time there over the last eight or so months, I have often preached with local issues in mind – issues of indigenous justice, homelessness, affluence, and the opioid crisis, and I’ve been shocked and pleased at how this congregation has been responding. The last time I was there, one congregant approached me asking “How can we help?” She was asking about what they could do to help out people experiencing homelessness and support Union Gospel Mission. I wasn’t expecting a question like that, so my answer was “Gloves. We have so many socks but in the cold, people are asking for gloves, and we rarely have gloves to give.” The next time I showed up, a handful of congregants had bags full of gloves for me to bring back to work.
It was a really small thing, but it showed me the importance of the office of preaching – it can lead people to action. I have fallen into the trap in the past of not enjoying preaching because it feels surface level, it can really feel like it’s not going deep enough into the text or into local issues. But what preaching more has taught me is that “going deeper” isn’t about being more academic, but about learning, growing, and applying the truths and exhortations of scripture into our everyday lives, so that we are more generous, compassionate, and caring people. The small gesture of bringing gloves showed me that preaching was doing it’s job.
Lament, Praise, and Ambiguity 