Preaching About Money

Thank you for your kind response to my two recent sermons on money. Few assignments strike more terror into a Pastor's heart. People sometimes think all we are interested in is their money. Thus we preachers often feel reticent to tackle the subject.

I have a few guidelines to help me when I preach on money. Be brief, there's no such thing as a bad short sermon, especially on this topic. Be bold, look straight into the camera and don't blink; it took me years to be able to do this. Be funny, I wouldn't even think about preaching a sermon on money without being humorous. It is the best way to release the tension that builds up in the room.

One last observation. Thanks for laughing at my jokes yesterday. You could have buried me, but your grace instead blessed me. By the way, did you hear the joke about the. . . .

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1961 Yankees

Last night I finished reading a book about my dream team, the 1961 Yankees. As a wide-eyed, awestruck kid of nine years old, I watched with eager anticipation as two of my heroes chased the record of baseball's ultimate hero.

Every day I had to know whether or not Mantle or Maris had hit a home run in their effort to break Babe Ruth's home run record for a season. I didn't know about Maris' hair falling out due to stress. I didn't know about Mantle's struggle with alcohol. I didn't know about the "asterisk" that would be put by Maris' record due to the season being longer.

All I knew was, two giants were chasing another giant, and I was out of breath with excitement. My main hero, Mantle, did not break the record. I've always regretted that, but I'm glad Maris did.

Props Can Flop

I still think it was a good idea for a sermon prop. How could I have known the paper would burn too long, thus sending up a huge, ongoing curl of smoke at 9:30? And how could I have known at 11:00 the lighter would not light. Click, click, click--is there a sadder sound on the planet?

This is the danger of using props. They are wonderful when they work, but a disaster when they fail. I still think it's worth the risk. I have been unable to get swords back in sheaths. I once broke a stand by hitting a board on it with a hammer. I once could not get a robe on because it got hung on the microphone cord I forgot I was wearing.

Despite the dangers, I plan to keep using props. Being a teacher, I am a radical believer in using whatever that's handy to help the learning process. This having been said, there will probably not be any fires lit during upcoming sermons for a while. Click, click, click.

Dr. John 3:16 Marshall

Pastor Customs

At age 60, and after over 44 years in the ministry, you would think I could have figured out the role of a Pastor. It was heavy on my mind this morning.

What does a Pastor do? Bury the dead, marry the young, carry the sick, and preach the Bible.

What should a Pastor wear? I started out wearing a tie every day. I'm a bit more relaxed now, but still prefer to wear a tie daily, and to preach in a suit.

How should a Pastor's face look? Dad, who has had a perpetual smile on his face for 84 years, says God blessed me by giving me a natural scowl. Dad felt it made me look more serious as a preacher.

Wow! Dad likes my face, and I wish I had his. I think a smile is a gift to all who see it.

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Me and AL

I am sitting in front of my TV, getting ready to watch the national championship game, pitting LSU against AL. I hope AL wins, but I'm not sure why. I never lived in AL, and don't even know what town the college is located in.

Why do I favor AL? I think it's because three AL couples came into my life at about the same time and brought their passion for AL with them. Ben and Shauna Pilgreen, Ryan and Anna Myer, and Shane and Jenelle Segars brought AL mania into my life. I know they and their families are glued to their TVs tonight. It should be a good game.

I'm glad the SEC, MO's new conference, will win the national championship tonight, no matter how the game ends. Roll Tide.