It's Thursday. To most, Thursday is just "the day before Friday". But for me it's different. I've got to preach most Thursday evenings. There are some crazy feelings that come along with preaching. "How can I do this?" "Have I heard from the Lord?" " Am I prepared?" " Will they hear?" " Will they receive it?" " What if I've missed the Lord?" " What if the Holy Spirit doesn't show up?"
It's the tension between mortal and immortal; between perfect and flawed; between powerful and weak.
I don't think I'm alone. Every preacher I know goes through similar stuff. The Prophet Zechariah called it "the burden of the word of the Lord." I've come to understand that it comes with the calling.
The beauty of it all is that moment when I step to the pulpit and open God's Word. All of the uncertainty, and all of the "preacher feelings" melt away. The connection happens. The Word goes forth. God's people respond. And seemingly without fail, someone steps up and says, "Chaplain, that was just what I needed." That's all the reward I need. It's all worth it.
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