I once was on the preaching schedule the same Advent Sunday two years in a row. Thinking nobody would notice, I used the same message second time around. One person noticed. She had taken notes. Of course, after taking notes, she didn't need them. She had them in memory. She also noticed that many other preachers have only one or two sermons in them which they repurpose whenever called upon to speak. Apparently, I am not the original slacker; I am one of a type.
I am also not a note taker. I am expert at forgetting, which is also useful. I don't clutter up my head with irrelevant ideas. Though I now occasionally take notes about my own thoughts, I am such an expert forgetter that I can reread something I noted two years ago and it seems quite remarkable.
More often, things pass by without being noticed or noted. Experience leaves a clue. The meaning of the clue is a personal responsibility. Take this picture. What does it mean?
Oh Dennis, when I look at that picture I see LIFE, warm and lovable, funny and remarkable , amazing how one's perspective changes as we age......
ReplyDeleteOh I don't mind that you only preach one sermon. I certainly don't think you're a slacker. You've been working on your one sermon for decades and you've polished it and perfected it. You've found different slants and gathered more illustrations and examples. I find it incredibly interesting to listen to what preachers do with their single sermon.
ReplyDeleteI also love going back and reading my notes. I've got a whole shelf of my notebooks. You're in there somewhere :-)
PS I miss you following and commenting on my discussion (my single sermon?) ongoing over on facebook.
Thank you for your kind reassurance that my single sermon is worthy of note. Being a voluntary refugee from Facebook (twitter, Instagram, et al) One regret. I miss iterations of your single sermon. I am finding Google Blogger less commercial and invasive although more solitary. Lots of room here for people with thoughts.
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